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Quiet, clean, a great location just a couple of blocks from Plaça Catalunya (where the Aerobus or Metro from the airport will bring you), and had a good breakfast buffet.Catalonia Portal de l'Angel is very nice, well located, a pool for cooling off, very nice breakfast.
The courtyard at Madrid's Royal Palace before the crowds arrived. Kept things well paced and he has a great sense of humor. Instead of simply dining, we were treated to a cooking class which brought us together in small groups as we worked on individual dishes. Many times on a tour I have no photos of myself because I am taking the pictures. It was interesting to learn how hemp was used and what a beautiful museum with the stained glass and tile. Accommodations were comfortable and nicely appointed. Our guide was nice enough too to lead us out of the subway, and then have us walk straight ahead. He oversaw our care with such sincerity and care.This was my first tour experience. THE BULLFIGHTING ARENA WALL THAT IS STILL STANDING. Nice hotel.We stayed at Hotel Anacapri last October. The people were so friendly, the food was fantastic, the wine was wonderful. The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, both were ridiculously beautiful and stunning! "This was my first tour to Europe. The activities, from Gaudi tour, to Toledo, to museums, were well selected and well led. When you leave a city you feel immersed in the culture and the city.This was our second tour and from the first night it met all our expectations.
Barcelona was just a magical city, I loved the architecture.
Our local guides were both informative and fun, and particularly excellent in teaching us about the historic areas of Barcelona. "This was a great tour:
"This was a great tour with a outstanding guide that made the very most of our week in Spain. It appears that Spain's entrance into the EU has made them one of the world's most prosperous and global favorites! One that stuck with me was visiting the Goya room at the Museo Nacional del Prado and seeing all the painful scenes. We plan to sign up for another tour! We are very happy we did! Spain was beautiful with many amazing things to see. I cannot believe that I was there in person. And now, we are trying to decide where to visit next!
"Having not been on a tour like this before I was definitely skeptical, the whole thing wowed me and I had a fantastic time. Spain's former capital crowds 2,500 years of tangled history onto a high, rocky perch protected on three sides by a natural moat, the Tajo River. Great guide! "Sagrado Corazon and our first site of Toledo were are favorite wow moments of this tour. Unfortunately, our tour was cut short due to Covid 19. Having pre-ordered tickets at the activities saved much time and frustration. Local guides were exceptional, gave us lots of context and background to appreciate everything we saw. We were well prepared to explore Barcelona and Madrid on our own.
"This was my second Rick Steves tour and it did not disappoint! And croquetas at the wine-tasting in Madrid. "For Hanan, it was the tour of the Royal Palace in Madrid. Royal Alcázar Palace built by the Moors in the 10th century, revamped in the 14th century, and still serving as royal digs.
Madrid is a great city with great art and interesting neighborhoods, and Toledo is an amazing peek into life 500 years in the past, but Barcelona captured my heart on this trip. We were part of the final few who stayed until the last day, and although everything was changed we felt incredibly safe and although a slighlty stressful departure were glad to have the experience. Some people might like the style of a Rick Steve's Tour more than others. Proper balance of group and individual time. Amanda was clear about her expectations from day one, which was great! Your local guides were uniformly marvelous though the woman who took us through the Picasso museum in Barcelona was spectacular. Our tour leader (David) lived in Madrid, so provided an intimate exposure to small, excellent cafés & wonderful food & wine in addition to the art and culture of the city & neighborhoods. "I believe Amanda was instrumental in arranging the pleasant weather we enjoyed! Our guide Federico was excellent as was all of the local guides. We participated in a cooking class, toured museums & churches and tried some amazing restaurants.
By Rick Steves.
"This was our first RS tour and it was awesome, beyond expectations. when the museums were closed in Madrid, we did day trips/tours to Toledo and Segovia! Hotels near Rick Steves' Europe; Hotels near Marina Beach Park; Hotels near Meadowdale Beach Park; Hotels near Brackett's Landing South; Hotels near Cascadia Art Museum; Hotels near Family Fun Center & Bullwinkles Restaraunt; Hotels near Picnic Point Park
He organized a hotel at the airport for us the night before we left.Touring Spain in the time of Corona Virus was an adventure non of of will forget. But everything on the tour was terrific...history and art...a perfect day.
And ... the best part was that I barely incurred addition costs. I ENJOYED THE FRIENDSHIP OF EACH PERSON IN THE GROUP.
We had the right amount of planned vs free time. The local guides were OK. "Our Spain tour was fantastic and Jorge kept us all entertained throughout the trip. The hotels were centrally located and the walks around Barcelona and Madrid, on my own and with the group, were delightful and informative. The hotels were great and centrally located for easy walking. the Guides were knowledgeable with excellent presentation skills. Also in the Prado seeing the original paintings of Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights and Goya's Third of May. WAS OUTSTANDING WITH REGARDS TO KNOWLEDGE AND EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH ANY MINOR TRAVEL MEMBER ISSUES. At times it felt like we were getting a private tour because he paid so much personal attention to our particular interests and needs.
As an added note we enjoyed touring the Hash Marijuana & Hemp Museum in Barcelona before our tour began. What an incredible building. The tour was well-planned, good hotel choices, reasonable expectations, and a superb guide. Guernica-WOW.
The tour exceeded my expectations. "The tour was great!
You didn't need to be an expert to be moved by the suffering shown in these paintings. "How can I choose just one "wow" moment?