About Totally Spain
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2001/07/26 J Maltby, UK
14nt touring holiday Green Spain
Thank you for the itinerary you put together for us this summer. We had a wonderful time and the stress was taken out of visiting a new country through your excellent arrangements and the personal touch... The night of the festival in Vitoria was one of the highlights of our holiday
2001/08/01 T. Attwooll, UK
8 nt Self Drive tour - Basque Country
Ate best sea-bream ever at GETARIA and loadsa different fish down by the port at SAN SEBASTIAN thanks to your suggestions; enjoyed watching jai-alai everywhere we went; the fiesta in VITORIA was a great experience (including the heifer-running!), and there are no words to describe the experience of visiting the Guggenheim in BILBAO- wow!
2001/08/04 Dr. Susan Turner, UK
8 day touring holiday staying in Country homes and Manor houses in Hondarribia and Alava
The La Blanca Festival in Vitoria, especially the bull (imitation) with fireworks on its back. Caserio Iruaritz, Francisco’s cooking especially and the sound of sheep bells in the distance. The sight of the Rioja plain for the first time, the lovely room and breakfast at Palacio de Samaniego. Laguardia and Estella – another fiesta there with gigantes. Wine and food generally. The view form Aia, and the fireworks there.
2001/08/05 M Cotter, Ireland
23 dy Self Drive tour of Aragon, Navarra, Basque Country, La Rioja and Catalonia.
In AIA we had a very beautiful large room and the owners were extremely welcoming and went out of their way to be helpful. The village itself was great as there were many pubs & restaurants. The fiesta was also on while we were there and after a few days we felt like one of the locals! Next we went to SOJO, the house is fabulous and the owners were exceptionally nice, the food was excellent and we had a super time there......
2001/08/08 D. Clough, UK
14 night Self Drive holiday staying in charming country homes
At last an opportunity to thank you for the work that you put into our holiday last month. We had a thoroughly enjoyable time and when the time came to leave that glorious country we were most reluctant to say goodbye. The accommodation at SOJO and AIA was superb, our hosts were welcoming and nothing was too much trouble for them to ensure that we had a first class holiday
2001/08/10 J. Forgham & L. Jenner, UK
A short break in Bilbao and Rioja
We would like to thank you for all the preparation you made so that our visit ran smoothly and everything was perfect. The hotel in Bilbao was first class and placed in a wonderful area. Within half an hour of arriving we were in the old quarter enjoying a meal and felt far away from the South East of England. The car pick up went well, upgraded to a most comfortable Seat and the drive to Lanciego, via Vitoria was superb, especially the stop off at the balcony of the Rioja where we were high above the clouds, so although no view of the area was available the sight was memorable. The Hotel Larrain was as you told us, friendly, comfortable and offered wonderful food. Rocio was a great help, booking us a trip around La Fabulista in Laguardia where we were lucky enough to receive a personal tour and tasting conducted in English. The wines and food we had were all interesting and new and the bird watching, once the fog had lifted, proved to be a success, with us finding several species we had not seen before. The storks at Logroño were particularly spectacular, as was a rare warbler we found along the bank of the Ebro at Assa, which I have since reported to the Spanish bird club. Thank you once again for your diligence in organising such a great trip, (again) and we look forward to doing business with you again in the near future.
2001/08/16 Mr. D. And Mrs L. McGahan, Ireland
12nt Tour of Northern Spain
Thank you so much for the organization of our holiday. It was brilliant and has put my faith back into Spain. Everything went like clockwork and your choice of accommodation was brilliant
2001/08/27 Ann Moriarty, UK
10-day Self Drive tour in the Basque Country including Bilbao, Vitoria and Hondarribia
Many, many thanks for your help and advice. We had the most fantastic time and the memories will stay with us for a long time. We both agreed that it must be one of the best holidays we have ever had!
2001/09/13 M. Jones, UK
4 nts Bilbao & the Ayala Valley
My companions on the trip were very impressed with your excellent service! We had a fantastic time and found the Basque Country to be a lovely welcoming place full of friendly and kind people.
2001/10/20 P. Townend, UK
7nt Tour including winery visit
We had a superb trip. Thank you very much for your organisation and attention to detail... Overall, the whole holiday exceeded our expectations in terms of beautiful scenery and buildings; the beaches; fine accommodation: the friendly helpful nature of the people who are not out to exploit tourists: and of course the food and wine. Our only disappointment was that we did not have more time to relax in and see more of the Basque Country!
2001/10/31 P. Gerbie, USA
Capital City tour of Northern Spain
We had a wonderful trip through the countryside and all of the plans that you made went extraordinarily well. Our only regret was not spending more time in the GUGGENHEIM which we loved. Your directions were excellent, the hotel in BILBAO was great and dinner the first evening was outstanding
2002/04/03 R. Watkins & R Mackin, UK
8 nt Touring Basque Country staying in Country Homes & Historic hotels
Once again many thanks for arranging one of our best holidays for a long time. We are still amazed at the variety of countryside and interesting places to be found in the Basque Country
2002/07/01 Mr J. & Mrs. S. Jackson, UK
7 nts Self Catering in Villaviciosa, Asturias
We thoroughly enjoyed the whole region especially our circular tour around the Picos, with ever changing scenery from the hot interior with warm winds playing on the reservoir to the thunder and lightening as we wound our way round the hair pin bends on our descent. Everybody was friendly and helpful dispite the language difficulties and the food was great. Many thanks and we would certainly recommend your company to anyone visiting the area
2002/08/15 A. Lickert, UK
2 week Self Catering holiday - Picos de Europa
We thought the area was absolutely stunning, and the house was really lovely, better than we had hoped for... We had acquired quite a lot of guide books and information for ourselves, but your very comprehensive pack was still welcome, particularly your own sheets on driving round Cantabria, which led us to some very charming villages and churches which we might not have found otherwise. There was plenty to do, and we did several walks, went riding, and also quadbiking, which we enjoyed especially. I am very grateful to you for your help in finding exactly what we were looking for, and in organising it for us
2002/09/01 Jon & Jo Ann Mohle USA
3 weeks touring the Basque Country, Madrid, Segovia and Toledo
INDEPENDENTLY THROUGH TOTALLY SPAIN ITN (International Travel News) readers looking for something a little different might be interested in hearing about a 3-week independent trip my wife and I took in September ´02 in the Basque area of Spain. With email input from us, it was arranged by Totally Spain. We highly recommend this company, which is run by an Irishman, Ken Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin tailored the trip to our exact needs. We had told him we wanted a variety of lodgings with 2 to 4 night stays at each and didn´t want to do a lot of driving. Our route took us to Bilbao, San Sebastian, Vitoria and the Rioja wine country and ended up in Madrid via Segovia and Toledo. Incidentally, Spanish roads are excellent. We were accommodated at two charming country inns, several well-located moderate in-city hotels, one parador and one deluxe seaside resort. Mr. Baldwin provided us with extensive pre-trip material and maps plus museum tickets in advance. He even made a hard-to-get special restaurant reservation for us. The cost for all lodging (with breakfast) and the car rental was 1,850 US dollars per person. ** Letter appeared in International Travel news. February 2003**
2003/05/24 Jane Meyer (USA)
Two Weeks touring the Basque Country May/June
We're home and trying to digest all the details of the two weeks of travel in the Basque Country. Your documentation was fabulous -- so well organized and helpful. We very much appreciate the service. All the arrangements you made were excellent -- we loved the two country casas and thoroughly enjoyed our hosts at both. I practiced my Spanish on Patxi at Iketxe and he seemed to appreciate my efforts. He's really something! We would recommend your service any time!
2003/07/18 Matthew Gibson, UK
16 days Self Drive tour in Andalucia
Many apologies for not having emailed you since our return. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed every place we went to, and your arrangements helped the holiday pass very smoothly. We lunched in the Parador located in the Alhambra, read by the pool with the most awesome views in the Jaen Parador, ate buckets of Tapas in Seville, enjoyed the baths of Cordoba (an excellent suggestion) and many other very happy memories. The small place in Arcos is a true gem of a place, we felt very lucky to have stayed there. Also, Ronda was extraordinary and again the views were incredible. Temperatures reached 43 at one point, but with ample fino, air conditioning and swimming we managed well. Many thanks for all your help. I would, and already have, recommend your services to anyone wanting to find an experience of Spain all too easily missed. No negatives at all, I am a very satisfied customer indeed.
2003/08/02 Des and Helen McMahon, Australia
6 days touring holiday in Castilla y Leon
We had a lovely holiday thank you, and without the information you sent we would have been a bit lost. We are so pleased that the hotels had air conditioning, as while we were there it was very hot on a couple of days. The best hotel of our entire trip we thought was the one in Segovia, very nice. And we enjoyed the places you mentioned it was a good insight into Spain. One thought that you might like to know, we thought the countryside very like South Australia; the wheat fields, the olive groves and the vines and the way that the mountains appeared was like the Flinders Ranges or The Grampians in Victoria. We would like to say THANK YOU for your advice and help.
2003/08/04 James Seager, UK
7 day tour of the Basque capitals including the La Blanca Festival Vitoria
Even before we arrived in Spain the information, help and advice you gave us was unbelievable and yet when we met you it was further surpassed. The three hotels you found for us in Bilbao, Vitoria and San Sebastian were of the highest quality and at an amazing price and together with all your information enabled us to get the best out of these places in the time we stayed there. The festival in Vitoria was one of the best things I have ever experienced; totally unbelievable! Thank you for your hospitality during the festival which again was incredible; drinks, meal and such friendliness. Every one I spoke to could not believe the service you provide, one which is rarely seen in the tourist industry, and your company deserves every success it gets. On my return I have told everyone planning a holiday to contact you and experience the fantastic service Vicky and I got. Thank you both for making our tour the best trip we have taken! We still show friends the pictures of us on the Mayor’s balcony from the Newspapers! Looking forward to travelling with you again.
2003/08/04 Senan Wall, Ireland
12 days Self Drive Tour in the Basque Country
We just want to thank all for the work that you put into organising the holiday for us. We really enjoyed the whole trip, the accomadation was excellent and the information pack that you included was a great help on our travels around the region. The festival in Vitoria was one of the high points and we have been boasting that we were with the Lord Mayor as he got things started. Again many thanks for your suggestions and help.
2003/08/17 Helen Moore, UK
7 day touring Sevilla, Ronda and Cadiz
Thanks for such a lovely holiday. The hotels were great - the swimming pool in Ronda came as a complete and very welcome surprise and the hotel in San Lucar was very impressive. The weather was certainly very hot in particular Seville but the air conditioning over there is much more efficient than in the UK so it wasn't too bad. We were certainly very impressed with Andalucia and had a nice relaxing week.
2003/09/01 Judith and David Turner, UK
10 day touring holiday of Green Spain: Paradores & Country hotels
The holiday was a great success and we enjoyed ourselves very much - the area will definitely be in our plans for a return visit in the future. Thank you for all the work with the booking and the advice on the selection of hotels. We enjoyed our stays at all the hotels. The most impressive view was at Casa Rosario as our room was on the top floor with a large balcony outside for us to sunbathe on. Thank you for sending a copy of the Bilbao hotel voucher to us in Ribadesella - still not sure where the original one disappeared to. We were given the packet of brochures for Galicia as soon as we arrived at the Parador in Leon. That is an amazing building in its own right in a town with many impressive buildings.
2003/09/02 Tom and Mary Steventon, UK
9 day Self Drive Tour in Green Spain
I'm just writing to thank Ken and all the staff at Totally Spain for the wonderful holiday they arranged for us in September. The hotels were exactly as we requested, with friendly staff and gorgeous rooms, and the info packs on each region were very informative. My wife and I were a little nervous at the beginning, as this was our first driving holiday abroad, and also our first lengthy holiday by motorcycle, but we never had a single problem. You will be hearing from us in the new year, because we were totally hooked on both the friendliness of the Spanish people and Northern Spain as a region, and we feel we have only scratched the surface of what it has to offer.
2003/09/08 Louise Steele, UK
14 days touring holiday in Catalonia, the Pyrenees and the Basque Country.
Just a short note to say thank you for arranging such excellent accommodation for us on our recent holiday in Spain. We had a wonderful time. The apartment at L'Estartit was clean, comfortable with everything and more that I would expect from self-catering accommodation and the Costa Brava was a wonderful surprise - I'll admit now that we were nervous about it because we wouldn't normally choose a beach holiday but it was fantastic. We also loved Bilbao, and hope to go back. The Hesperia Zubilade was good and the staff there were very child-friendly and made a big fuss of our little boy.
2004/03/02 John & Holly Gilbert, UK
Self Drive Tour including the Ayala Valley, Rioja and Hondarribia
Many thanks for your efforts in organizing our recent tour to the AYALA VALLEY, LA RIOJA and HONDARRIBIA. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip despite the snow at the start and will fully recommend our accommodations and your services to friends, family and fellow travellers. The first two accommodations at LEZAMA (REF: TBC31) and the hotel in LANCIEGO (RIO15) provided excellent evening meals (and good wines!!), the hosts were very friendly, helpful and engaging, wonderful people. Similarly Patxi too was helpful and friendly but we saw less of her. We will have to explore the Ayala valley more on another occasion as the snow prevented us from seeing some of the mountain regions and precluded us from going too far away from our central base. La Rioja was predictably fascinating and we toured several Bodegas and spent time exploring LAGUARDIA, LOGRONO and HARO to get a feel for the region……….. Organisations such as yours provide an excellent means of bringing people together and enlightening their perspectives so we hope that you will continue to thrive. We will return to you for assistance in the not too distant future we are certain, possibly spring or autumn (or both) of next year as we intend to see the many parts of Spain that we have not yet visited besides revisiting some of our old haunts on the Costa’s and definitely Rioja!
2004/04/01 Mary Shakeshaft (UK)
Rioja, Basque Country & Cantabria
This is just to say we had a wonderful holiday and to thank you for all your excellent arrangements. I particularly loved the hotel in LaGuardia and that whole region. We had a superb drive from there to Santillada del Mar. The waether was beautiful except for two days. When it rains in Spain it really rains, doesn't it? We rented an Opel in Barcelona and a Renault in Bilbao and had a number of adventures, involving being rescued by charming and helpful Spanish men! Thank you again.
2004/04/15 Dana McCombie, Ontario Canada
14 nights Rioja, Aragon & the Costa Brava
Dear Belen
The holiday far exceeded all our expectations in every regard. All the arrangements and bookings from the accommodations to car rentals, were first class and we did not encounter a single problem or disappointment. The charming seaside accommodation in Costa Brava was really wonderful and was the perfect spot to enjoy some relaxation and explore this lovely coast. It was every bit as lovely and peaceful as you promised and the local wine and cuisine exceeded our expectations.
To be in Rioja during the wine harvest was a special treat and we had so much delicious wine and food, it was impossible to pick favourites! Each village we explored was even more lovely and charming than the last.
Thank you Belen for making these arrangements, setting our itinerary and making this the best vacation we can remember having. Everything was perfect, even the weather!! We fell in love with your country and we cannot wait to come back.
2004/04/16 Martin Collins Kent, UK
Basque Country Tour in April
We were impressed with the efficiency with which you put together an excellent package in a rather short time, with your attention to detail, informed by your local knowledge. We spent six days exploring a different world: without seeming to try, we saw and experienced so much that was new and interesting to us, that we feel as if we had been away for twice as long. We shall recommend (in fact we already have) the region and Totally Spain to family and friends. In Bilbao, we found the restaurant L’Estraunza rather disappointing, despite the best efforts of the waiter to entertain us – he had nothing else to do because we were the only diners until a family arrived after 11pm. Lunch at the Guggenheim, however, was excellent. In Laguardia, the Posada Mayor was splendid, very characterful and very friendly. One of the sons of the family gave us a very entertaining introduction with wine-tasting, of course, to the bodega under the building. We dined in the restaurant twice and were impressed with the quality on each occasion. The best meal we had was in Calahorra, at the Taberna de la Cuarta Esquina. Very unprepossessing on the outside, we happened on it by chance, trying to find anything interesting in the town: very busy, friendly, efficient, good value and very good quality. Back in Laguardia, a charming English –speaking woman in the tourist information office opened the doors of the Santa Maria de los Reyes for us and gave a very informative and interesting talk about the painted portal which we were most impressed with. En route for the airport we spent several hours in your home town: the visit to the Artium was an appropriate way to end a visit which began in the Guggenheim. Personally, I enjoyed the contents of this gallery more. So, thank you for doing such a good job. No doubt we shall be in touch again in due course.
2004/04/23 Catherine Weber, Michigan USA
Touring Rioja, Basque Country & Cantabria
I just wanted you to know that our trip to Spain was spectacular! All arrangements worked beautifully and I thank you for all of your patience and assistance. You were right about the northern area. We all enjoyed Barcelona but all agreed that the best part of our travel was up North. I hope you will keep me on your mailing list. In future I might like to organize a group of friends to rent a country home for a week. We especially enjoyed the Parador at Hondarrabia and we would like to return to the San Sebastian area. Thank you again for helping to make our trip a success.
2004/04/25 John Zeeman (USA)
Navarra & Basque Country Tour April 2004
We're just getting settled back in Chicago. Everything went perfectly with the possible exception of the weather. We had rain for our visit to Biarritz & San Sebastian. Too bad since both were beautiful and interesting cities. The "Guided Pinchos Tour" with Gabriella Ranelli was definitely a highlight and the Paradores were exactly what we had hoped for. Thanks again for all of your help. You made a good trip even better!
2004/04/26 Dennis Moonier (USA)
One week tour of Bizkaia, Chinchon and Barcelona
We had an excellent holiday. In both France and Spain we had interesting and positive experiences. Our time in Spain was great. The B&B TBC 24 in Bizkaia was fantastic - our hostess, Maria, was wonderful - and the countryside was beautiful. The Parador de Chinchon was a good place to stay and visit Madrid and Toledo. We also visited the Palace at Aranjuez from there. Hotel BAR 08 in Barcelona was an excellent hotel, in a good location, with a very helpful staff. Thank you so much for your help. The information packet we received was invaluable. I would recommend your services to anyone interested in a Spain vacation.
2004/05/05 Aidan Semple, UK
Honeymoon in Northern Spain
We had a great 3 weeks. I think the highlights as far as hotels were concerned were Arnedillo and Hondarribia... they were fantastic. The Picos were also amazing. The weather was pretty good to us... and we managed to do some swimming in the sea, especially at the beaches in Cantabria. We will certainly be back again, when time allows. Again, thanks for your help to organise our honeymoon. We would not have managed without you.
2004/05/25 Margaret Filardo (USA)
Tour of Asturias, Basque Country, Navarra, Aagón, Barcelona, Madrid & Toledo
Just wanted to drop a note to thank you for all the effort you put into helping plan our trip to Spain. Everyone was most pleased with all of the hotel accomodations and you wouldn't believe how much luggage can be squeezed into one of those small cars with a little effort. Spain truly is a beautiful country! We loved every aspect of it, but were most fond of the north. Thank you again and we won't hesitate to recommend "Totally Spain" to any of our friends.
2004/06/09 Judy Cendan (USA)
About our documentation
We received the vouchers and the excellent guides. We have travelled extensively and no travel agent in the past has sent such a thorough and organized package of information. We definitely are very excited about the trip. Thank you so much.
2004/06/11 Kieran Gallagher (Ireland)
Bilbao & Self Catering in San Vicente de La Barquera, Cantabria
Just a quick note to say we really enjoyed our holiday. The area, people and rental property were great. The hotel in Bilbao was very comfortable and an excellent location. The rental property was in a great location too. The mountains and beaches were great. The beaches reminded me of the beaches in Donegal, but more heat and warmer water!
Llanes and Comillas were very nice towns, and San Vicente itself was a lovely spot and a great base for exploring the area. One thing that I think would be of benefit to have in a house is a toaster, we have been to a lot of self catering properties around Europe and find a toaster in most of them. This may just be an Irish need! We enjoyed our holiday very much and will return. We are recommending the area to lots of people since we came back and will gladly point them in the direction of your website.
2004/06/13 Lisa Cohen (USA)
Madrid, Andalucia & Barcelona
You did a fabulous job planning this trip.. every hotel was great and in the perfect location. My mother-in-law raved about it! Everything went smoothly, from check-in throughout. The hotel in Jerez was our favorite, though we took a while finding it! Your maps and suggestions were very helpful. We did not get to ride in Andalusia... too many other things to see and do, though we did get to the Real Escuela and really enjoyed that. I think we all liked Seville and Barcelona best, and the Alhambra was our most memorable stop, along with the Gaudis in Barcelona. The only glitch was missing the overnight train to Barcelona .. totally my fault. After all your work getting the tickets to us, I had the departure time wrong in my mind. We spent another night at the AC, and they were terrific about helping us out. You are our hero! Thank you for your time and care ... I will recommend you to anyone I know planning a trip to Spain.
2004/06/19 Michael Hensey (Ireland)
Bilbao, Cantabria & Asturias
Just a brief email to say thank-you for the extremely prompt and professional organisation of our recent trip to Bilbao / Cantabria / Asturias. I was very impressed with your organisation and on the ground all the accommodation, car etc. was very satisfactory. I will definitely recommend your company to my friends in the future. We had a lovely trouble free time in your country.
2004/06/19 Patrick & Cindy Willey (UK)
Asturias, Cantabria & Basque Country
I wanted to let you know that we had a lovely time in Northern Spain. The two posadas and hotel we stayed in were great particularly El Bosque where Isabel was so hospitable. The setting of this posada is superb with wonderful views of the Picos. It was a nice touch of yours to have some more brochures waiting for us at the Joshe Mari hotel. Thank you for that. All in all we felt the service you provided was very good and have no hesitation recommending you to others.
2004/07/07 Richard Watkins & Lynn Sarf, USA
Tour of Catalunya, Rioja & the Basque Country
We have arrived home safely and wanted to thank you again for helping us plan a fantastic trip to Catalunya and the Basque region. Our accommodations were lovely; those that were most memorable include Castell d'Emporda and Posada Migueloa. The staff at these properties just embraced us, and the accommodations far exceeded our expectations. We would not have known of them without your introduction. Your care and personal attention to our needs made our trip very memorable. We can not thank you enough. While we have only been back for a few days, we are already thinking about our next trip to Spain. Thanks again, and we look forward to working with you again in the not-too-distant future.
2004/07/12 Kevin & Joan Hussey (Ireland)
Tour of Catalunya
We had a wonderful time in Catalonia. Delighted with accommodation and all other arrangements. Thanks to you our holiday was a great success. We are currently spreading the gospel of 'Totally Spain' to all of our friends.
2004/07/24 Ben Watson (UK)
Basque Country Tour
You may remember that I booked a holiday through you and Totally Spain to the places suggested below. I would just like to drop you a note to thank you for all your help and suggestions. From the first contact with you to the final handing over of the car at the airport, the holiday could not have been better organised, the details any clearer or the information more helpful. The house at Lezama was outstanding and the hosts were unbelievably hospitable and friendly. The second house at Hondarribia was lovely and was a perfect base for exploring. We thought Hondarribia was a fantastic town. Many thanks again to you and everyone at Totally Spain. I would certainly look at using you again and would recommend you without hesitation to anybody.
2004/07/28 Barbara Jones, Canada
Parador Tour in Andalucia
I wanted to tell you that our trip through Andalusia was a wonderful success. Although very busy every minute of every day, we were able to do and see everything we had hoped: most particularly visiting the extraordinary Moorish architectural sites in Seville, Cordoba and Granada, but also appreciating the beauty of the small villages through the countryside and of the spectacular sites in which the Paradors were located (such as Ronda and Carmona), and experiencing the excitement of the bull fight in Puerto de la Santa Maria, delight in seeing the Cartuga stallions and pleasure in tasting sherry in Jerez de la Frontera to name just some of our activities! The Paradors were lovely and the food excellent (in all but that in Arcos where it was very good). Fabulous! So, thank you for your excellent arrangements, including the nice packet that provided us with all the maps we needed in each site.
2004/07/28 John & Bronagh Daly, Ireland
Tour of the Basque Country & Rioja
Many thanks for organising our recent holiday in the Basque country. We had an absolutely fantastic holiday visiting Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Laguardia & San Sebastian. Despite the weather, your maps, brochures and directions made the experience of driving around the Basque quite easy and enjoyable. All our accommadation was top-class, although the Hotel Avenida in San Sebastian probably lacked a few facilities (that is our budget kicking in !). Everything went perfectly with Europcar !! It was lovely to drop in and see your offices in Vitoria and Belen was most helpful in re-arranging some of our accommodation. Our favourite destination by far was Laguardia. We really enjoyed our time there and have little doubt that we will return again someday. We have no hesitation recommending Totally Spain and already a number of our friends have expressed an interest in your service. We wish you the very best for the future and look forward to dealing with you again sometime. Many thanks once again !!!
2004/07/28 Karen Mamont, USA
Solo driving tour of Andalucia
I think you must really know me because you gave me everything I would have picked had I known to myself. All the hotels were perfect in every way and the right assortment. And, I was impressed with the locations of the hotels you choose for me. Each one was in the perfect area for me to get around and see everything!! I absolutely adored my wonderful hotel in Ronda. What a charming, tastefully delightful place! It's a must see, must stay at!!! I referred several people to just even go there for lunch or dinner for the rest of my trip to anyone who was going to Ronda. It was so wonderful and my room opened up to the most fabulous pasture with horses and sheep. The garden where we had our most delicious meals was a dream in itself. The other hotels were charming, beautiful and wonderful service as well. And the car, I did just fine. In fact I enjoyed driving and found every destination without problem as you had explained when I previously was paranoid about my inexperience with maps. The highways are so clearly marked for each city in each direction I had no problem and loved the driving. I even liked the small amound of driving on the cobble stone streets when I went out at night from town to town. I had the most wonderful trip and you really did such a fabulous job in order to make it all work, easy, and perfect for me. I plan to go to Italy next year so I hope there is a "Totally Italy" and you book it.! I will recommend you to anyone and everyone (I have all ready begun to) who is going to Spain. I consider you totally responsible for my smooth plans and delightful trip of perfect hotels, car, and complete plan! Thank you so much!!!
2004/07/31 Jon Hunter, UK
Basque Country Tour
Many thanks for your hospitality in Vitoria. The La Blanca festival was certainly a highlight of the trip .... completely barmy. I enjoyed San Sebastian and the coast around there. I did make it to Getaria for some sardines...excellent!! Good fireworks in San Sebastian but nothing quite to match the Celdon in Vitoria. I shall email some reflections later....perhaps after Sleazyjet have managed to bring me my luggage which appears to be having an extra day in Bilbao. Adios.
2004/07/31 The Wells Family, UK
Basque Country & Cantabria Holiday
We have just arrived home after a wonderful holiday in France and Spain and I would like to say a very big thank you for your hospitality at the La Blanca festival in Vitoria - we had a wonderful time made all the more special by being included in your party. It was a tremendous evening we had such fun and really enjoyed sharing the experience with yourselves and the others, they were such a pleasant group of people to spend a few hours with. The girls are still enjoying telling their friends all about it. Thank you once again for a wonderful experience and for being such welcoming hosts.
2004/08/02 Charles & Sarah Patterson, UK
Camino de Santiago Tour
Thank you for organising such a lovely trip. Every thing went perfectly for us (& some of your other clients who we met!). Only black spot was Velguellina de Orbigo- Nothing wrong with the room but such a sad unattractive town. However the hotel in Rioja more than made up for it, it was so good. As a result next time we shall have fewer paradors, though we loved the one in Pontevedra, and more of your recommendations. What a good service you run.
2004/08/02 Julia Baeva & Family, USA
Three week tour of Catalunya, Basque Country Cantabria, Asturias, Leon & Madrid
We are finally back home in Dubai, having spent a wonderful vacation. I would really love to thank you for all you have done, big & small things. Everything was perfect: hotels were charming, information full & all your maps were extremely helpful. And the car turned up to be the same Audi A4 I used to have, so it was really easy. I hope to use your services in future. There's so much to see in Spain. And I will definitely recommend you to friends. Thank you very much again & best regards from my family.
2004/08/02 Tony Blok, UK
Tour from Northern Spain to Southern Spain
We have just returned from Spain and this email is to thank you for organising superb hotels for us. I am quite delighted with the service you have provided and am more than happy to provide a reference for you and your services should you require this.
2004/08/04 Pat & Mike Clough, (UK)
The Basque Country & Rioja
Thank you for your efforts to make sure that we had our best holiday ever. Things got off to a good start with the reception at the hotel and got better throughout the evening. Once again thank you very much for your generosity - the food and drinks were lovely and the atmosphere was fun - we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and hope that something similar can be planned for next year.
The apartment on the coast was sensational with a balcony overlooking the bay , with Mundaka and Bermeo in the distance . We spent a lot of time looking at the view and eating meals on that balcony. An excellently equipped apartment, but no bidet - now who would have thought that any English person would remark on the lack of a bidet! Superb beaches , obviously very popular with families from Bilbao - amazed at some of the places that they managed to park their cars! We especially liked Guernika - the peace museum and the Monday market. Very few people spoke English but we met with unfailing friendship and good humour from everybody.
Back to the south and Arnedillo for the last five days. On the journey we wondered what we would find - the landscape is so bleak and rocky and the sun is so hot - but were delighted with Las Pedrolas and Ignacio. You have obviously been there and had dinner on the terrace so you know the way that Ignacio looks after his guests. Lovely food served in very pleasant surroundings . a beautiful (air conditioned ) room and a real attention to detail. The town itself had more to it than originally met the eye - we strolled the riverside paths to the hot pools several times , walked to watch the vultures , and on one cool day we ventured up into the hills for several miles. A perfect end to an excellent holiday.
2004/08/06 Maureen Mulrooney, Ireland
Tour of Cantabria
Just to say that Liam and I had a marvellous holiday in Northern Spain recently. In fact we only returned to Ireland last Friday night. The real reason I am emailing you is to thank you for all your help and assistance and to say that everything was as you said and all your directions were spot-on. Liam has been telling our friends, since our return, just how efficient you are - take a bow. We had no problems and everything went smoothly. The scenary was wonderful and the weather, as you know, was great, so what more could one want. Once again, many thanks.
2004/08/15 Peter Townend, UK
Tour from the Basque Country to the Costa Brava
Yet again Liz and I would like to thank you for your recommendations and arrangements enabling us to have another superb holiday in Spain.
The accommodation in Lanciego was lovely and the owners particularly helpful. As for Arnedillo, this was definitely my favourite. a terrific small hotel - great room, very enjoyable good food, very friendly host (despite our not speaking Spanish) - set in a beautiful location. A place I hope we can return to one day.
Thank you for recommending Zaragoza. It was just right for a 2 night city break - small enough to walk to the main sites without getting too tired. Dining in the evenings was fun as well. On the way from Arnedillo we visited Belchite and as you suggested it is a remarkable place worth going out of our way to visit.
We really enjoyed the Costa Brava and would like to thank you for making the arrangement for the alternative apartment. We also preferred Calella to Llafranc, so things worked out very well for us. One thing we did was to take a drive to Banyoles in the middle of the week - a leisurely stroll round the town, lunch by the lake, followed by a boat trip -it was the most relaxing day of the whole holiday and thoroughly recommended.
And finally, Barcelona. Yet again your choice of hotel was excellent. The hotel recommended an excellent restaurant round the corner and, being close to the fountains, it was an excellent way to finish the holiday.
2004/08/22 Richard Stilgoe & Craig Stevens, UK
Tour from Northern Spain to Southern Spain & back
I just wanted to express my thanks for arranging such a marvellous holiday for myself and Craig. Spending 2 nights in Madrid and Marbella worked a treat and it all went perfectly for us! In all destinations the accommodation was ideal; the arrangements worked perfectly, our only problem was, as you know, with the first night as we believed that the ferry was going to take 28 hours, not 36! Anyway, this email is really to thank you and the team for all of your help, we would certainly recommend you guys and would use you again!
2004/08/24 Gillian Carroll & Dave Kenny, Ireland
Comprehensive three week tour of Northern Spain
Just back to work this morning - what joy. We had a fantastic holiday and all went to plan. It´s hard to pick out a favourite spot as we saw so much and the places we stayed were so varied. We particularly enjoyed our stays in Lanciego and in San Pelayo and meeting the personalities there. Hondaribbia was also very enjoyable and then there was Cudillero .... I could go on. Its just a pity it all had to end. We'd definitely do it again though might limit ourselves to a smaller area the next time and will recommend you to anyone who mentions going to Spain. Thanks for all your help.
2004/09/02 Tony Roberts, Australia
Andalucia & Madrid tour
We arrived home last week and I wanted to thank you for your help in arranging our holiday in Spain. The Madrid hotel was in an excellent location and although only 1.5 days there we had a great time in Madrid. We managed to see the Prado, Thyssen and Palace Real (all of them great highlights), as well as hopping on and off the tourist buses (I'd suggest you push the bus for people only spending a short time in Madrid - especially the ticket which includes museum admissions).
My wife picked up a Lladro and some killer heel shoes so she was doubly happy. I can thoroughly recommend the Golf Guadalmina - provided people have a hire car, to get to Marbella for dining and shopping. We had 2 dinners at Guadalmina and, frankly, they were the best meals we had in 2 months through Europe. Golf Guadalmina is in a beautiful setting and our balcony looked over a couple of holes, down towards Gibraltar and Morocco. The pool and beach areas are very pleasant and quite peaceful.
Nerja was just the most beautiful place, with its narrow lanes, white-washed buildings and elevations above the sea. The Parador enjoys a great location, with the most fantastic views. By the time we reached the Costa Del Sol, we'd been on the go for 6 weeks and we were both well and truly ready for a very laid-back beach/ book rest, with just a bit of shopping and dining thrown in. Both places we stayed at were very good. So, thanks for your help - there's not much available in Australia and you’re advice was very good; particularly the location advice in Madrid.
2004/09/04 Craig Russell & family, UK
Basque Country & Cantabria
Just to let you know we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Spain & we were very happy with all the arrangements you made & we were very impressed with the thoroughness of the instructions on how to get from San Sebastian to Comillas & the apartment (they were very useful, especially returning to Bilbao airport when the fastest route was the one we needed). We were also very impressed with the whole pack you supplied & enjoyed reading & exploring the area around Comillas based on some of your recommended routes. The apartment was exactly as you described & although there was some noise it was no more than expected at a holiday resort of this type & it was not very busy in general so we have no complaints at all about the apartment. In fact we thought it was in very good condition & very spacious ... the boys certainly enjoyed the kiddies pool !!! Thanks again as I am sure the effort & attention to detail you put in helped us relax get as much out of the holiday as we wanted.
2004/09/04 Craig Russell (Scotland)
Tour of Green Spain
Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it. It has been a pleasure to deal with a company so customer focused. You have answered all my questions and queries (and there have been a few) promptly and in full. That has been a big help for me and my wife when it has come to making decisions about this holiday.
2004/09/10 Linda Lee, USA
Tour of Catalunya, Basque Country, Rioja, Burgios & Madrid
We had a great trip, thanks in large part to the plans you made for us. The lodgings were welcoming, with warm and helpful hosts, and most in excellent locations for exploring. The countryside in the Basque and Rioja-Alaveysa regions was beautiful, and the brochures and guide info you sent gave us lots of options for planning our days. We had very little trouble driving around thanks to the excellent maps you sent (the only problem was Madrid, but not for lack of maps!). And the Menu translation guide was invaluable! If we were to change anything, it would probably be the length of our stays in the Basque area inns, we could probably have done with only two days each in Sojo and Aia. I'm glad we decided to include a parador, the one at Lerma is beautiful and luxurious. The city hotels in Barcelona and Madrid were so well situated that we could walk out the door and immediately be on our way to major destinations. The hostess at Hotel Larrain went out of her way to provide us with options and called to make our booking at El Fabulista bodega. I'm sorry we missed seeing you in Vitoria, we could have used some help finding our way out of the city! We actually ended up on the route over the mountains and really enjoyed the view coming over into the Rioja valley, so it worked out better that we didn't get on the major highway. One place we stumbled upon in Vitoria was the San Vicente Tower, the guide took us up the tower to enjoy the view, and then we got to walk into the space between the cathedral ceiling and the roof to see the structural beams that upheld the ceilings- fascinating! Thanks for your guidance in planning, all the touring information and for the excellent lodging and rental car arrangements. You facilitated all the details, and that gave us the freedom to enjoy the days at our own pace and based on our niclinations. I would certainly recommend your services to others who enjoy travelling independently.
2004/09/17 Cristine Davis, UK
Camino de Santiago Tour
We have just returned from the visit which you planned for us, to Muxica to see our friends, then along the camiño frances by Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Castrojeriz, Carrizo de la Ribera, Guitiriz and to Santiago; what a trip! It was a most memorable holiday, and very special. Thank you very much. You also organised the most splendid weather for us ! We particularly enjoyed the lovely welcome we got from Avelina and Angel in Castrojeriz; they are one of the best advertisements that Spain could ever have. We also very much enjoyed the Posada del Marques, but had the minor complication that the cook was on honeymoon, so there were no evening meals available. Very luckily there is one decent restaurant in Carrizo, where they looked after us very well, though our lack of Spanish was a challenge; but the loss of dining in a hotel in a community with so few tourist facilities was almost a problem. We were very impressed with the sheer thoroughness of your support for us; we knew where we were going, how to do it with the maps you provided - though as we are map addicts, we did buy some extra ones - we were grateful for the menu guide, and we had a marvellous time. We are singing your praises as we enthuse about the holiday. Thank you again.
2004/10/02 Abe Jankowitz, New York USA
13 nights touring Barcelina, Costa Brava, Galicia & Madrid
Dear Ken
We've been back from our trip for 12 days, but I only now have time to write to thank you. We enjoyed Spain immensely. The trip was aided so much by your thoughtful attention to detail and to our concerns.
Each of the hotels was terrific - small, comfortable and perfectly located. The Begur hotel was especially wonderful, for the beautiful suite, the wonderful restaurant, and the magnificent Clara.
I especially appreciated your thoughtfulness in calling both before and after the drive to Barcelona to make sure it had gone well. Actually, Joan had given me excellent advice as to roads, and it turned out to be a Spanish national holiday, so traffic was quite light.
As you know, even the weather cooperated in giving us a splendid trip, and I only wish I could find travel advisors as knowledgeable and helpful wherever I travel.
2004/10/03 Julian & Catherine Parrott, UK
Self Catering in Cadaques
Many thanks for your help and finding us our lovely accommodation. We have just returned from Cadaques after having a super time. Everything went like clockwork and the travel plans were exactly right. The weather was warm - just right for us as we were able to explore the area. The Cap de Creus was stunning. One problem, however - the week just flew past and we wished we had booked two!!! Thanks again for you help.
2004/10/11 Marilyn Sullivan, Michigan USA
12 nights touring Barcelona, Girona and the Costa Brava
Dear Ken
We wanted to let you know that our trip to Spain in October was outstanding. We appreciated all that you did for us to make the trip enjoyable.
I apologize for being so late in expressing our appreciation but we had a great time and it was due to your suggestions of where to stay and what to see. We are "veteran" travelers and the organization of this trip was extremely well done.
2004/10/11 Shelley Goad, Virginia USA
11 night honeymoon touring Toledo & Andalusia
Belen
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond! Our wedding and honeymoon were wonderful. Thank you so much for organizing the
Spain portion of the trip.
Everything went smoothly and your recommendations were right on the money! We loved our hotels in Sanlucar de la Barrameda, Seville, and Granada. We especially loved La Cazalla. What a lovely place. We ended up having dinner there both nights, and it was marvelous!
We've already been recommending you to many of our friends!
2004/10/16 William Moore, California USA
9 nights touring the Basque Country, Barcelona, Andalusia & Madrid.
Dear Belen
Just wanted to thank you for all of the arrangements you made for us. Everything worked out great and we were able to make good use of the packet you left for us at the Europa hotel. The vouchers were all acknowleged with no problems and things went smoothly. We enjoyed our visit to Spain.
2004/10/27 Mary Cutbill, Purley UK
10 nights Paradores tour in Andalusia
Dear Ken
Just to say that we had a great trip to Andalucia and everything went very smoothly.
We particularly liked the Paradores at Arcos, Granada and Carmona (the views at Ronda were great too).
We appreciated the fact that you had taken the hassle out of all the booking for us, including seemingly making it clear that we were a family - that our rooms were always close to each other (in Sevilla we even had connecting rooms. We also used virtually all of the information that you sent to us.
The maps of each town were really useful and the other leaflets covered a lot of what we ended up wanting to see. I was especially pleased that you included the leaflet on the Arabic Baths (Hamman) in Granada because I am a sucker for such things. Unfortunately we did not make it to Jerez or Cordoba but there is always a 'next time'.
So thanks for helping us organise our introductory holiday to Spain. We will be back!
2004/10/29 Brian Phillipson, Hohenkammer Germany
10 nights Andalusia tour
Dear Belen
Many thanks for the info pack which we have now received for our trip at the end of this month. I am impressed. In fact overall, I am quite impressed with your service. You seem to have arranged us an excellent itinerary and booked us very good accomodation well suited to our needs, and it cost us very little effort - which is important to me. You have my thanks, and my congratulations on a very good service.
On a lighter note I must remember that we haven't visited any of the hotels yet, and if the weather isn't superb I just might hold you personally accountable!
But seriously, I have been very pleased by your service in setting up our trip so well, and the info pack has added considerably to our anticipation and our preparation.
2004/11/01 Anna and Chris Kennelly, Ireland
5 night tour of the Basque Country
Dear Belen,
Just a short note to thank you for the wonderful hotels you booked for us. We really enloyed our short, but fun filled five days in Euskadi! We were very impressed with the leisurely pace of life and the wonderful food.
We hope to return again sometime and stay for longer and maybe include the Rioja region next time!
Once again thank-you for all your time and advice and of course we have spread the name totallyspain.com to all of our friends!!
2004/11/21 Adam Fratto, California USA
6 nights touring Andalusia & Madrid
Dear Totally Ken:
Thank you so much for all your help and guidance with our trip. All your arrangements went without a single hitch, and we were constantly appreciative of your thoughtful, careful planning. You should know that our new nickname for you is "Totally Ken," a moniker which was invoked many times in gratitude!
We were extremely happy with everything you did to make this trip a reality. We would work with you again in a heartbeat. In fact, our parents are planning a trip to Spain some time in the next few years, and we will definitely recommend that they ask for your help in planning the trip.
2004/12/13 John Kirschner, Batavia USA
7 nights touring Madrid, Extremadura & Castiila & Leon
Dear Ken,
I just wanted you to know that the vacation you suggested and booked was great. My wife and I enjoyed the accommondation and cities immensely. I will say that Plasencia is not as nice overall as Salamanca or Avila, but the parador there was outstanding. Thank you so much for making my vacation so much easier and stress free. The information you provided for each city and translation materials was great.
2004/12/22 David & Jean Cousar, Ayrshire UK
7 nights touring Andalusia
Dear Ken,
We had a great time. Everything worked seamlessly. Thanks for making us stay in Vejer de la Frontera. The hotel was great (very unusual layout as you probably know) with a really good restaurant. The local bars were also good.
Will be looking at possibly Madrid around easter so will contact you then.
2005/03/22 Barry Elliott, Staffordshire UK
8 night tour of Andalusia staying in Paradores & other charming hotels.
We've just returned from our visit to Andalusia and we had a wonderful time.
I'd just like to thank you for the effort it must have taken to put together the detailed information you provided. I've never received such a comprehensive set of instructions, maps and guides - they made the whole trip so much easier. The hotels you recommended were excellent, especially the Paradores in Ronda and Carmona, and all were ideally located.
We hope to return to Spain again in 2007 for a similar fly/drive holiday and we'll certainly book through Totally Spain again.
2005/04/18 Mary Nelson, Minnesota USA
11 nights touring Barcelona, Valencia, Andalusia & Madrid
Dear Belen
Thank you so much for the wonderful job you did with booking the hotels and car for our trip. We had a great time and were able to enjoy every city we visited. Your choice of hotels was perfect. Each was in a location that gave us access to all of the sights we wanted to visit. The staff members at every place we stayed were friendly and helpful.
I would be VERY happy to recommend you and Totally Spain to anyone who wishes to travel to Spain.
Thank you again for making our trip a great one!
2005/06/19 Susanna Fellows, Hamden USA
18 night tour of Andalusia
Dear Belen,
It was truly a trip of a lifetime! Everyone loved the variety of the hotels and the locales.
Thank you so much for the varied experience and for helping with our budget. We had had a difficult winter as my husband was sick and this truly was a memorable family trip.
2005/06/23 Terry and Maureen Brady, Bournemouth UK
10 nts touring Asturias, Cantabria & the Basque Country
Hello Ken
Just had to write to say thank you for arranging our holiday in spain this year it was wonderful and the choice and range of the hotels you recomended was exactly right.
The two nights we spent at fuente de were very good with a room with a view of the picos from our balcony perfect. Graeme and Mari made us really welcome at the Casa Zalama. Laguardia was interesting as we arrived on the last day of a fiesta with a bull run through the streets.
Thanks again it was a great holiday
2005/07/01 Kay and Peter Righetti , Victoria Australia
8 nights touring the Basque Country
We are back home and wanted to thank you for your efforts in arranging accommodation for us in Spain.Everything went very well and your maps and general information were a great help in finding our way around. Each of the properties offered us a different perspective on Spain and each gave us a different experience.
We loved the “north coast” and would like to come back again and explore further west. This time we did not travel further west than Bilbao. We really enjoyed San Sebastian and would love to come back and stay in the town at some stage. We explored many of the small fishing villages along the coast, had some great meals and took lots of photos.
The Rioja and the township of Laguardia was superb. We enjoyed staying in the village and loved the local wine. Lezama was a real surprise. The country reminded us more of Switzerland and the accommodation was first class. The owner is a superb chef, which meant that we enjoyed dinner there on both nights. Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum were fantastic.
To then finish with the superb hotel at Hondarribia was perfect. Great views, and a classy town with lots of restaurants. We then headed to France and then home through London.
We are not sure how soon we will be back in your part of the world but we will certainly contact your company when we are planning our next trip.
2005/07/16 Cindy Egan & Carol Brownfield, Colorado USA
15 nights touring Madrid, Barcelona & the Costa Brava
Dear Alfonso,
Our trip was absolutely wonderful. Thanks so much for making the best arrangements. The hotels you chose were well located, comfortable, clean, and attractive. We thanked you many times as we traveled around your beautiful, friendly, unique country. We put 1400 kilometers on our little Toyota Corolla. You would have laughed watching us drive (my first time in 20 years driving a manual transmission car). We learned a lot about Spanish street signs, one-way streets, traffic, traffic circles, speed, drivers' gestures, etc.
Please forward this email to your boss and tell him how grateful we are for making our trip the best it could be and for keeping the cost affordable for us. We will highly recommend you to anyone who asks us about our trip to Spain.
2005/07/28 Robert Goodwin, Woburn Sands UK
5 night tour of Extremadure, Castilla & Leon and Galicia
My wife and I have just returned from our happy holiday to Spain (and Portugal). All the arrangements you made were excellent: the hotels were comfortable and in the right part of the various towns, so that it was easy to visit the sights. We were particularly impressed by AC Hotels, with the Palacio de San Esteban in Salamanca being our
favourite. The view from our room to the two cathedrals was
magnificent. The paperwork and guides you provided were also most
helpful.
Thank you once more for all your work. We hope to visit again,
although probably not for about another three years, when we will
certainly be in touch. Meanwhile, we are recommending you to all our
friends.
2005/08/23 John Harwood, Durham UK
Two weeks in the Basque Country & Cantabria
Just a short note to express my thanks for the arrangements you made for my wife and I for our stay in Northern Spain.
Property TBC14 was ideal both in location and accommodation and Amia was the perfect hostess. The two days in the Parador at Limpias was the icing on the cake. Everything proceeded smoothly and the maps etc you provided were excellent especially the translation sheets for the food. All in all a brilliant two weeks. Thanks again
2005/10/30 Claudia Whitehead, New York USA
10 nights touring the Basque Country
We so much enjoyed our trip to Spain. You were extremely helpful and have an excellent knowledge of the region. Thank you very much or all of the wonderful arrangements and recommendations. We plan to go to Valencia for the America's Cup sail race and will contact you then. I will highly recommend you to any and all my friends planning a trip to Spain.
2005/11/05 Leo Martin, York UK
11 nights touring Extremadura & Andalusia
Just a few lines to say thank you very much for the holiday recommendation you gave us. The Paradors, and hotels you recommended were top class and couldn't be faulted in any way. The places we went to and visited were "real Spain" as we were looking to experience. From the winding narrow streets of Carmona, the Ocean views and lovely shops of Cadiz, the country side and towns of Extremadura, numerous lovely churches, Roman remains at Merida to the Palace and Cathedral at Seville.
The organisation for each place we stayed, collecting the hire car and everything else went perfectly. Your paperwork, maps and leaflets were also of great assistance in making our stay go as smoothly as possible.
Thanks again for providing us with such a lovely holiday and we are in the process of recommending you and your company to our friends as they ask how our holiday went .
2006/10/07 Tere and Michael Ludlow, NV USA
Customised Tour of Northern Spain
Belen, You are the best! In another of my many lives, I was a travel agent in the USA for many years, 1984-1996. I did leisure and corporate travel. Therefore, I can with some authority say you made our trip.
You are the expert and our trip was absolutely perfect. You did not make the weather great but you could have been blamed, so take the compliment on even the weather.
The accommodations and the upgrade in Santiago was such a nice surprise. Please let me know if I can ever be of any help to you.
2006/12/05 Joanne Michener, PA USA
Special Group trip to Murcia
Working with Belen from "Totally Spain" was such a positive experience. I was very nervous using an agency from "the internet", located in Spain, but a trip that a group of us were planning to the small town of Murcia Spain for the World Roller Skating Competition wasn't going well.
Between the language barrier, and the inaccuracies on some of the "discount travel sites" we definitely needed some help. Belen and Totally Spain were GREAT! She responded right away and took a lot of time to be sure that the hotels she was recommending were in the right part of the city to be close to the event. She even helped us communicate when we ran into difficulty getting tickets from the arena.
The prompt responses, attention to detail (there was even a package of info waiting for us in the hotel), and the professionalism were excellent. I would highly recommend this agency and especially Belen to anyone wanting a great experience in the beautiful country of Spain.
2007/07/02 Connie Wright, Texas USA
Customised vacation to Basque Country, Cantabria & Madrid
Dear Ana
Not sure I ever thanked you for all your help with our trip to Spain this summer. Every recommendation was incredible and the maps were worth their weight in gold. I am sick they slid out of my suitcase when returning home. I just got back from Spain yesterday and could have used them for a trip to Girona and the Pyrenees. I have told many friends about your services. All of your recommendations were fantastic, especially the farm house near Santander. The Senora who runs the inn is a very dear lady and the food there was excellent.
2007/07/28 Tony Boobier & family Maidstone, UK
11 nt tour Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca, Leon, Comillas
Dear Ana
Just a brief note to say that we had a terrific time. We successfully collected all the documentation from the hotel in Madrid, and everything went just fine. We didn't spend much time in the hotel in Madrid, so the location was the most important thing (as you said) , and managed to visit the flea market on Sunday morning which was an experience.
The hotel in Segovia was delightful, Salamanca was stunning, one full day in Leon was probably enough and Comillas was ok despite the rain! We travelled to Comillas through the Picos de Europa, which in difficult weather was slightly nerve racking, but made for some excellent memories. So no complaints whatsoever.
Thanks for putting this together for us so quickly and at short notice. We'll definately recommend your service and use it again.
Kind regards Tony Boobier
2007/09/30 Roberto Porto, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Tailor made tour featuring Barcelona, Zaragoza, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santillana, Gijon, A Coruna, Santiago, Vigo, Salamanca & Madrid
Dear Olaia
Just a few notes to say thank you. I deeply enjoyed dealing with Totally Spain, and especially you. From the very beginning I was impressed by your prompt, professional, and pleasant way of dealing with our plans, our changes of mind. The cities you picked for us, the hotel reservations, and all the informations regarding the places we were about to visit were outstanding. Santillana del Mar - recommended by you - was a beautiful surprise. We regretted not having more days to spend there. The hotel in Santiago de Compostela was, maybe, the only hotel, we felt, did not stand up to par with the others, but its location made up for its lack of comfort in the rooms. Once again, thank you for your assistance. I hope to do business with you again in the future.
2007/10/09 Gerald Brunworth, Texas USA
Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona with day excursions from each place
Olaia
We returned Saturday from our trip to Spain and are grateful to you for your suggestions, scheduling and planning. Our trip went very well. Your choice of hotels was excellent. Above all, they were exceptionally clean and well kept. We were very favorably impressed. The other thing we appreciated about your hotel choices for us was their location. The Hotel El Prado in Madrid was located a short two blocks from a delightful plaza which we enjoyed each night we were there. What a delight. The Hotel Sorolla in Valencia was also well located for walking access to many places we wanted to visit. The Cotursa Rosello Hotel in Barcelona was probably the nicest and certainly the largest of the three and also located where we could make our way to the tour stops and sights in the city center. Excellent choices. THANK YOU!
I was surprised by the relative reasonable cost of taxis and this information would have been helpful. Obviously we were able to walk from the train to the hotel in Valencia and we took a taxi in Barcelona. Our tours to Segovia and Avila - Toledo - El Escorial and Valle De Los Caidos - the Monastery of Montserrat .. all were excellent. The guides we had were excellent. While their English was sometimes difficult to understand...they worked to make themselves clear and did a very good job. The tours were very interesting and helpful to us in understanding the history of Spain. Would suggest that you let visitors know about the Turistic buses in Valencia and Barcelona (did not use them in Madrid - probably because we saw so much on the three tours). These were excellent for getting to know the basic layout of the city and also excellent transportation (because of the locations of hotels you selected).
We always felt safe in the areas we traveled ... even late at night. The accompanying materials you sent were also helpful. You and your agency did an excellent job for us and we are grateful. Please feel free to use our comments above in any way you wish. If we travel to Spain in the future, we will be in contact.
Thank you once again your efforts for us are appreciated.
Barb and Jerry Brunworth Sue and Jim Rader
2007/10/09 Nancy & Eric Frease San Rafael, California
14 nt tour Barcelona, Andalusia & Madrid
Dear Ken
Eric and I just returned from a wonderful two weeks in Spain, and wanted to express our pleasure and gratitude for the thoughtfully orchestrated and well paced trip you designed for us. Everything went off smoothly and without a hitch - no lost luggage or missed flights.
We liked having lodging in the middle of the cities we visited, which made sightseeing very easy. Ronda was a particular highlight; we had a spectacular room right over the gorge.
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend your agency to friends or use your services again ourselves. Thanks again.
2007/10/13 Kathi Haugh, Wisconsin USA
Madrid, Toledo, Chinchon, Siguenza & Javea
What an amazing vacation we had! ALL of the paradores you recommended were wonderful! Our favorites where Siguenza, Toledo and Javea. Everything was perfect! We really enjoyed the GPS and just traveling around the country. Everyone asked us how did we ever plan such a great trip, it was not the usual tourist itinerary. We always told them Totally Spain! What a beautiful country, amazing scenery, culture, history and people.
2007/11/01 Victoria Watson, Redlands California
Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada
Dear Olaia
We liked Spain very much. We covered so much, we still can't decide what we like the best! We loved the hotel in Sevilla - Las Casas del Rey de Baeza, they couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating, and the hotel in Madrid was very nicely located. Madrid is a beautiful city, and so lively! As you arranged for us, our car was delivered to us in Sevilla.
We loved Granada and the Alhambra-I got teary just looking at it. The concierge at the Marriott in Marbella was from Granada and suggested a restaurant there for our night's stay-El Huerte de Juan Ranas. She said we could see the Alhambra from there. My first look at the Alhambra was from a table at a window right across from it. It was so breathtaking, seeing it all lit up like that. I almost started crying.
Ronda was beautiful as well. I have so many stories-what an adventure. Thanks again for all your help.
2008/01/21 Robert & Janet King, Montreal Canada
10 day Paradores tour of Andalusia
Dear Ken
Many, many thanks for the most amazingly organized trip! We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Andalusia - it is a lovely area with so many exciting places to visit, charming people and delicious food and drink (not to mention the lovely weather, especially compared to the horrible winter we are experiencing this winter in Canada, with record snowfalls and cold temperatures).
And we were very impressed at how smoothly all the arrangements worked. I was a bit hesitant at organizing such a holiday over the internet with a company about which I knew nothing, but I should not have worried. Everything was organized in the best possible manner, and I was especially impressed by the envelope for each stop, with concise tourist information and lots of brichures. I shall highly recommend your company to anybody I know who will be visiting that area. Thank you so much.
2008/02/22 Rebecca Srole, Sleepy Hollow, New York
7nt tour of Andalusia with private guides and flamenco performance
Dear Olaia
I meant to email you sooner. We got back last Friday nite and had such a great time! I wish I was still there. Hotels were wonderful, side trips and sights wonderful, food wonderful and people pretty great, too!
Thanks for all your help. I have already recommended your company to several people
