{"id":7043,"date":"2016-07-24T14:28:04","date_gmt":"2016-07-24T21:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dontforgettomove.com\/?p=7043"},"modified":"2016-09-16T12:06:31","modified_gmt":"2016-09-16T19:06:31","slug":"road-trip-spain-northern-coast-itinerary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dontforgettomove.com\/road-trip-spain-northern-coast-itinerary\/","title":{"rendered":"Road Trip in Spain: Northern Coast Itinerary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking a road trip is one of my favorite ways to travel. It easily lends itself to unique experiences you couldn’t get traveling by bus or plane. There’s nothing like kicking your feet up on the dash, chucking on your favorite road trip tunes and grabbing some munchies for the road.<\/p>\n

And Europe is the perfect place to do it. Although many travelers opt for the trusty train pass, renting a car in Europe gives you an infinite amount of flexibility on where to go and what to see.<\/p>\n

As soon as we started thinking about our European road trip with Auto Europe<\/a><\/span>, we knew exactly which country we wanted to cruise through: Spain. Having studied abroad in southern Spain back in 2008, I was already smitten with the culture, but knew I’d have to come back someday to explore the North. Since Jules had never been to Europe before (!!) this would be an entirely new experience for him as well. We started devising our Spain road trip itinerary to explore the land of paella and flamenco and here’s what we got to see over 17 days!<\/p>\n

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Hover Over Photo To Pin!<\/span><\/h4>\n

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Starting the Road Trip in Madrid<\/h2>\n

Spain’s capital city. Granted we didn’t spend much time in Madrid, which is unfortunate because the city has some really cool things going on. We were originally thinking of starting our trip further south, because we heard there were some awesome things to do in Granada<\/a><\/span>, but there’s only so much you can see! Instead we decided to book a flight from Portugal at the ungodly hour of 6:30AM (meaning the alarm clock was set for 4AM! #neveragain).<\/p>\n

So when we arrived in Madrid delirious from lack of sleep, we parked ourselves on the sunny lawns of the El Retiro Park and waited for our hostel room to be ready. We spent the afternoon eating 1 Euro tacos and napping, which is really just our idea of a dream afternoon. When we finally regained consciousness, we explored the streets and had dinner at one of the famous tapa houses, Sidreria El Tigre.<\/p>\n

The next day we picked up the car from the inner city Avis. Holy cow! Navigating the streets of Madrid was no easy feat. Within a ten minute period we almost hit a motorcyclist, Jules almost ran me over and we went the wrong way down a one-way street. We had to get the heck out of the city. Madrid is fantastic, and there is plenty to see (including the Prado National Museum and the Reina Sofia), but we recommend exploring by foot before picking up your vehicle.<\/p>\n

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Typical Plaza Mayor in Salamanca<\/em><\/p>\n

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Avila: Classic Castles and Cobblestone Streets<\/h2>\n

Madrid to Avila \u2013 110km (70mi) \u2013 1 \u00bd hours of straight highway<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Our first stop on our road trip through Spain was through Avila, a small town just a couple hours outside of Madrid. If you’re heading north of Madrid on your road trip, definitely check this place out. Although a bit on the touristy side, it’s an idyllic small town that will be a breathe of fresh air after leaving the capital.<\/p>\n

The old town is surrounded by a castle wall and the interior is a maze of cobblestone streets. Does it get any more Spanish than that? There\u2019s also a lot of homage to medieval times, so if you\u2019re a history geek like Jules you can pick up some wooden swords and knight\u2019s armor. Don’t miss picking up the famous local dessert, Yemas de Santa Theresa. These sugary little balls made of egg yolk are a perfect pick-me-ups for the rest of your day’s driving.<\/p>\n

You could spend the night in Avila, but it’s probably better to just visit for the day or afternoon for lunch on your way to Salamanca.<\/p>\n

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Aerial view of Avila<\/em><\/p>\n

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Salamanca: Oldest University in Spain<\/h2>\n

Avila to Salamanca \u2013 110km (70mi) \u2013 open highway just over an hour<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Just a few hours north of Avila is the city of Salamanca. It may be the bustling capital of the Leon and Castiles region, but the city’s old town will make you feel like you just stumbled on a medieval civilization. The cobblestone streets are beautiful, but the real sights are above your eye-line, as the incredible architecture of the city’s churches and buildings tower above into the skyline. Salamanca is also famous for having the oldest university in Spain and one of the oldest functioning universities in the world.<\/p>\n

Old town gets popping on weekend nights when patrons crowd the cafes that line the streets. If you’re looking for budget accommodation head outside of old town where you can find much cheaper rooms (we got a private for 3 people for 45 Euro).\u00a0Spend one\/two nights to get a feel for the town and explore the streets.<\/p>\n

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Salamanca’s old buildings<\/em><\/p>\n

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Leon: Best Tapas Bars<\/h2>\n

Salamanca to Leon \u2013 200km (125mi) \u2013 open highway for 2 hours<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

One word of advice: come to Leon hungry. While the old town of Leon has just as much old world charm as the previous cities on our list, what really sets it apart is the culinary scene. The narrow winding streets of old town are packed with tapas bars. From the upscale sit-down restaurants to the stand-up and eat your tapa over a bar kind of place, there’s something for every eating style. Just like in the town of Granada (Southern Spain), most places in Leon serve free tapas with your drink. Chin chin!<\/p>\n

Like Leon, a night or two in Salamanca means you have time to enjoy the nightlife, sleep off the Sangria hangover and still get time to check out the town.<\/p>\n

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