While Portugal is not nearly as hot as Spain (except in the Alentejo region), an air-conditioned room is worth it in summer. In the off-season (roughly November–March), expect shorter hours, more lunchtime breaks at sights, and fewer activities — with the big exceptions of Christmas festivities and Entrudo (carnival), which is especially ...

Spring is especially fun if you're hoping to hit some of Spain's biggest festivals, most notably the somber but spectacular processions of Holy Week (Semana Santa), and Seville's April Fair (which occasionally takes place in May).

Rick Steves Spain, the complete guide, offers more coverage of more destinations in a mostly black-and-white format. The shorter Rick Steves Best of Spain guidebook focuses on Spain's top destinations and sights, is in full color, and is updated a …

Portugal's sunny southern coast, strung with the simple fishing village of Salema, the historic "end of the road" of Cape Sagres, the beach-party town of Lagos, and friendly Tavira.

To help you get started, I've listed my top picks for where to go in Portugal, and my plan for your best two-week trip. Depending on the length of your trip, assuming you're using public transportation, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are my recommended priorities:

To help you get started, I've listed my top picks for where to go in Spain, and outlined my plan for your best three-week trip. Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are my recommended priorities:

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Together, we'll explore the exciting cities of Granada, Cordoba, and Seville; traverse olive groves; ascend to white hilltop towns; and cruise miles of beaches in Spain’s most iconic region.

What do rail passes cover in Spain? Aside from the extra reservation fees required for most high-speed trains (see above), rail passes for Spain cover all travel on trains run by Renfe, Spain's national railway — which now includes the slow coastal trains between Bilbao and Ferrol.

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