Spain

Spain was the first country I traveled to abroad, alone! I signed up for a study abroad program my second year of college in September 2000. I spent 4 wonderful months being a local in Madrid. It was the trip that changed my life because it increased my confidence level significantly by forcing me to be independent, problem solve and trust in myself. 

Fast forward 19 years, my beautiful cousin decides to get married in Salamanca, Spain and offers my husband and I an opportunity to travel throughout the country and celebrate love! 

Our adventure began in Málaga, located in the south of Spain, where we worked our way up north through the Andalucia region, then into Madrid ending in Barcelona. 

Below is a quick snapshot of our itinerary. Click on the city name to read more about each city, including where we stayed, what we saw, what we ate and how we got around.

MALAGA
Mon: 10/14 – Leave Chicago
Tues: 10/15 – Arrive in Malaga – Pick up rental car
Wed: 10/16 – Spend day in Malaga
Th: 10/17 – Spend day in Malaga
3 nights in Malaga

GRANADA
Fri: 10/18 – Drive to Granada from Malaga – 1hr, 45 min
Sat: 10/19 – Spend day in Granada
2 nights in Granada

CORDOBA
Sun: 10/20 – Drive to Cordoba from Granada – 2hr, 25 min
Mon: 10/21 – Spend day in Cordoba
2 nights in Cordoba

SEVILLE - (To Be Published)
Tue: 10/22 – Drive to Seville – 1 hr, 35 min
Wed: 10/23 – Spend day in Seville
2 nights in Seville

SALAMANCA - (To Be Published)
Th: 10/24 – Drive to Salamanca – 5.5 hours - Drop off rental car
Fri: 10/25 – Spend day in Salamanca 
Sat: 10/26 – Wedding celebration
Sun: 10/27 – Spend day in Salamanca
4 nights in Salamanca

MADRID - (To Be Published)
Mon: 10/28 – Take bus to Madrid from Salamanca
Tue: 10/29 – Spend day in Madrid
Wed: 10/30 – Spend day in Madrid 
3 nights in Madrid

BARCELONA - (To Be Published)
Th: 10/31 – Fly to Barcelona from Madrid
Fri: 11/1 – Spend day in Barcelona
Sat: 11/2 – Spend day in Barcelona
Sun: 11/3 – Fly home
3 nights in Barcelona

Here are some general travel tips when traveling around Spain:

• It is overall a safe country, but be very aware of your wallets and purses 

• Out of all the wines we tried, we fell in love with the local brand Ribera Del Duero, specifically the following kind:  

  • RDD – Toro

  • RDD – Miru

  • RDD – Dominio Romano

• Prepare to indulge in Jamon Serrano for breakfast, lunch and dinner

• Download the free travel app “Visit A City”. It maps out what is popular to see based on how long you will be visiting a city. It provides an itinerary with a map depicting the length of time to get from one attraction to the next. It was an amazing tool to have when traveling around Spain.

Enjoy!