<h3>Travelling to Spain</h3>

I have always been impressed with the south of Spain (Andalusia) the Arab influence on architecture there are breath taking.During our 2006 trip, I was very impressed with the Basque Region, amazing food, mountains, ocean beaches and hill top walled villages (like Laguardia) can be found within its borders.

The north and east of Spain has its own special appeal. The north, central and north east of Spain, in the areas of Castile and Aragon are where the "Catholic Monarchs", Isabel the 1st and Fernando the 2nd of Aragon, ruled and engaged in the "Reconquest of Spain".

The east of Spain holds the modernistic architecture of Barcelona, the ultra modern architecture of Valencia and the upcoming community of Zaragoza, not to mention numerous walled cities that retain much of their middle age character.

My top recommendation for touring Spain is, do not be in a rush.

Spain is best experienced slowly and as much as possible, try to match your activity to the life rhythms of the natives. Take time to linger at an outside cafe and do a little people watching. Buy some wine, cheese, bread and fruit, have a picnic while watching the sunset; even better watch the sun set with a mountain and/or Mediterranean view. Spend multiple nights at the same hotel and as much as possible limit the time you spend actually traveling.

Shopping hours, with some variation, run from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, reopening around 5 PM to then close at 8 PM. Large department stores usually stay open over the lunch period. Most shops will be closed on Sunday.

I find it best to get to the tourist sites in the morning and leaving the shopping to the evening, my wife on the other hand thinks mornings are an excellent time to shop.

This article breaks down the main Spanish travel options by region.

Northern Spain – The easiest way to access this region is by plane from one of the main UK airports flying directly to Bilbao or from the US to Malaga with transfer to Bilbao. It’s possible to connect with Iberia flights for connections across the North and throughout Spain. Alsa and Eurolines have sophisticated coach networks and it’s possible to travel all the way across Europe to Bilbao or San Sebastian and then pick up local coaches or rail connections. You can also sail from the UK port of Plymouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries, or you could take the P & O route from Portsmouth to Bilbao.

Castile and La Rioja – The cheapest way to access these regions is possibly to fly to one of the main Spanish hubs – Barcelona, Bilbao or Madrid for example, and then either drive or get connecting flights. You can connect with Iberia for flights to Logrona in La Rioja or Valladolid in Castile. Castile, Rioja and Navarre a

re serviced by an excellent road network which makes getting around simple and again, Alsa coaches will connect you with major and minor destinations across the regions and the entire country.

Aragon, Navarre and the Pyrenees – As these regions are easily accessible by car or coach from Madrid it may be best to get a cheap flight to Madrid and then drive the E90 to the heart of the region. You could consider getting a connecting flight to Zaragoza in the middle of the region which is a good jumping off point for explorations in this stunning part of Spain. Alternatively access to this region can be made by rail or coach. Eurolines coach

es will connect you with Pamplona or Zaragoza; Eurostar rail will take you from the UK to Paris and from Paris you can catch an overnight high speed rail link to Madrid…from Madrid the options are varied, from local rail and coach connections, car hire, and local flight connections with Iberia.

Costa Brava and Costa Dorada – As we move east to the beautiful Northern Catalonian coastal regions of the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, so accessibility increases. Barcelona airport is the main airport for these regions and it welcomes cheap UK and US flights. You can then connect to Girona in the Costa Brava region or Reus in the Costa Dorada region. Barcelona itself has an underground train network for access throughout the city, and if you want to travel further afield the Spanish rail service RENFE has many mainline and local services servicing both regions. The main coastal road in Costa Brava is the A7, with the A2 taking you west away from Barcelona and the C32 taking you south from Barcelona into the Costa Dorada. Barcelona has a port with ferry services to Genoa, Rome, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.

Source: travelinginspain and travel-rants