Northern Spain

Well planned itinerary. Covers the main cities covered. Like most tours you get a snapshot of the city/areas. Accommodation was generally 3 star. Some walk in showers, others shower in bath as per UK/Europe. Couldn't fault driver, tour director or local guides. Not a lot of free time if you do the optional extras. I found it to be just what I wanted to see. I booked tour directly with trafalgar, very good customer service, hassle free experience.

This is a fantastic tour through some os Spain’s most beautiful countries. **************** was an amazing guide. Her knowledge of the history of the regions we visited was extremely helpfulti understand the uniqueness of each place we visited. Her multi-language ability, including perfect English was invaluable. Isabelle was also extremely helpful. She helped mesolve a booking problem with a hot. She suggested places to eat and how to get to them. She even provide info about mass services at the cathedrals we visited. I also appreciate that Isabelle went the extra mile to acknowledge those of us who celebrated birthdays or anniversaries while on the tour. I celebrated my 76 th birthday the day the tour ended. Isabelle gave me a gift of a full outfit for the running of the bulls in Pamplona…a white tee shirt, a red boina, a red scarf and a red sash. Isabelle has a kind heart and sincerely cares about her clients. Regardin the tour schedule and logistics I have several comments. First, I felt the schedule was too tight. It was especially hard for me on the one night stops. We would get in mid-afternoon and have to leave early the next morning. my suggestion is to have one ortwo more two day stops. I, personally, needed more down time. Included dinners were excellent. Some of the hotels and rooms did not meet my expectations. Some had cracked floor tiles, odd bathroom designs and old, lumpy beds. Also, all of the showers were extremely slippery with no mats to provide traction. Since most of the travelers on my tour were seniors, you are inviting a lawsuit when someone falls. Grab bars were not present in most showers. I enjoyed all of the optional trips that were provided. The bus driver, Paolo, was excellent. Thank you for an enjoyable experience at a fair price. Thomas Chase

Our 56 year anniversary trip was everything we, especially my wife expected. Really enjoyed it.

This is my 4th trip with Trafalgar and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The itinerary was fast paced but I felt I was able to see so much. The guide was excellent. She was well versed in the area and its history. The small personal touches made a huge difference. She made me feel well taken care of and informed of our schedule. The driver was equally professional and had a welcoming demeanor. Hats off to his driving skills.

The trip was magnificent with just a a few tiny hiccups one would normally expect but in no way did they detract from the overall experience. , our tour director, and , our driver, handled all situations quickly, professionally and with aplomb! We learned so much of about beautiful Northern Spain, and a touch of Basque France as well. The accomodations and tour bus were first rate. Being older, my wife and I would sometimes start getting a little tired but we always had opportunities to relax, have a glass or two of excellent Spanish wine and enjoy the endless choices of local foods. The scenery from beautiful Barcelona, Montserrat, the running of the bulls in Pamplona, the ageless beauty of the coastal city of San Sebastian, the excursion across the border to see Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Bilbao, Covadongo, Oviedo, Santiago de Copostela, Zamora, Salamanca and Madrid. We knew we would not have time for an in depth visit to each location. It was somewhat of a whirlwind but we loved getting a taste of it all. It allowed us to think about returning to different areas for a longer excursion where we could take our time in a smaller area. As with any experience, not everything is perfect. Some of the meals did not meet my own personal expectations but again, that is just one opinion. While I may have rated a meal provided on the tour as a 6 or 7, others easily gave it a 9 or 10. Again, that is just a personal preference and in no way did a couple of the meals detract from the trip. The other meals and choices and the fantastic breakfast buffets at each hotel more than made up for any shortcomings. Overall, it was still a fantastic experience. The Trafalgar team was just top notch. They took care of everything!! One potentially rough experience turned out to be a bucket list experience of a lifetime. As we were arriving in Pamplona, we were informed that the bus would not be able to drop us off at the hotel because the streets were closed to local traffic.....because of the festivities surrounding the Festival San Fermin and the running of the bulls! As we approached the hotel with our baggage, the crowds grew larger and larger. Basques in tradition white outfits, red sashes and bandanas. The music, the smells of wonderful food, the sights of the old city blending with a joyous crowd. We couldn't wait to join in and be able to walk the street we see each year crowded with revelers running with the bulls. We were able to see the actual event the next morning, second running of eight they have over the course of the festival's eight days. It was truly a magical time to be part of this wonderful even and provided us with so much insight in to the event. Lemon to lemonade in one fell swoop. The Trafalgar team made the entire journey a truly memorable experience ane we look forward to booking with them again for some great memories to come.

Although, the travelers Director went beyond his duties to ensure all guests enjoyed their trip, the tour changed from the Trafalgar's description when I booked the trip. However, the sites and cities visited showed me another face of Spain 🇪🇸 . From modern and big cities, to religious sites I did not know prior to this trip and more. I only wished the cities' specialists talked less and let the guess wonder more on our own, eat, and shop ( sometimes I felt like I was in class' field trip with homework and quiz due later on 😂 ). I did enjoyed more when took us around and provided the information. The highlight of my trip was Pamplona as the San fermines were taking place. Others sites were definitely Santiago de Compostela, Birreitz, St. Jean de Luz, and Picos de España -- our Lady of Covadonga. I know I'll go back and explore on my own at least 2 of the places I discovered.

This part of Spain is “less popular “ but it is so beautiful and full of culture. Having been to Spain five times, it was my favorite area

Very comprehensive and thorough. I really got to see and learn about the history of the place.