Classical Cities of Old Castile

We enjoyed travelling between cities by train, all of which were punctual, clean and spacious. The information provided by Inntravel was excellent and very detailed, including the walking routes but we actually also enjoyed riverside walks in both Segovia and Toledo which were a welcome change from city streets, and although marked on the maps were not mentioned in the info. In Toledo in particular the walk between the Alcantara and St Martín bridges was lovely. We found the best view of Toledo was from across the river to the south and from the Parador which can be visited by non residents and is spectacular at night. We had the best Tapas of the holiday in Toledo at El Trebol, very close to the Plaza Zocodover. We had a great view of the Alcazar from our terrace in Segovia. Highlights in Salamanca were the bell tower Ieronimus and the Hotel Rector which was excellent in every way. In Madrid the hotel was ideally situated between the Plaza Mayor and the art galleries and we found a beautiful old bar (Viva Madrid) on Calle de Manuel Fernandez y Gonzalez and also a very enjoyable and authentic Flamenco show at Cardamomo on Calle de Echegaray. Both of these are within a stones throw of the hotel. This was our first holiday with Inntravel and we are looking forward to the next. 

Our stay at Hotel Rector was excellent. Staff were helpful & personal, gave good recommendation on restaurants, 3 of which we did go to & enjoyed the food with very reasonable prices. Hotel setting was quite spacious but still gave a cosy feeling. The room was spacious for the 3 of us. Enjoyed the breakfast with made-to-order egg & toast, fresh orange juice & also good selection of fruits, cheese, meat & bread. 

Segovia - highlights were the Aquaduct, Alcazar and Riverside walk. We quickly found eating at the major restaurants earlier than 9pm was a problem in both Segovia and Salamanca - the Spanish would seem to eat late. After a day walking this didn't suit us so we quickly decided to find a main meal in the early afternoon and a lighter snack/meal early evening (perhaps 'street food' or a sandwich/fruit etc). This worked well throughout our visit.

Salamanca - highlights were the stunning Cathedrals, the Civil War Archive, fun Museo Lis and beautiful garden Huerto de calixto y Melibea - we returned several times to this quiet spot to picnic.

Madrid - highlights were the Royal Palace,  Prado,  Jardin Botanico and the Parque Del Retiro. A must see is also the San Francisco del Grande. We were told that many visitors overlook this beautiful church but it is really the most overwhelmingly stunning, enormous and peaceful space. There was no tour available in English when we were there (actually very few people at all) but a very helpful Spanish Guide gave us access to the side corridors where many paintings are hung and we followed your advice to follow a guided group as they switched on the lights in each chapel. Eating out at any time is, of course, easy in Madrid.

Another great slow journey. As always immaculately organised and planned by Inntravel. Segovia and Salamanca are well worth a visit and we had some fabulous meals here. Lovely to be there in the evenings after all the day trippers have gone home. All the train journeys went smoothly and the trains are spacious, quiet and half empty. Madrid is a delightful city. Lots of green space. Very friendly relaxed vibe. Never saw any rowdy behaviour and as two women we didn’t experience any hassle. Food here more variable but lots of authentic stuff if you look for it. 

As usual, another great trip with Inntravel (our 5th, I believe). This was a bit of an experiment for us, the first time we decided - thanks to absurdly low airfare - to try a quick one-week jaunt to Europe. We usually stay longer to make the most of the substantial time invested flying across the Atlantic and getting over jet lag. We're happy to report that - yes - you can take a quick one-week trip and make it a full experience. We'll probably do it again with Inntravel when low airfare tempts us.
Highlights in Segovia for us included the aqueduct (of course), and the great tapas and local conviviality at El Sitio. We spent our added day doing a 180-degree hike around the outskirts of the "prow" of Segovia. We started by descending the walking path from the city wall outside Alcazar, crossing under the busy road into the old Jewish cemetery, then climbing to the hilltop. From there, it's easy to pick out a walking path that takes you around the castle from a distance, with ever-changing views of the town's imposing skyline. On the far side, many churches and monasteries await for exploration, along with a lovely little cafe/tapas bar. We ended by walking to a viewpoint behind and past the old monastery garden walls. One of my favorite days, and especially nice for those who like/need to get out of cities for a bit.

We had foggy, wet weather in Salamanca the whole time, but we also had the entire city practically to ourselves, a great reason to visit in January. We walked the ramparts of the cathedral feeling as if we owned it - no one else in sight. Ditto for the San Esteban monastery. Like others, we highly recommend Vinodiario. So good we went twice. Just put yourself in Pablo's good hands. Make reservations. I don't think the walking notes mentioned what for us was a major highlight - El Cielo de Salamanca. Truly special.

We found Madrid to be a bit overwhelming in scale. Perhaps we were "citied out" by that point. But we made the most of it. Salmon Guru is a new and up-and-coming craft cocktail bar just a half block from the hotel - go! Crazy fun decor, super creative drinks. And we joined a tapas tour recommended on TripAdvisor for our last night and had a merry time drinking perfectly chilled 25-year sherry with a local expert.

Counting the days until our next Inntravel adventure in June (Norway)! So glad we found you so many years ago.

All in all, a full and fun week. We now know the difference between pinchos, bocadillas, tapas, tostas, etc. And best of all - not one person mentioned Trump after asking where we were from. Relief! :-)

A wonderful trip through Spain's Golden Age.  Segovia (our first visit) and Salamanca were so full of riches in beautiful settings.