I have started planning my summer holiday to Spain.

This is the the second holiday that I have planned from scratch (ie not through a travel agency). The first was our honeymoon, which was OK, but not great because I felt the responsibility of getting my husband from A to B safely. This time I only have to worry about myself, so its going to be much more relaxed: this isn’t just a holiday, its travel without caretaking.

There is a sadness that I will be alone – but and excitement for the very same reason.

I know that I wanted to leave from Southampton airport (easiest place in the world for me to fly from), which meant I’d have to fly into Barcelona.

I also knew that I wanted to finish in Madrid for a bit of a kink visit (I hear that its got one of the best kink scenes in Europe). The nearest airport to me that flies from Madrid is Gatwick, not too far from Southampton (probably get home by train via Brighton).

So its been a case of working out what an interesting, yet not too energetic itinerary might look like – I don’t have to worry about anybody else, so I can leave things as loose or make them as tight as I like, however I do have to bear in my mind that I might tire more quickly than of old thanks to the heart medication. For now, it looks something like this:

Where	Nights	Highlights / Notes	Travel / Tips
Barcelona	3	Gothic Quarter, La Rambla, Montjuïc, tapas, beach strolls, slow cafés	Arrive afternoon; first evening to settle
Tarraco (Tarragona)	3	Roman ruins, amphitheatre, old town, Mediterranean promenade, relaxed walks	Explore slowly; arrival evening free
Zaragoza	3	Basilica del Pilar, La Seo Cathedral, Roman forum, Mudéjar architecture, Ebro riverwalk	Use for café strolls, gentle wandering
Sigüenza	3	Castle/parador stay, Sigüenza Cathedral, medieval streets, hiking in surrounding foothills, photography	Afternoons for slow wandering or light hiking
Toledo	3	Toledo Cathedral, Alcázar, Mirador del Valle, artisan shops, narrow winding streets	Enjoy a slow day exploring, journaling, or café-sitting
Madrid	4	Prado Museum, Reina Sofía, Retiro Park, Royal Palace, tapas, local markets, optional day trips	4 nights provide full decompression; explore museums mid-week to avoid crowds … visit clubs in the evenings to see how Spaniards do it!

My understanding is that Spanish trains are priced to be used, so that’s how I am planning to get around (I am assuming that I can get between all these places by train – I don’t fancy buses).

And I need to have cheap accommodation – I’m hoping for an average of £50 per night (about 60E). I’ll make an exception in Madrid, if I can afford it. I do wonder how much planning and pre-booking I need to do. How much spends will I need per day? And How much exactly should I budget for travel? Whatever: I don’t need answers right now.

I am wondering whether I actually need to book up front because there’s something wonderful about making it up as I go!