Tagged With "spain"
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Originally Posted by WorkerBee: It required 40,000 miles for a round-trip economy ticket. All were in-seat miles and all were from a few years ago. That's one of the things I like about AA...aside from the one-way awards. When everyone else was 50K to Europe, they were 40K offpeak and 60 peak. Now everyone else is 60K peak, and AA still has the winter bargains. Hope it lasts!
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Wonderful piece of planning WorkerBee ! Missing off London to avoid the $18 Departure Tax for Spain seems a bit severe. I presume your return journey is more direct.
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
$ 18 ? I am puzzled by this. When I have taken flights from London to the US, the tax has been more like $ 150 - $ 200. It was worth it to spend time in London, of course. Still, it was not a small amount.
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
The UK departure tax is "Banded" into distances and economy / regular / 1st class. London - Spain is only a short distance.
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Well, but if Spain is the destination, passing up UK makes sense. On the other hand, APD leads to calculations such as Flying NYC-LON-Continental Europe: No problem; as long as your time in UK is less than 24 hours, you are a transit passenger and don't pay APD. Flying Continential Europe-LON-NYC: Not so good; you pay the APD on the trans-Atlantic leg, and that's high. The other issue with this is not APD at all; flying to the Continent through Madrid or Barcelona tends to be cheaper because...
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Garry RF and PHeymont - Thank you very much for the information. In this case, APD is not incurred - Flying NYC-LON-Continental Europe: No problem; as long as your time in UK is less than 24 hours, you are a transit passenger and don't pay APD. In this case, there is an APD, even if the transit is less than 24 hours ? - Flying Continential Europe-LON-NYC: Not so good; you pay the APD on the trans-Atlantic leg, and that's high. Concerning the third item, this explains why Worker Bee had a...
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
I'm not sure on your question about WB's trip, because it depends on routing. From NY, AA most often uses their own seats for the ocean hop, but does use some BA seats from Newark. Other cities...not sure how many BA seats used in that direction. And sometimes it's a matter of class. For instance, last year flying home from Paris, there were AA seats in business class available non-stop, but economy was only available on BA Orly-London-Newark.
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Your budget will take you WAY farther in Portugal than in Spain, although with care you can do well in Spain as well. Portugal, and especially Lisbon, is the home of filling delicious meals in every neighborhood for 5-7€ which lets you spend a bit more on frills and excitement. You might think of something like a week or so based in Lisbon, a few days in Porto and then...if the budget stretches...a budget flight to a last few days in Barcelona (or other city of your choice with US-bound flights.
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Thank you, PHeymont, that's helpful. I've always wanted to see Lisbon and Barcelona, and your plan makes sense. Is there a specific guidebook you'd recommend?
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Usually these days I put together a "trip book" with articles and information from a lot of sources, but I also usually take along one full-scale guidebook as well. I'd be hard-put to make a recommendation for Portugal, because for that one I decided to overcome my feelings and give Rick Steves a try...and it was nearly useless. No special information, a smug tone, and maps that were too sketchy to be useful. In general, I've liked the Frommer guides (and I'm excited that the new ones will...
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
That's very helpful. I'll give them a look and see what I find that suites me. Also, for getting around Portugal and spain, should I take the train? Bus? local planes? Any idea which works best (cost and efficiency both matter, but so does easy connections)
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Portugal's rail system feels a bit worn in places, and some trains look terrible from outside...but the interiors are clean and the system seems to work. Not a terribly large country, so that time between the two largest cities (Lisbon and Porto) is about 3.5 hours. If you add in getting to the airport early and getting in from the airport at the other end, it's probably faster than flying. Other significant points in Portugal also have reasonable rail service, including Coimbra, the...
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
I just visited www.seat61.com and it seems a fabulous website for travelers wanting to catch trains in Europe! So many tips and price comparisons!! And thanks for your info on trains. I think I'll take them even if they're a little beat up looking, LOL You been wonderful with all your help, PHeymont! I might have more questions later. Do you keep an eye on these posts? How does that work? What's the best way for me to get in touch with you if I have more questions?
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Right here on Travel Gumbo is a great way to keep in touch. The Gumbo Gurus keep a close eye on our site, and asking here also involves the whole community and all their knowledge.
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 5, 2014: Tossa de Mar, Spain
I love fortified towns and this one is exceptional...thanks PH
Comment
Re: If you're happy and you know it...press here, please!
The reason most airports don't ask is because they don't care ! JFK and Heathrow continue to increase their passenger numbers without the need for customer satisfaction. So by some misguided indicator they presume all is well down on the farm. A captive audience doesn't attract an acceptable service level. A penny saved is a penny earned.
Comment
Re: If you're happy and you know it...press here, please!
It certainly has seemed to me that Heathrow doesn't care (it's probably true for JFK, too, but I'm not a stranger there). In fact, I go out of my way to avoid Heathrow. Between the airport experience itself (especially with a T3-T5 transfer) and BA's high surcharges, I've taken to trying to make all my transfers through Madrid or Barcelona. In fact, on my trip this month, I save a good bit by taking American on award tickets to Barcelona and paying my way on Vueling to Marseille. I could...
Blog Post
Where do the "permanent travelers" go?
Expat Insder, a curious publication of Internations.org, surveyed 14,000 expats in 160 countries for their views on where they have found happiness, a safe comfortable life, affordable living, etc. Surprise! Only three European countries...
Blog Post
San Juan's El Morro: Layers of Stone, Layers of History (Where Gumbo Was, #84)
El Morro, the giant fortification that's guarded San Juan Harbor for nearly 500 years, is the sight we saw before we saw it. Its image is everywhere when you do online research for a trip to Puerto Rico; its "garitas"—small domed...
Blog Post
Catalan nudists ask Euro court for right to bare
Fighting a local anti-nudity ordinance in a town north of Barcelona, the Catalan Naturist Club, having lost its appeals all the way to Spain's highest court, is now appealing to the European Human Rights Court at Strasbourg. The Spanish high...
Blog Post
Bobbies on the Beat in Spain's Ibiza
Spanish authorities on the Balearic Islands vacation spot of Ibiza have arranged for a dozen British police to work with Spanish Civil Guards this summer when British tourism is at its height. The idea is that the British cops, who will have free...
Blog Post
Spain's "ghost airport" will come to life with Ryanair
Spain's embarrassingly-empty Castellon-Costa Azahar airport, unused since it was opened with great ceremony nearly five years ago, will finally get passengers. Ryanair will announce a schedule of flights from U.K. and northern Europe today, according...
Blog Post
"World's scariest walkway" re-opens; may be safer
A skinny walkway crossing a mountain face above a gorge in Spain has been rebuilt and re-opened; it was closed in 2001 after five deaths, but people just wouldn't stop walking it. The new version has safety features and requires a helmet, but is still...
Topic
Spain or Portugal?
Hi! I've got a two week vacation coming up in a few months, and have always wanted to visit Spain and Portugal. How might I get the best out my time? Should I do Spain only? Portugal only? A combination of the two? ...
Blog Post
Spanish air controllers on strike, 5000 flights affected
Spanish air controllers are on a two-hour strike this morning, the first of four planned (See Gumbo's report of the plans). Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the airport operator AENA estimate up to 5300 flights could be affected. ...
Blog Post
Day 2 of Spanish Air Control Strike: Mixed Effects
Today is the second day of a planned 4-day series of short strikes by Spain's air traffic controllers, who are angry over punishments meted out for a strike in 2010. Monday's first day of the strike, which was expected to cause issues for up to...
Blog Post
Ryanair Madrid strike; no baggage service
Ryanair's ground workers at Madrid's airport are on an "open-ended" strike against plans to cut their wages 25-30% as well as issues over inadequate safety equipment, work shifts and holidays. They've accused the company of refusing to negotiate with...
Blog Post
Driving in Spain: better be a hands-on experience!
If you're driving in Spain anytime soon, keep your hands on the wheel. Spanish police are taking a very literal view of "keep your hands on the wheel and your eye on the road." In two recent cases in the Salamanca area, drivers were fined for...
Blog Post
Spanish town grants equal rights to animals
A small Spanish town has taken a world first: It's formally recognized equal status for human and non-human residents of t town, and laid out rules for protection. Trigueros del Valle, a town of 300 in the province of Valladolid, passed the law...
Blog Post
Spain's booming tourism hits record numbers
Spain's busy beaches (Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria, above) Photo: Wouter Hagens / Wikimedia If it seems like you've seen a stream of articles lately about Spanish towns wondering whether there's a...
Blog Post
SQUISH! Spain's annual tomato food fight
If you wondered what Google's Doodle was all about the other day...the answer lies above and below in pictures from Tomatina, the annual world's biggest food fight, in which the Spanish town of Bunol is invaded by thousands of visitors (and...
Blog Post
Spain's 'ghost airport' finally haunted by tourists
Arch of hoses greet first flight into Castellon Photo: Laura Cornejo / Twitter Spain's infamous "if you build it they (won't necessarily) come" airport at Castellon finally got it first passengers yesterday,...
Blog Post
Spain, Italy fight to reverse drop in Russian tourists
A troupe of Spanish horses will visit Russia to promote tourism A combination of frosty relations between Russia and Europe and the drastic decline in the value of the Russian ruble have seriously cut Russian tourism to Italy and Spain, where Russian...
Blog Post
Air controllers strike Spain again today
Air traffic over Spain will be tangled today as air traffic controllers stage a 12-hour protest strike, the next installment of the long-running battle between Spain's air traffic controllers and Enaire, the public corporation that manages Spain's...
Blog Post
Lots to do all over Spain this month
This is the high part of the vacation season, and many places in Spain are geared up with special events to attract visitors. Events range from culture to music to just plain spectacularly silly, like the annual Tomatina Tomato Fight in Bunol,...
Blog Post
Balearic, Canary islands consider tourist limits
Crowded beaches mean money for hotels, restaurants, campgrounds and more, but officials in Spain's Canary Islands and Balearic Islands are starting to wonder how much might be too much. It's a theme that's been echoed elsewhere, most recently by...
Blog Post
Seagull takes a camera...and a dramatic selfie
The video above is included here because without it you might not believe the story. A Swiss tourist, visiting the Cies Islands off Galicia in Northern Spain, was filming a seagull on a cliff wall in the area, which is a protected national...
Blog Post
Spain: Dying town comes to life as graffiti museum
The town of Fanzara in rural Castellon has just over 300 residents and some of the most colorful and unusual art to be seen anywhere. It's just celebrated its second annual urban art festival. The festival uses the walls of the village as a canvas for...
Blog Post
Spain facing rail strikes next month
Spain's rail system, Renfe, is facing strikes next month by two key unions, the train drivers (SEMAF) and maintenance workers (CCOO). In both cases, contract negotiations are involved. The engineers have called two one-day strikes and a two-day...
Blog Post
Spain, Portugal gain tourists in Greek crisis
Lisbon—a winner as the Greek crisis cuts into Greek vacation bookings One man's famine is turning into another man's feast. As tourist bookings for Greece stumble in the midst of the Euro crisis and uncertainty about supplies of money,...
Blog Post
'World's Longest Pizza' title goes home to Italy
Apparently spurred into action by the shame of having Spain claim the title for an Italian standard, pizza chefs in the town of Rende, in Calabria, worked 16 hours to produce a pizza 1.229km long—more than 3/4 of a mile. Not that we really knew...
Blog Post
Peace in the Air for Spain's air traffic
Spanish air traffic controllers have called off their 12-hour strike planned for tomorrow, October 3, after reaching an agreement with management over penalties imposed on controllers for a 2010 stoppage. The penalties will be dropped. The...
Blog Post
Brits on Beach behaving badly? Call (British) cops!
Magaluf at night, in a quieter moment... Photo: Rafael Ortega Diaz / Wikimedia Responding to repeated complaints from locals and other visitors about badly-behaved British tourists, two resort towns in Spain's Balearic Islands...
Blog Post
Walking Through Seville and the Centuries
Seville, the largest city of southern Spain’s Andalucia region, is as full of contrasts as you might imagine of a city that was important in the Roman era, was ruled by the Moors for centuries, and then became not only the seat of Spanish...
Topic
I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
I am traveling Spring 2014 from the US to Spain. I wanted to use my American Airlines frequent flier (AAdvantage) miles to best advantage, so to speak. I learned that it is possible to incorporate free domestic layovers into my journey. As I have family in Dallas, that intrigued me. AA's website showed available flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Madrid (MAD) that connect through Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, New York or Miami. AAdvantage rules require that the layover stops must be on...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 19, 2014: Girona, Spain
A chicken effigy stands guard in the window of an old house, built into the medieval city wall of Girona, Spain. The university town, which dates to ancient times, tore down most of the city walls in the late 19th-century, but a remaining...
Blog Post
Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 5, 2014: Tossa de Mar, Spain
The last fortified hill town remaining on the coast of Catalonia, Tossa de Mar is a beach town, popular with visitors from Girona and Barcelona. The old town (vila vella in Catalan) lies within 12th-century walls just adjoining the beach. The hill on...
Blog Post
Marveling at La Sagrada Familia
Being perpetually surrounded by the ordinary things of everyday life made me a bit unprepared for the reaction I had when I experienced my first man-made marvel. Never had I felt in awe of the “genius” behind a calculator, or the...
Blog Post
If you're happy and you know it...press here, please!
A Finnish company called HappyOrNot is supplying Spain's airport authority with quick-check terminals to test passenger satisfaction with aspects of airport security and service. The terminals have four buttons, with emoticons ranging from a happy...