Granada, Cordoba, Seville
In a few weeks time we are heading off to Spain via France.
We will land at Roscoff this time round, so if the weather behaves we will linger on the way down the West coast.
Places to visit in Spain that we have on our wish list are Aranjuez and Toledo on the way down. Then after a visit to the coast somewhere, Granada, Cordoba and Seville.
Having read a number of blogs I've gleaned a fair bit of info but I'd be grateful if anyone who has done these places could take time to give personal accounts of what to see there and the best sites for visiting them. Aranjuez and Toledo isn't an issue as we will stay at the site at the palace.
The other 3 are the ones that give me a bit of concern as none of them have great reviews. We should be down the bottom of Spain around the end of October all being well so hoping sites not too busy.
A visit to Jerez is also on the cards (must look online to see if there is a show) and of course a couple of days at El Rocio.
After all that we will return via Caceres, would like to visit Merida and Badajoz but again the site at Merida gets awful reviews and there isn't a site at Badajoz, so OH was hoping it would be feasible to visit them from Caceres, is it ?
Then on the way back up we were thinking of calling in to Escorial
Still not booked a return ferry as not sure when we will be needing it and not sure if we want to do the long one or come back through France.
Given what is going to be going on at the end of October (Brexit) we are probably slightly mad 
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I am pretty sure that you have read my blog but just in case not here it is
https://jennyandjohngocaravanning.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/spain/
I thought the Merida site had been painted blacker than it was and for the sheer convenience of being so close to the town worth putting up with any downsides.
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We stayed at Camping Villsom for Seville, and although some of the pitches were a little tight, it was a short walk to town and the bus for Seville.
Camping Los Lomas for Granada is another worth considering. Again with a bus stop outside the site and comfortable pitches.
If you change your plans Don Quijote at Salamanca is worth a look. We were lucky when we visited because they were 'shooting' a medieval film and anything modern had been disguised - pure magic. You can tell we are motorhomers... once again a bus stop at the gates.
Enjoy your trip.
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This is a much travelled route and I suspect that you will get many recommendations. We toured Spain last year for the first time (with the exception of 'bucket & spade' holidays near Rosas in the early days). We had a wedding to go to in Toledo in the middle of October which was the prompt to visit Spain. Other than the fixed point of the wedding, we made the rest up as we went along.
We started at the Dusseldorf caravan show at the end of August, went down the western side of Spain to the bottom, did a short 3.5 weeks in Morocco and came back up the eastern side, getting home around the second week in February. 10,500 miles and 42 campsites - too many for this post.
Looking at your specific questions, Longtimecaravanner's blog is very informative and I agree wholeheartedly with Mugsy about Salamanca & Don Quijote.
Granada: We stayed at Camping Motel Sierra Nevada just on the outskirts. Not one of Spain's finest but it was OK. Quite a long hike to the showers - relevant as it was early January and very cold. However, there was plenty of hot water and the sinks had both hot water and a plug (hot shave was a rarity). More importantly, it was able to get us tickets to visit Alhambra when all the online tickets were sold out.
Cordoba: We stayed at El Brilliante. This was the most expensive campsite in the whole of our tour and way over priced for the state of its facilities - but the bus into the city stopped right outside the campsite. i agree with LTC's blog; the Mezquita was one of the highlights of our tour.
Seville: We also stayed at Camping Villsom in Dos Hermanos outside Seville. As Mugsy says, the bus was very convenient and stopped right outside the campsite on the way back. We did not book for the Alcazar but joined the queue. It took just over an hour but well worth the wait. We loved Seville and stalled for 6 days there.
Cacares/Merida: We went to Caceres simply because we had met so many campers who were going there so we felt we had to see what it was all about. We stayed at Camping Caceres - well known to many I am sure as each pitch has its own shower, loo & sink next to it. Caceres itself is a small, very well preserved fortified town. It also has a large Carrefour and an excellent laundrette (we had been on the road for 7 weeks by this stage!) From Careers, we did day trips to Trujillo, Guadalupe and Merida. All within easy reach.
For the rest of the trip we went to San Sebastian, Burgos, Leon, Santiago de Compostela, Salamanca, Segovia, Madrid, Toledo, Cadiz, Tarifa, Morocco, Manilva, Benidorm (Alicante airport to drop sister-in-law off I hasten to add!), Javea (where we stalled for 3 weeks), Valencia and Barcelona, if I can be of any help.
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Hi BB, Las Dunas is also on the list as we thought that would give us both access to Cadiz and Jerez.
Saville I guess as there is only one site it will be Villsom
Granada will go back and have another look at your's and AD suggestion of Reina Isabel.
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Correct Jenny, I have read your blog
also Jon's both have lots of good info, thank you for taking the time to keep it up to date.Also thanks for your comments on the site at Merida. We have stayed at Caceres so know what its like but if Merida is ok for a night then we might just try it. I have read (somewhere) that Merida is well worth the visit.
I will re read your blog again as its been awhile since I first did so.
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Many thanks Mugsy, will look at your suggestion of Los Lomas.
Don Quijote site we know very well, my OH took ill there back in 2016 and the site owners were very good to us. Salamanca is a wonderful place to visit and we may do it again sometime.
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Wow! thanks for all the info you certainly got around
We tried to do it with a MH a few years back but OH took ill and we had to abandon it. Have tried it again for the last 2 years and with one thing and another we have not been able to get back to down to Spain. Here's hoping this year we are more fortunate.
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My favourite thing to do in Granada was to see a Flamenco performance in the ancient caves. This was a long time ago and wouldn’t do it now as it tends to start at about 1.00 am! Cathedral is spectacular (even though I am not religious). We would always hotel in Spain, not motorhome, but there is a real problem with eating in restaurants; they don’t open until 9.00 to 9.30 pm unless you want fast food. That’s why they have Tapas I guess.
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Haven't contributed anything yet TG as it's ages since we stayed at sites that far south and any recommendation would be worthless but have to say the itenerary sounds great. You shouldn't have any problems seeing some wonderful sights. The Roman sights at Merida are worth the visit to the town. We stayed at the site in town and didn't have a problem with it for a couple of nights but as I say it was some time ago.
Hope all goes well this time.
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Thanks WN, here's hoping it all goes well this time
planning the trip and fingers crossed all goes well. Good to hear another positive comment about Merida.
Sorry to hear you won't be able to make your planned trip, hope things get better for you soon.
Thanks hitch, I don't think we would bother with a Flamenco at that time either.
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Whilst it may sound heretical, I sometimes wonder whether a "classical Spain" organised tour isn't a better idea to see the honeypot locations. It's a long old drive right down there and, unless incorporated in a prolonged tour of that part of the world, it seems like hard work. Southern Spain in a tin box is going to be a bit sweaty as well unless going very early or late in the year.
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I do see where you are coming from but caravanners/motorhomers like the freedom don't they? We took three days to see Granada and two days to look at Seville and needed longer. Having had that freedom to come and go as I pleased I would hate to be told to be back to the coach for four o'clock or whatever. Plus of course there are all the other places en route between the honeypots. I have to agree with you that I could never go in the summer but Tammygirl said that she is off in a few weeks. We are going again at the end of October this time hopefully to look at the historical places in Portugal.
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I hear you CY, but to retain my independence I am becoming a convert to fly in somewhere, then trains, taxis, small town centre hotels, and eating in local restaurants.
Sure it costs more, but it saves those thousand mile drives, crowded campsites, city centre parking hassles, shopping and cooking - and avoids the tiresome journey we just had with storm delayed Brittany Ferries who didn't get us back to Plymouth till way past midnight a couple of days ago.
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Not for me afraid Cy, I loathe organised trips, hate hotels. OH is the same, after 45 years military service he likes to go where he wants, stay as long as he wants eat when and what he wants.
We are not sailing until the 12th September, spending time travelling down from Roscoff. Probably moving into Spain sometime in the first 2 weeks of October, weather dependent. No ferry booked for return but we have until the end of the first week in December so plenty of time to linger here and there.
I agree with LTC, I would hate to ordered around from venue to venue, much prefer to do things at my pace.
To be fair we are going for the weather, the cultural bits are just to fill in the time
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I'm afraid that type of holiday is my worst nightmare. Although we do fly out to Lanzarote each year it's to our apartment there and its for 3 weeks. We have a car for the duration so come and go as we please, just like at home but with the sunshine.
Going away in the van is pretty similar, stop when we want, leave when we want, we don't tend to do busy noisy sites didn't think you did either.
At least in the van if you don't like your neighbours you can just move on, on organised trips your stuck with them
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The site at Segovia is El Acueducto; nothing special but easily accessible and only 250 meters from the bus stop into town.
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"A visit to Jerez is also on the cards (must look online to see if there is a show) "
We just missed the 2pm English visit so took a photograph instead!
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We visited Cordoba earlier this year and stayed at Camping Albolafia in Villafranca de Cordoba. It is about 15km from Cordoba and is an easy drive along the motorway to get to the town. If you have a campervan there is a regular bus service from the town about 500m from the site. Lots of campervanners used it.
The site is a good standard and we enjoyed it. Would recommend it and would go back. If you go to Cordoba the Mezquita is a must. Enjoy!
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