# People from ooop norf (Spain)??



## Guest (May 10, 2010)

We're thinking of doing the opposite of the Spanish and heading up to the North coast for a week or so in August.

Current itinerary/thoughts are thus:

Fly to Bilbao from Malaga
Spend one day & night in Bilbao
Bus to Santander
Spend one day & night in Santander
Bus to Burgos
Spend one day & night in Burgos
Bus to Vitoria
Spend one day & night in Vitoria
Train to Pamplona
Spend one day & night in Pamplona
Bus to San Sebastian
Spend two days & nights in San Sebastian
Bus back to Bilbao
Fly to Malaga

We've been looking at very average midrange hotels in each location but even so the costs are working out at around 800-900€ (plus spending money). I'm pretty sure I could go to the Caribbean for a similar amount so is there a better way to do it? Could we cut out some places as they're not worth the effort or should we be doing even more whilst up there?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

The itinary sounds good to me.You could probably spend 2 nights in Bilbao and in Burgos, but I like to leave things to do in a place, hoping for a second visit! I have two ideas which might help you, or then again they might not!
Try Bancotel or similar where you get a book of vouchers for hotels at a discount. I'm not sure how it works. Probably it's only cheaper if you use all the vouchers which I'm not sure you would. I think they are sold through travel agencies.
Write to the tourist offices in the area to see if they can tell you of any offers. I think there was something about free nights in the north, but it might have been for turismo rural , and you'd need a car to do that.
You'll have a good time whatever, I'm sure!


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## Guest (May 10, 2010)

PW - do you think Vitoria is worth a visit? I'd almost say that's one you can cut out. 

Santander is really neat if you like the beach! If you're ok with a smaller room and very basic accomodations, the Hostal (NOT Hotel) San Glorio in Santander is a good spot to crash. I was there for a week last year and they were really good to me. Just a 10-15 minute walk from the bus station, and right near the "Barrio Pesquero" (which is apparantly a tourist spot, but I don't understand why.) 

It's probably because I lived there, but I prefer Santander to San Sebastian. Cheaper and, in my opinion, prettier beaches! 

Looks like a neat trip!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

halydia said:


> PW - do you think Vitoria is worth a visit? I'd almost say that's one you can cut out.
> 
> Santander is really neat if you like the beach! If you're ok with a smaller room and very basic accomodations, the Hostal (NOT Hotel) San Glorio in Santander is a good spot to crash. I was there for a week last year and they were really good to me. Just a 10-15 minute walk from the bus station, and right near the "Barrio Pesquero" (which is apparantly a tourist spot, but I don't understand why.)
> 
> ...


I've only been to Vitoria once and didn't see much of it as we went to visit OH's aunt who's a nun. (this is a *proper* family with nun and priest included)!! It looked like a nice enough place to wander around, but not a Must See place I suppose. 
I haven't been to Santander that many times either, but I agree that San Seb IMO isn't as great as it's made out to be and the beach seems nicer in Santander even if it's just for walking along and not actually swimming. It's actually quite small in San Seb. Also San Seb is supposed to be one of the most expensive places in Spain if not *the* most expensive, and there's a lot of snob value attached to it. However, how much of that is palpable on a one night visit, I don't know. 
As halydia suggests the hostals are well worth checking out instead of hotels you know.


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## Guest (May 12, 2010)

Thanks guys, going to give it another think.. perhaps go to Mallorca/Menorca (we have friends over that way) instead and save northern Spain for our "hire a campervan and tour Spain for six months" dream!


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## Guest (May 12, 2010)

ShinyAndy said:


> Thanks guys, going to give it another think.. perhaps go to Mallorca/Menorca (we have friends over that way) instead and save northern Spain for our "hire a campervan and tour Spain for six months" dream!


If you've got a car, you definitely have the ability to check out the best parts of the north of Spain: Picos de Europa, Santillana del Mar, etc.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

ShinyAndy said:


> Thanks guys, going to give it another think.. perhaps go to Mallorca/Menorca (we have friends over that way) instead and save northern Spain for our "hire a campervan and tour Spain for six months" dream!


Well, it wasn't my intention to put you off.
But... I think one good way to do the north of Spain is turismo rural if you happen to like that sort of thing. It's friendly, very pretty and normally a good price. The thing is, you need a car to do it.


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## Guest (May 13, 2010)

No worries, you didn't put us off.. the cost of it all for a weeks holiday did! Have a car down here but the thought of driving up their fills me with dread, driving holidays aren't fun!!


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

ShinyAndy said:


> No worries, you didn't put us off.. the cost of it all for a weeks holiday did! Have a car down here but the thought of driving up their fills me with dread, driving holidays aren't fun!!


I love driving holidays providing I am not driving and not in a car, or a bus, or a van, or a bike....:ranger:


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## Guest (May 13, 2010)

I used to help run a trackday company in the UK, I spent about 5 years of my life constantly driving all over the UK and Europe.. it kind of burnt me out!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

ShinyAndy said:


> I used to help run a trackday company in the UK,


What's that Andy??


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## Guest (May 13, 2010)

We hire a race track (such as Silverstone, Donington, Brands Hatch, Circuit de Catalunya, Magny Cours, Monza, Spa, etc) and then sell places that you can bring your own car and drive it around the circuit as quick as you like. Strict rules on overtaking, procedures, etiquette etc meant that in the 300 or so events I ran we never had any car-to-car contact so probably safer than driving on the road! I was doing it part time for a couple of years then it got so big it became full time and at one point we were organising 120+ events a year.

I was/am also helping to run a similar thing here but due to the current economic situation people don't have so much money to throw around!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

ShinyAndy said:


> We hire a race track (such as Silverstone, Donington, Brands Hatch, Circuit de Catalunya, Magny Cours, Monza, Spa, etc) and then sell places that you can bring your own car and drive it around the circuit as quick as you like. Strict rules on overtaking, procedures, etiquette etc meant that in the 300 or so events I ran we never had any car-to-car contact so probably safer than driving on the road! I was doing it part time for a couple of years then it got so big it became full time and at one point we were organising 120+ events a year.
> 
> I was/am also helping to run a similar thing here but due to the current economic situation people don't have so much money to throw around!


Thanks
I had NO idea that was what it was.
This place is a whole education for me...


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## Guest (May 13, 2010)

ShinyAndy said:


> I was/am also helping to run a similar thing here but due to the current economic situation people don't have so much money to throw around!


Let me know if you're ever up Bilbao way. I've got a cousin who needs to get the speed bug out of him on the track, instead of being an idiot and doing it on the highway.


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## Guest (May 13, 2010)

There is a new circuit (Circuito de Navarra) opening this year in Los Arcos, other than that I'm not aware of anything up there in the norf


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Too late now probably, but FYI this is the offer that I'd heard about. I think it's 20% discount on the hotels listed and it might be just weekends , not sure...
Click on the link _*ver listado de establecimientos adheridos*_
https://app3.spri.net/FomentoTurismoEuskadi/


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## Guest (May 27, 2010)

Cheers, will bookmark and revisit next year as just booked flights to Madge-yorka innit!


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