September 24, 2004 -- As the weather cools down, deals heat up and the summer tourists disappear from Spain and Portugal. Weather that's almost always crisp and sunny, lower prices on package tours, and no crowds -- why are you still here?
Go Today
The ever-reliable Go Today (425/487-9632; www.gotoday.com) has several Spain and Portugal getaways if you're interested in visiting Madrid, Barcelona or Lisbon. Their Lisbon Special, available between November 1 and December 15, 2004 features roundtrip airfare, six nights hotel accommodation, continental breakfast daily, hotel taxes and service charges starting at $499 from New York or Newark. Add $50 for departures from Philadelphia, $100 from Boston, Atlanta, Washington DC or Baltimore, $200 from Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Denver. Other departure cities are also available. Six night airfare and accommodation packages in Madrid start at $489 and Barcelona from $539. The booking deadline for these packages has been extended to October 28, 2004 and blackout periods apply. A $35 per person each way surcharge applies for travel on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Taxes, government-imposed fees and surcharges of approximately $150 are additional.
Gate1 Travel
Likewise, Gate1Travel (800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com) has a wide selection of options for airfare and hotel packages, or airfare and car rental/rail passes in both Spain and Portugal. Their Madrid and Barcelona Eight Day package includes flights from New York to Madrid, Madrid to Barcelona and Barcelona to New York, six nights accommodation (three nights in each city), arrival and departure transfers and breakfast daily from $799 ($823 for credit card payments) for Saturday departures in November and on December 4, 2004. The Eight Day Spain Fly & Drive package is a low $439 ($452 for credit cards) for departures from New York from November 1 to December 16, 2004. This includes roundtrip airfare to Malaga (Costa del Sol), seven days economy manual car rental from Hertz with unlimited mileage and local government taxes (car insurance is not included). Taxes and fees of approximately $130 are additional for each package and other departure cities are available.
Tour Crafters
Tour Crafters (800/621-2259; www.tourcrafters.com) has a Madrid Winter Special for departures from November 1 to December 9, 2004. This package includes roundtrip airfare from New York, Boston or Philadelphia, four nights in Madrid at a three-star hotel, daily breakfasts, hotel service charges and taxes. Prices start at $521. Similar packages to Barcelona start at $583 for four nights, and to the Costa Del Sol (Fuengirola) for $559 for seven nights. All prices are per person based on double occupancy with airport taxes additional. Add $17 for departures from Washington or Detroit, $25 from San Francisco, $83 from Miami and $90 from Chicago.
Abreu Tours
Portugal-based Abreu Tours (www.abreu-tours.com) has some fourteen packages currently available for trips to Spain and Portugal, including regional destinations, self-drive itineraries, the Algarve coastline and escorted tours. The Algarve Free and Easy package includes roundtrip airfare to Faro (via Lisbon) from New York (other cities available for additional cost) on TAP Air Portugal, three nights accommodation at the Rocha Brava in Carvoiera, daily breakfasts, airport transfers and a half-day city tour. Prices from November 1 to December 14, 2004 are $652 plus taxes. Additional nights cost another $24 each. Weekend departure supplements may apply and a $25 fee applies to bookings made within 21 days of departure. Land-only components are also available.
Their Grand Value Escorted Tour is an 11-night adventure beginning in Lisbon and ending in Madrid. This package includes roundtrip airfare from New York on TAP Air Portugal, airport transfers, hotel accommodation for 11 nights, hotel taxes and fees, daily breakfasts, travel by luxury motor coach, tours, admission fees to museums and tourist attractions, and visits to cities such as Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Merida, Ronda, Toledo and the Costa del Sol. Prices start at $1958 (based on double occupancy) for Tuesday departures in October.
Festas and Fiestas
While on the Iberian Peninsula, take in the local flavor and culture at a multitude of festas and fiestas including:
*The International Jazz Festival -- Barcelona, October 13 to December 18
*All Saint Day (Processions and Parades) -- Lisbon, November 1
*International Chocolate Festival (six day event) -- Obidos (near Lisbon), November
*Spanish Tasting Week (celebrating Spanish Gastronomy) -- November 1-7
*Madrid Gay and Lesbian Film Festival -- November 1 to 10
*Olive Oil Festival -- Baena (Andalucia) Spain, November 13 to 16
*Winter Gastronomic and Medieval Fair - Ponferrada, Spain, November
*ArteLisboa (International Contemporary Art Fair) -- Lisbon, throughout November
*Truffle Festival -- Valdorba (Navarra) Spain, December 13 to 14
For further information about events in Portugal, visit www.portugal.org/tourism/calendar.shtml and for Spain www.spain.info/TourSpain/?Language=EN