7 days in Spain

Is Spain cold in December? What can be visited in 7 days?

[joe]

Spain's a very unique country, weather-wise. Much of the answer depends on where exactly you'll be in the country. Big cities like Barcelona and Madrid are fairly temperate with highs in the mid-upper 50's in December. Though Barcelona is on the coast, so the temperatures are a bit more maritime than Madrid (located in the middle of the country), and snowfall in Barcelona is not common (it does snow in Madrid). Where abouts in the country will you be?

As for what to do, I've only been to Barcelona, and I enjoyed the Gaudi-designed Guell Park, and the Sagrada Familia cathedral (also designed by Gaudi). La Rambla is also great for experiencing the citylife as well as finding great food and drink.

[ryder]

I've also been to Barcelona and believe you can make a weekend simply out of hanging out at Las Ramblas. Elsewhere, check out the Guggenheim Musem in Bilbao (northern Spain).

Joe, i think that winter is a good season to come to Spain, as the weather is nice all the year. 7 days are too days to visit only Barcelona, you can visit Valencia too, an interesting, warm, and beautiful city. Have a nice trip! Helena.

[joe]

I hope I didn't sound like I was clowning on Spain weather! Mid-upper 50's in December sounds perfectly fine to me, especially since it rarely if ever gets below 40 degrees. I've always considered Barcelona to be, weather-wise, like a slightly warmer version of San Francisco.

A week isn't a whole lot of time to see more than a couple of highlights - though that's sadly the case with any country. Barcelona is certainly a wonderful city - it's on a very short list of Europe's best, in the opinion of many - but I'm not sure it's the best introduction to Spain. It has a very European feel to it, and it doesn't give you nearly the introduction to Spanish culture that the capital will. While many travelers don't take to Madrid from the start - Barcelona's far prettier on the surface - it's a better place to experience what the country's all about. Put differently: you know you're in Spain when you're in Madrid. In Barcelona, that's not always the case.

You can easily spend a few days getting to know the capital (El Prado, Reina Sofia and the Thyssen could very well take up two days themselves), not to mention its spectacular nightlife. You can do day-trips to Toledo, Avila and Segovia - all worth seeing - or head to Sevilla for a few days (though hardly time to do it justice). The bottom line is that as much as I love Barcelona, I think you'll get a better taste of Spain on your first visit by basing yourself in Madrid. But if you choose to ignore all that sage advice to head to Barcelona, you won't exactly be disappointed.

Buen viaje!

Chris
Travel better. Travel Gator.
www.travelgator.com

[Macrobe]

Spain is has the best weather available in the south of Europe. For a table with average monthly temperatures in the Andalucia region, more specific Marbella , check out the weather page of www.marbellas.com.

[dbaker]

Originally Posted by ryder

I've also been to Barcelona and believe you can make a weekend simply out of hanging out at Las Ramblas. Elsewhere, check out the Guggenheim Musem in Bilbao (northern Spain).

What is the easiets way to get from Barcelona to Bilbao?

[d360]

Take a flight.

[wakingdream]

I was in Barcelona exclusively for a week. Trust me, there is no lack of things to keep you entertained! I could've stayed much longer as I had to prioritize what to see and missed out on some really great things!
I would highly recommend a tour of Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi Park as well as other Gaudi architecture scattered around the city, and also the MNAC art museum where you can get a phenomenal view of the entire city.
Tour the old Gothic barrio and lose yourself in the magnificent architecture! Lose another entire day just walking the streets and alleys, discovering shops, cafes and even more museums and galleries.
The weather in December was sublime. A light jacket gets too warm in the afternoon sunshine and the nights do get cooler, requiring a little more bundling up, but it's certainly not too cold to enjoy yourself if you're walking about.