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Ibis Styles Valdebedas, Madrid Airport:
Stayed here for one night in August 2025
- Pros:
- 1) Close to the airport and hence ideal when flying in/out.
- 2) There is plenty of free street parking right in front of the hotel.
- 3) The area is safe, well lit and quiet at nights.
- 4) The check-in/check-out process was fast and smooth.
- 5) The rooms, bathrooms and lobby were all clean and well kept.
- 6) The rooms were of adequate size.
- 7) The WIFI is free with good speed and connectivity.
- 8) The staff was courteous.
- 9) The tariff was reasonable.
- Cons:
- 1) There are no restaurants nearby and no public transport.
- Zenit Dos Infantas, Zamora:
We stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) The rooms and bathrooms are clean and were of adequate size.
- 2) The front desk is manned 24 hours and the staff was very courteous and helpful.
- 3) The hotel has an attached underground parking.
- 4) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 5) The place is within the Zamora city centre and you can walk to all sights.
- 6) There are plenty of options to shop and eat close to the hotel.
- 7) The place is very quiet at night and the sleep quality was great.
- Cons:
- 1) The parking spots are small and you will struggle parking a big car.
- 2) The tariff was a bit on the higher side.
- MX Mexico PR, Santiago de Compostela: We stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) Room and bathroom were very clean and were of adequate size.
- 2) Room was comfortable and the bathrooms had modern fixtures.
- 3) The check-in/check-out process was fast and smooth.
- 4) The front desk staff was courteous and helpful.
- 5) The tariff was reasonable.
- 6) The place is very quiet and the sleep quality was great.
- 7) The WIFI was free with great speed and connectivity.
- Cons:
- 1) The hotel has an attached parking. But the entry is extremely tight. Be very careful while parking.
- 2) The place is a good 20 minute walk away from the main cathedral and you need to get close to the Cathedral to find good places to eat.
- Ibis Budget, Oviedo:
Stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) The place is easy into and out and you don't have to deal with the city traffic.
- 2) The rooms and bathrooms were clean and comfortable.
- 3) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 4) The front desk staff was courteous and helpful.
- 5) There is a large open car park next to the hotel. So parking spots are plenty.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is great.
- 7) The tariff is cheap.
- Cons:
- 1) The place is far from the Oviedo Cathedral area. It is a 30 minute walk each way.
- 2) The room and bathrooms are positively tiny. There is hardly any space to move around or keep your things.
- 3) There is not many places to eat close to the hotel.
- Ibis Budget, Bilbao: We stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) The place is easy into and out and you don't have to deal with the city traffic.
- 2) The rooms and bathrooms were clean and comfortable.
- 3) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 4) The front desk staff was courteous and helpful.
- 5) Hotel has a underground garage for parking. The parking space is a bit tight, but manageable.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is great.
- 7) The tariff is cheap.
- 8) It is reasonably close to the Guggenheim area. It is a 20 minute walk each way.
- Cons:
- 1) The room and bathrooms are positively tiny. There is hardly any space to move around or keep your things.
- 2) There is not many places to eat close to the hotel.
- Bed4You, Pamplona: We stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) The hotel is located bang next to a petrol station. So refueling is easy.
- 2) The room, bathroom and the lobby area was very clean and well kept.
- 3) The WIFI is free with good speed and connectivity.
- 4) The front desk staff is courteous and helpful.
- 5) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality is great.
- 6) There are plenty of open free parking next to the hotel. No need to enter tiny underground garages.
- Cons:
- 1) The room and bathroom (especially, the bathroom) were tiny.
- 2) The place is far from Pamplona city centre. It is a 10 minute drive each way.
- 3) There are no places to eat close to the hotel.
- Hotel Maria Luisa, Burgos: We stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) The rooms and bathrooms were very clean and were of adequate size.
- 2) The front desk staff was very courteous and helpful.
- 3) The WIFI was free with great speed and connectivity.
- 4) It is a 20 minute walk to the Burgos cathedral from the hotel.
- 5) There are a lot of places to eat close to the hotel.
- 6) The place is quiet at night and the sleep quality was great.
- 7) The tariff is cheap.
- 8) The bathroom amenities were modern and in good working condition.
- Cons:
- 1) For the first time in a decade, the hotel did not have our reservation when we showed up. We always book hotels via Agoda and this was the first time we had faced this problem. The hotel had vacancy and offered us at the same price we had booked. I am giving the benefit of the doubt to the hotel and am assuming Agoda is most likely at fault here.
- Hotel Zentral Leon: We stayed here for one night in August 2025.
- Pros:
- 1) The room and bathroom were clean and were of adequate size.
- 2) The hotel has an underground parking area. The garage is small and the space is tight, but manageable.
- 3) The front desk staff were courteous and helpful.
- 4) The WIFI was free with good speed and connectivity.
- 5) There are reasonable eating choices close to the hotel. There is also a large supermarket nearby.
- 6) The bathroom amenities were modern and in good working condition.
- 7) The area is quiet at night and the sleep quality was great.
- 8) Since the hotel is far from the city centre, it is easy to get in and out without having t deal with city traffic.
- 9) The tariff is cheap.
- Cons:
- 1) The place is far from the city centre. It is a good 30 minute walk each way.
We rented a car for the entire trip - Alamo. The process was quite smooth and we go an excellent car, pretty much what you would normally expect from Alamo. One thing to be aware of is that they have a fleet of electric cars. So by default they book you an electric car. You need to make sure you specifically select petrol one. Charging an electric car isn't easy on a road-trip.
- The roads are very good in Spain and it is easy to drive at the speed limit. The traffic is quite thin by Indian standards. There is very little honking or rash driving. The only issue is that the speed limit changes often and you have to be constantly watching out for it.
- There are plenty of petrol stations. You should never be far from the next fuel station.
- The parking is very challenging in the cities/small towns. All hotels have an underground garage. It is not free and they charge anywhere between 10 to 20 euros a night. The hotel garages are tiny and we damaged our car getting into one. Since we had full insurance, we did not have to pay anything when we returned our car.
- The street parking is not always free. We did not know that and got a hefty parking ticket - 90 euros instead of 1 euro which is what it would have cost us had we known where the parking meter was. They are very well camouflaged.
- General: People take their siesta very seriously in Castile and Leon. Most sights are closed between 1 pm and 4 pm here, especially during the summer.
- Salamanca: Must sees include the University, the old and the new Cathedrals.
- Tordesillas: There are no must-sees here. We stopped by because it was on the way to Medina del Campo when driving from Salamanca.
- Medina del Campo: The Mota Castle is spectacular and since it is best enjoyed from the outside, you can get here even when the site is closed. In fact that will give you a chance to enjoy it without the crowd.
- Zamora: We came here beacuse the town is touted as having the largest collection of Romanesque churches in Europe. But most of it wasn't all that interesting. The Castillo, the Stone Bridge and walking around the town were the pick of the sights/experiences.
- Valladolid: Must sees include the Sculpture Museum (1 hour), the San Pablo church and walking around the old town.
- Santiago de Compostela: The Cathedral, of course, is a once in a lifetime experience. We recommend the Tower Climb and the Portico de Gloria tours. The former is in rapid-fire Spanish.
- Lugo: Must do is walking on the walls. The Cathedral is decent and if you have the time, you can take a look at the Roman mosaics at the Casa de los mosaicos.
- Praia das Catedrais: You will need to book a slot in advance, espcecially in summer. It is free. Note that you can access the arches only in low tides.
- Oviedo: The only must-see is its fantastic Cathedral. An hour should be sufficient.
- Pre-historic Rock Art Caves: Most easily accessible caves are El Castillo, Las Monedas and Altamira and all of them require prior booking. Note that the Altamira one is a copy and not the original. But it is still worth visiting.
- Bilbao: We came here just for the Guggenheim and we weren't disappointed.
- Guernica: The only must-see is its Assembly Hall.
- Pamplona: Must sees include the Cathedral, the Plaza de Castillo, the Town Hall and the Ciutadela. You can cover them all in half a day.
- Vitoria-Gasteiz: Must sees include the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and the murals.
- Astorga: We would not put this town as a must-visit. The cathedral and the nearby Espiscopal Palace are interesting, but not must-sees.
- Burgos: Must sees include the Cathedral, the view from the Castillo, Arco de Santa Maria and Nicolo de Bari Church.
- Leon: Must sees include the Cathedral, Casa Botines and the Basilica de San Isidoro.
TRIP ITINERARY