Totally Spain Customer testimonials

Hi, Belen!

I wanted to send you a personal thank you for such an incredible trip. We had such a fantastic time. Really appreciate the hard work and thought you put in each step of the way! I enjoyed each city very much— for different reasons, as each had their unique highlights and character. We sincerely appreciated the wonderful accommodations and assistance with transportation. Every effort was made to ensure we were comfortable- right down to the train tickets and the wonderful hotel selections. The hotels were great and we appreciated your careful consideration to the part of town. We were able to get many steps in exploring each city to the max with the time we had and the help of your map! Truly appreciated the information you provided on each location. We felt we saw everything we hoped to see in each city, between the tours and our free time! The guides were fantastic— especially Adriana in Sevilla and our guide for the good tour in Lisbon. We learned so much! I came home so happy with the entire trip and the whole experience and can't wait to explore more! You did such a fantastic job and thought of every detail. Everything went so smoothly and I would definitely recommend you and Totally Spain to all planning to visit. Really can't say enough and am so appreciative and grateful!
 
Thank you so much!!

See also Lindsay's review in Google Reviews.

Belen was fantastic to work with from day one. She made every effort to put together the perfect itinerary based on getting to know our travel plans and preferences. Every detail was thought of— well paced itinerary with a great mix of guided tours and free time, wonderful accommodations in great locations, and seamless travel accommodations between the cities we visited. The selected guides were fabulous. The guides were fabulous and we saw so much in a compact visit! Belen truly thought of everything and was so kind and caring! Will reach out again for future travel and definitely recommend to others!!

We returned home last night from our trip. What can I say but WOW WOW WOW!!!

Every city we visited was absolutely wonderful in its own way. Lisbon, Porto, Madrid and Barcelona. Not to mention the trips to Sintra, Vinho Verde, Toledo and Girona.

All of our guides were just wonderful, Elsa in Lisbon and Sintra. Lucia in Porto and Vinho Verde, Carmen in Madrid, Alejandra in Toledo, Angel in Barcelona and Cristina in Girona. We felt as though we made new friends of them all! We couldn't have asked for any better.

The drivers who did the transfers and assisted the guides were all professional and friendly as well.

The hotels were great, a mix of the traditional in Lisbon and Madrid and the modern in Porto and Barcelona. They all accommodated our specific room and bed requests. The location of the hotels was great for getting around and having restaurants, shopping and attractions nearby.

All of the tickets were perfect in detail and we experienced no issues whatsoever, with the exception of the tapas tour in Madrid, which was entirely MY fault (I thought I read a 630p meeting time, not 6p, but it was all taken care of and a great time was had!).

We couldn't have had a better time visiting these 2 wonderful and different countries.

If we ever return to your part of the world I will definitely use you and Totally Spain for the bookings. Thank you Belen for having the patience to work with me during the entire process. You listened to our input and designed a trip full of memories that we will cherish for a lifetime.

Re-produced from our Google Reviews

Totally Spain is once again honoured to have been awarded Spain´s Leading Tour Company at the 30th World Travel Awards held on 29 September 2023 at the Sheraton Batumi Georgia, an award we also won in 2022.

World Travel Awards™ - the Oscars of the tourism industry - was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards™ brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

The attention to detail and thoroughness is unmatched to other companies! The hotels were in safe centrally located areas and Belen made it a stress free trip with all of the prep (maps, city guides, transportation arrangements, etc). I highly recommend this company and would gladly use them in the future!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

SECOND TRIP WITH TOTALLY SPAIN

We used them back in 2007 for a Spain trip, and then in 2023 for Portugal. Belen is extremely detail oriented and responsive, and took the time to get clear on what it was we were looking for. In addition to managing all the itinerary, she was very helpful little things like emailing us the name of our driver the night before our pickup, or setting up a restaurant reservation for us when we weren't able to figure out how to contact them ourselves. We had positive experiences with all of the hotels, drivers and guides chosen. This agency takes the time to really get to know all the properties and services, so you can be confident you will have a good match for what you want. Highly recommended!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

We (two couples) just returned from a two-week trip to Spain planned and organized through Totally Spain. They took care of booking hotels and trains, private transfers to and from airports and train stations, guides, and hotels. Everything was expertly prepared for convenience and efficiency and communication with them was always quick and helpful. We were able to customize our itinerary to reflect our interests and by coincidence we met other clients of Totally Spain and they had tours that were just as unique as ours. I would recommend them without hesitation to any family or friends planning a vacation in Spain.

Re-produced from our Google Reviews

Belen at Totally Spain created the perfect holiday for us. She was completely responsive to our requests and guided us to better decisions as well. The hotels, activities and guides were all first rate. I can’t wait to start planning our next trip with Totally Spain.

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

I reached out to Totally Spain for help planning a trip to northern Portugal for five retired American women, all experienced travelers. The accommodations and itinerary Totally Spain arranged for us were top-notch. Their attention to detail and the wealth of information they provided us made for a memorable experience. I highly recommend Totally Spain and look forward to working with them on future trips to the Iberian Peninsula.

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

Four of us have recently returned from a ten day trip to Spain, staying in Madrid, Segovia, Avila, Salamanca, Plasencia, Toledo and Alcala de Henares. This is the second year running that we have used Totally Spain and, once again, we were so impressed with the care and attention that had gone into the planning and all the wealth of support materials we received. The itinerary was perfect and we stayed in superb accommodation. We can’t thank you enough.

Re-Produced from our Google Reviews. 

SECOND TRIP WITH TOTALLY SPAIN

Thank you, Belen and Totally Spain for organizing an amazing Camino walk and month long trip through Portugal - excellent service; great information about places of interest, every pickup on time, choice of hotels and tickets to trains etc. well thought out and our guides only the best. This is our second tour using Totally Spain, and we'll use them again!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews

Totally Spain deserves more than five stars for the superior job and attention to detail that they did for us. We began working with Belen in 2019 who put together a magnificent trip to Madrid, Castilla-Leon, Extremadura and Galicia for my photographer husband and me. When CoVid destroyed that plan, the firm was able to arrange refunds for all our on-the-ground and to hold aside a credit for the costs of developing our programmed trip to this year -- even though they did not have to do so after three years!

At first, my husband wanted to go to Andalucia and leave Galicia out of the picture. Belen did all the work to put together that itinerary. Then less than 90 days before leaving, he changed his mind and decided Galicia would be better after all. Belen reworked two of the three weeks we had put together and re-arranged things. In 2020, we were going to rent a car and drive ourselves around. Now, my husband can no longer drive so we required drivers to move us from place to place. Not only did Belen find them, she also had people meet us at the airport and at key train stations to smooth our travels. We had left two days with nothing planned in Galicia... but no, the shutterbug decided we needed to get a driver to take us out on those days too. No problem! Belen found us a company to drive us those two days as well.

Lastly, when our outbound flights fell victim to mechanical failures and we lost an entire day of our trip, Belen contacted the drivers and hotel to inform them of that fact, and provided us with the paperwork to make a claim on the parts of our trip that had been affected by that loss of time.

We had a phenomenal experience, saw so many things that we never would have known to look for had Belen not been so astute and careful in making our trip perfect despite all the glitches. We are already working out the details for how to finish those things we missed next year! You cannot find a more knowledgeable, careful, honest and responsible team to plan your trip to Spain!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

My husband and I are very seasoned discerning travelers. We used Totally Spain to book a 3 week trip through Spain and Portugal. They did an amazing job - we wouldn’t have changed anything! They had private transport for travel between cities, has us stay the perfect amount of time in each city. Chose the perfect room in great hotels. The guides they hired were unbelievably knowledgeable and passionate. I can’t recommend them enough!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews. 

Loved working with Belen and the Totally Spain team, which planned a trip for eight of us September 2023.  The professionalism and attention to every detail of the Totally Spain team made a great vacation extraordinary.  There was not a single hiccup in any of their arrangements over the course of the vacation. Drivers showed up on time, guides met us where they were to meet us, hotels were booked as requested, tickets were in place for tours allowing us to get the VIP treatment. Food tours were exquisite.
We are grateful for the quality of the drivers and guides Totally Spain employed on our behalf. We were extremely happy with all of them. Their detailed knowledge, friendly style made our time with them very memorable.
I would highly recommend Totally Spain to anyone who wants a top-notch, fun, stress free vacation to Spain.

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

When we were looking to plan a trip to Spain, we didn't want to be stuck on a bus with a tour, so we contacted Totally Spain to help us plan our trip. Ken handled everything, which made our trip stress free. All the hotels, tours and transportation he booked for us were great! We would never have been able to plan it on our own. I highly recommend Totally Spain!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews.

Dear Belen

Mary, Art, and I do not have enough words to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the amazing trip you prepared for us!

Before we even left home, you were such a pleasure to work with. The amazingly detailed itinerary was flawless and so helpful!

We absolutely loved the guides we had. They offered an endless supply of knowledge, and were so enthusiastic to share that knowledge with us! It was so interesting to see how what we learned from one was built upon by another as the history of Spain unfolded at each stop.

The drivers were all so nice, prompt, courteous, and professional!

The special experiences were lots of fun and we are going to attempt to make the paella and gazpacho for our families!!

We also loved the hotels you chose. They were very centrally located with very nice rooms, staff, and the included breakfasts were delicious.

 When walking through Barcelona, we passed a place (maybe a travel agency?) with a sign that said something like, "travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer".

Thank you for enriching us with an understanding of the history and culture of Spain, and with wonderful memories of a great experience! We truly appreciate it!

 Rebecca, Art and Mary (7899)

Hi Belen,

We got home yesterday with no issues. I wanted to thank you for all the coordination you did for our trip. Everything was seamless, and because of that we were able to enjoy each place with no worries about anything other than deciding where to explore in our downtime. We really appreciate you and again thank you for putting this all together for us.

Paul and Josh (7919)

Good afternoon, Belen, I want to express our appreciation for the wonderful trip you organized and booked for us.
Everything went so smoothly, from the beautiful hotels, the courteous and punctual transfers drivers, the knowledgeable tour guides, the train tickets. The written instructions you provided were so easy to follow made our trip magical and one that we will cherish and have beautiful memories of.
Those special people you contract for services were true professionals!
It left us with the desire to see more of your beautiful country.

Direct Email received 09 September 2023.

See also this client's Google Review

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

It was an absolute pleasure working with Belen from Totally Spain to plan our unforgettable family vacation to Portugal recently. Belen had previously helped us plan a trip to Spain last Dec (which I thought could not be outdone - but I was wrong). Our recent trip to Portugal was planned with absolute perfection. It exceeded our expectations in every way.

She was an excellent communicator throughout the entire planning process. Prompt in responses to our questions, concerns, and requests. She took the time to understand our family's preferences and interests, and as a result, every aspect of our trip felt tailor-made to suit our needs.

She skillfully combined must-see tourist attractions with off-the-beaten-path gems, giving us a comprehensive and authentic experience of Portugal. Our days were filled with a variety of activities that kept everyone engaged and excited.
Every small aspect, from transportation logistics to reservations, and having tickets for monuments and sites in advance was meticulously arranged. This level of care eliminated any stress and allowed us to focus solely on enjoying our time together as a family.

Additionally, every tour guide and driver we had were people we thoroughly enjoyed and connected very well with - they were even great with my 2 daughters (ages 10 and 7)!

If you're looking for a dedicated, knowledgeable, and personable travel agent to plan your next adventure, we wholeheartedly recommend Totally Spain. Thank you Belen, for giving us memories that will last a lifetime! We can't wait to plan our next trip with you!

Re-produced from our Google Reviews

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

We recently had a 2 week holiday in Spain (mainly Andalucia) organised by Ken at Totally Spain. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Ken organised everything - the hotels, cars, guides, restaurants, flamenco, cooking classes - whatever we wanted. The planning process was easy too. Ken made suggestions and recommendations to areas we might have otherwise overlooked and very quickly pin-pointed our needs, budget and peculiarities! He always responded very promptly and particularly recommended private car transfers which I have to say was fantastic. It takes away all the stress of hiring your own car hire and driving in cities unfamiliar to you with all the rules and regulations. Maybe a little more expensive but definitely the way to go. We also had our own guides in pretty much all the cities we visited which is extremely beneficial as you get a sense of the history and go places you wouldn't otherwise go to. They always met us at our various hotels. Plus they will make recommendations on restaurants or anything specific you're looking for. All our guides were without fail excellent, speaking very good English and went out of their way to help. The private cars were always on time and provided water and sweets which were very welcome.
The whole holiday was seamless and Ken was always ready to help during the trip if and when we needed him.  Overall an excellent experience and we would definitely use Totally Spain again, Thank you to everyone involved in the planning! :)

Reproduced from our Google Reviews

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

We were so lucky my sister met Ken from Totally Spain on one her trips to Spain to walk the Camino. When we decided to come all the way from sunny Perth Western Australia she insisted we make contact with Ken and our wonderful visit began to be planned. Our initial wish list of destinations ( chosen from the map ) was too ambitious and Ken skilfully guided us to an itinerary that better matched our timing. From the first airport pickup to the last airport drop off (and train stations in between) our drivers were skilful, spoke good English, and didn’t miss a beat. There were punctual and reliable which was a great benefit. Our Tour Guides were something else. Their suggestions were spot on and their care and attention to our needs was second to none. We could not be happier with our Totally Spain experience and thoroughly recommend Ken and his wonderful team to anybody looking for a fully personalised and expertly curated tour of Spain & Portugal.
Richard from Perth WA

Reproduced from our Google Reviews

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

Belen organised the perfect itinerary for us in Andalucia well tailored to our love of art, literature, history, food and wine, nature and walking. Her attention to detail and her communication skills are outstanding. She is warm and friendly, loves her home country and wants you to love it too!!
Our hotels were fabulous in terms of their comfort, location and staff as were the private/small group tours and tour guides: we enjoyed everything from city tours and flamenco dancing to cooking and mosaic tile classes Our complicated transport arrangements could easily have gone awry but all went smoothly. We also did a lot of exploring on our own and Totally Spain's wonderful information pack came into its own.
We've travelled to Spain many times but this was the first time we've used a travel agent. It won't be the last. Belen, we'll be back. Thank you.

Reproduced from our Google Reviews

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

This is our second trip using Totally Spain and they couldn’t be happier with their service. They make everything easy and that’s what I want when I travel.
Finding hotels checking into hotels in getting hotels that are close to landmarks in Spain is something they excel at.  Travel between cities, either by car, train or by private car, is so easy and takes so much stress out of travel.  However, the pinnacle of their service is the tours they provide of the cities and gastronomic tours our one on one and exceptional. I would travel using them again and will in the future.

Reproduced from our Google Reviews

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

I researched multiple travel agencies in Europe and the USA to set up a land tour of Southern Spain and Portugal for three couples. In corresponding with the various companies, Totally Spain was the one that stood out among them all. They were responsive, suggested possible itineraries, they were located in Spain with intimate knowledge of the region and it was evident that they were capable of doing the trip first-class. After I decided to select Totally Spain to be the company to plan and organize our trip the owner, Ken Baldwin, spent numerous hours and many emails fine tuning every detail of our trip.

The trip was everything that we had hoped it would be and more. All of the time and effort in planning the trip paid off in spades. The hotels were first-class, mostly five star and the best hotel in each city we stayed. Drivers were always on time and their names and contact information were provided a least a day ahead for easy coordination. All of the guides names with contact information were likewise provided beforehand. Without exception each one of them were extremely knowledgeable about the area we were touring and if requested were flexible with their tour plans.

Our trip included numerous wineries. Most of them were relatively small in production but the quality of the wine or port was exceptional. A couple of the tours were conducted by the owners. Our itinerary also included many meals, which were mostly lunches, and not one of the restaurants was a disappointment. All of them were arguably the best in their area. Each meal was multicourse with wine, so at dinner we usually only had a light snack.

Having Ken Baldwin and the resources of Totally Spain based in Spain was a blessing several times during the trip. We were able to make changes to the planned itinerary during the trip and it was simply handled with an email or a call. It was comforting and assuring to know that support was always available no matter the time of day or night.

I give Totally Spain my highest recommendation. Their knowledge and the contacts they have developed from actually living and working in the area for many years is invaluable if you are planning a trip to Spain and Portugal.

Reproduced from our Google Reviews

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

Belen was fantastic, responsive, timely and with great suggestions. She worked with me to plan two weeks in Spain focused on Barcelona, Granada and wonderful smaller locations on the Costa Brava and farther south. Belen gave me advice for places we hadn’t considered that turned out to be our favorites (Begur, Pals, Aiguablava). The hotels she selected were perfect, especially the Paradores in Aiguablava and Ronda. The tapas tour in Barcelona was great fun and Lorea was wonderful. The private tour at the Alhambra was also amazing - be sure to request Hamdi who was so knowledgeable and engaging. Jesus Naranja in Ronda was also great as was the olive grove tour and olive oil tasting tour.

I found Totally Spain online and took a chance based on the reviews. It was the best decision I made. Will definitely use them again for a trip to Portugal.

Re-produced from our independent Google Reviews.

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

Our trip (4 family members) to Spain was perfectly planned by Belen at Totally Spain; the itinerary covered our requests, the hotels were excellent, the drivers were punctual and professional, the pace was well thought out, and the guides were delightful and passionate about their subjects. All the museum and train tickets were provided in advance and the entire trip went smoothly. Without hesitation we would use Totally Spain again.

Re-produced from our independent Google Reviews

I used Totally Spain for my trip to Spain and Portugal and it was a wonderful trip. Ken selected the hotels , restaurants , tours, guides and transportation and they were all first class. I wanted to add a tour to the trip and I emailed Ken on a Saturday and he immediately added the event. I would highly recommend Totally Spain.

Re-produced from our independent Google Reviews.

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

I trace part of my family heritage to Northern Spain and my wife and I decided to take our two teenagers to Spain this summer for a two week vacation to see some of their family history. I started trying to plan the trip myself and was lost. There is so much to see and do in Spain, I didn't know where to begin. When I reached out to Belen, she took the time to get to know what my family like and does not like to do on vacation and I felt like she truly worked with me to plan the perfect trip for everyone. She suggested places I had never thought of going (San Sebastian in the Basque Country and Llanes in Asturias) and she took care of all the logistical details that made the trip run smoothly and which I had not thought of (advanced train tickets to Toledo, rental car, and a driver from the Madrid airport to our hotel and to the train station in Madrid where we picked up our car). The accommodations she booked for us were great and kept our trip in budget. I think one of the biggest highlights of the trip for everyone was the food tour in Madrid and the pinxtos tour in San Sebastian. They were informative and included amazing food. I highly recommend Totally Spain to help you plan a trip to this amazing country, and will be reaching out to Belen again when we decide to return!

Re-produced from our independent Google Reviews.

Belen Encinas and Totally Spain created a fantastic, 12 day vacation for us in northern Portugal that included exceptional hotels, interesting cities, outstanding guided tours, and door-to-door transfer services. Totally Spain handled all the details, and this allowed us to have a completely stress-free holiday.

We will definitely use Totally Spain on our next trip to the Iberian Peninsula!

Re-produced from our independent Google Reviews.

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

The trains, planes, boats and walks are finished. All the clothes washed and put away but the wonderful thoughts and memories remain. Sandy and I are more than pleased! Totally Spain made it happen. But it was you Belen that listened, understood and incorporated the things we wanted to do and see. Without exception, the people you chose to help guide us through the travel maze were all first class! Sandy and I are grateful to have our paths cross theirs. They were people that we would enjoy sitting with, talking with and sharing a meal with.Simply put hard working,caring people. We liked them!
Sandy andI truly hope our paths will in the future cross yours again Belen!!

Thank you Ron & Sandy

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote

Having spent 18 days in Spain in May 2023, we would without reservation, highly recommend Totally Spain to anyone wanting a customized vacation in Spain. They created a great itinerary and booked accommodations, transportation, tickets and guides for excursions, in Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Ronda and Granada. Their attention to detail and communication made for a first-class experience. All the guides were exceptional, the drivers were very friendly and helpful and made place to place transfers worry-free.

Re-produced from our independent Trustindex Reviews.

Contact Totally Spain for your Custom Trip Quote