Spain has become as much a must-visit country as Italy. Invoking visions of cosmopolitan coastlines and museums that are not so much houses of art but pieces of them, Spain is more than just bullfights, tapas, paella, Antonio Gaudi and Pablo Picasso. Whether young or old, Spain offers a nightlife filled with non-stop dance and music. After a week in Spain, you'll know why the Spaniards so cherish their siesta.
Go-Today (tel: 800/227-3235) has a six-night trip with air and hotel to Barcelona departing from east coast gateways starting at $679. Travel is good through Halloween. You need to book by September 22, 2005. The price for this trip drops slightly to $599 for travel from November 1 to December 15, 2005 and from January 6 to March 26, 2006. See the Go-Today for black out dates applying to certain hotels. In addition to air and accommodations at a wide variety of hotels, the trip includes daily continental breakfast and hotel service charges and taxes. It does not include air security taxes or departure fees. You can add sightseeing excursions to the many sights in the Barcelona area including Europe's biggest aquarium or a bullfight. Or you can amble to the Gaudi churches, the Picasso Museum, and the many outdoor cafes that give Barcelona natives that glint in the eye.
Go Today also has Madrid specials. A six-night air and hotel special out of New York starts from $549 for travel from November 1 to December 15, 2005 and January 6 to March 26, 2006. You need to book this trip by September 22, 2005 to lock in availability. Add $180 for departures from, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Oakland. In Madrid, be sure to hit Spain's Prado Museum, but remember, Picasso's masterpiece "Guernica" is housed at Museo Reina Sofia.
Sun Holiday Tours (tel: 800/422-8000; www.sunholidaytours.com) offers an incredible travel value to Costa Del Sol. A two-week air and hotel inclusive trip starts at $995. You read right--that's two weeks, plus air. Accommodations are at an oceanfront hotel in the town of Torremolinas, Costa Del Sol, not too far from Malaga, Marbella, Seville, Granada, and Tangier. In addition to air and oceanfront accommodations, the trip includes 26 meals and three sightseeing tours. The area is packed with great restaurants specializing in seafood and nightclubs specializing in fun. Be advised, your stay is at a large resort with huge pools and many restaurants. The $995 two-week price is for a departure on January 6, 2006 departing out of JFK. The trip leaves on a weekly basis from January 6 until April 14, 2006. Prices are based on double occupancy for a studio-styled room with a small kitchenette. An upgrade to a one-bedroom suite-styled room is available. A three-week trip is also available. Ask a Sun Holidays representative about the "free" single supplement program.
Gate One Travel (tel: 800/682-3333; www.gate1travel.com) continues to astound travelers with low prices as well. A six-day trip to Madrid with airfare out of New York and accommodations at a choice of three and four star hotels starts at $599 for trips departing November 30, December 7, 14, and 28, 2005. The trip includes daily breakfast. Sightseeing excursions, airport transfers and additional nights can be arranged for an additional cost. Airport taxes and September 11 security fees are not included in the price of the package.
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