Seville Spain - how do we get there?

[Northbeach]

Gentlemen & Ladies,

I'm a U.S. 737 Captain who has a 16 year old son that has fallen in love with Flamenco Guitar. I am going to take him on a learning vacation next month to Seville Spain where he will enroll in a weeks worth of Flamenco Guitar and Spanish language lessons at a school in Seville (he is already studying Spanish at school here in the US).

I am looking for flight information from you folks who are the experts in the region. I can get to Amsterdam on Delta easily from there I am showing a 24+ layover before continuing to Madrid and then Seville. Is there anything more direct? I don't have to go to Amsterdam and could fly out of just about any major U.S. city.

Do you have any recommendations on things one should do or see in Seville after a morning of Guitar and Spanish lessons?

Gracias!

Northbeach

[Dan Dare]

You don't say where you are flying from, but Seviile has many flights from Barcelona and Madrid and not so many from the rest of Europe. These can be booked via Iberia, BA, Opodo etc. I was going to suggest Easyjet from Gatwick, but had a look and saw all the added extras (typical of our LoCos) and early flight times, so I doubt you would have a happy experience. DO NOT FLY RYANAIR.

Seville is a great town. I love to while away the week there doing nothing, but grazing Tapas bars, siestas and catching some flamenco. I expect that the instruction will include local knowledge, but I loved Casa de la Memoria (http://www.casadelamemoria.es/) for an intimate Flamenco setting - about 40 people and Flamenco by lovers of the form rather than a half-hearted tourist show.

I'm sure you'll see the Alcazar and the other standard tourist destinations. Jerez is onlly a day trip away and you can learn all you ever wanted to know about Sherry there on one or many bodega tours. If you have time Grenada (the Alhambra gives quite a different view of Islamic taste from what we normally get told) and Ronda are also well worth the effort.

I am intrigued about a combined language and flamenco course - sounds great! Would you mind posting a review?

[Northbeach]

I have received several helpful private messages as well. I am looking forward to spending some of my hard earned pilots salary giving me son a glimpse of a world he has not seen, and the opportunity to study guitar.

I found the guitar lessons online through www.golearnto.com (http://www.golearnto.com) travel/education site and will be glad to post a review when we get back.

Respectfully,

Northbeach

[zondaracer]

If you can get into Barcelona or Madrid, then catch a flight on Iberia or Vueling to Sevilla. Or if you get into Madrid, take the AVE (high speed train) down. If you fly to Amsterdam, you will have to make a connection somewhere to get to Sevilla. I´m sure that your son will enjoy it! I ended up moving to Spain from the states and don´t plan on moving back! :ok:

[N707ZS]

Can you get a flight from Amsterdam to Malaga? The drive between Malaga and Seville is quite nice. Not sure if you might be tired from the flight though.

[WetFeet]

Flights to Malaga from all over Europe, more than to Seville. Only a couple of hours drive from Malaga to Seville.

Delta used to do a direct flight from La Guardia to Malaga but I think they have stopped it. I thought it was stopped for the winter but no sign of it starting up again this summer from what I can see.

[Tableview]

Starting early April, HV (Transavia) fly direct AMS - SVQ
Day 3 HV6727 0725 1020
Day 5 HV 6729 0720 1015
Day 1 HV 6729 1700 1955

From 26 APR schedules change and there are also flights operated by VY (Vueling).

[piton]

HV (Transavia) is 100% KLM owned and also fly daily to Malaga.

[EpsilonVaz]

EasyJet fly there from London Gatwick.

[pudoc]

Use SkyScanner, put in your dep and arrival airport and it'll find you the cheapest way to get there.

[cavortingcheetah]

In the afternoon in Sevilla....

http://www.barriosantacruz.com/sevilla/cartel_toros_2012.jpg

You might also find this site helpful.

Seville Spring Fair, feria de Abril Sevilla, festivals and ferias Costa del Sol, Andalucía, Spain (http://www.andalucia.com/festival/seville-feria.htm)

[Northbeach]

Folks,

I'm overwhelmed with the wonderful suggestions. If I get half of them done it will be an incredible experience for both of us. thank you, each one, for taking the time and forwarding your suggestions!

This vacation with a learning purpose was a new idea for me. Check out the options if you are interested. www.golearnto.com (http://www.golearnto.com)

Like I mentioned this trip is for my guitar playing son. For myself I might consider a few weeks on a sailboat plying the waters of Northern Australia ramping up my meager sailing skills and learning from the pros-now that sounds like my kind of fun. Mrs. Northbeach says I can leave her at the hotel by the beach while I go get tossed around on the high sea.

So much to do................

[beachbumflyer]

And don't forget to try the ham, the jamón ibérico de bellota.

[cavortingcheetah]

Take ear plugs! In the cities, the Andalucians/Spaniards/Iberian inhabitants tend to party until 03.00 and then the dust carts come around.

[Cameronian]

I can back up zondaracer's support for the high speed train service in Spain if you fly into an airport with the connection to it. I'd book the Alvia rather than the AVE. The Alvia is just as quick, much newer and typically costs only 25% of the same journey on the AVE. I've just changed the name of the newer and cheaper train to Alvia because I'm pretty sure it was called the Avant when I last used it from Sevilla to Córdoba and I see that the price differential has come down quite a bit too - ah well.......

Sevilla is a wonderful city - though perhaps too hot in summer - and I absolutely always stay in the Hotel Macarena which is on the edge of the old town but very convenient for everything, including the station and getting in and out of Sevilla. The ham and embutidos, the cheeses and the vino de Jerez are there to be enjoyed!.

Seville Travel Guide - Seville City Guide (http://www.wordtravels.com/Cities/Spain/Seville)

Renfe (http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html) in English, I hope!

How to travel by train from London to Spain:* Madrid, Barcelona, Seville... (http://www.seat61.com/Spain.htm)

[cavortingcheetah]

Armed with this link you should be able to impress your youngster with the cosmopolitan levels of your city street wiseness.

A local's guide to Seville | Travel | guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/mar/21/seville-andalucia-readers-travel-tips?newsfeed=true)

[Northbeach]

At Sevilla now and my son busy taking Flamenco Guitar and Spanish lessons.

It has been many years since I set foot in Europe. I was impressed with the Airport at Barcelona, wow! Never has clearing customs been easier or better thought through. The first impression made by the airport and customs could not have been better. Nothing like entering the U.S. where that same experience is dreadful (I am not an America hater, quite the contrary).

The airport has huge clean open terminals with lots of natural light, many retail establishments to spend your money at and numerous places to get something to eat or drink. World class place! No airport departure announcements, the flight information is posted on the reader boards around the terminal so it is up to the passengers to keep up which I thought was a nice imporvement.

I took a Vueling flight from Barsalona to Seville and did not introduce myself to the crew. But I did glance around the flight deck, immaculate. It was evident the flight crew took pride in their work and surroundings. The A319 (I think) was old but clean, the operation ran like a fine Swiss watch.

We ended up purchasing two last minute full fare walk up tickets to Seville (bumped in EWR & could not get to Madrid which was the original plan). The seating pitch was another story however, I though the seating was very cramped. I am 6 feet tall, not so tall really, and my knees were jammed into the seat in front of me. No conditioned air for the passengers while parked at the ramp, but temperature was acceptable even though the flight was quite full. Single engine taxi (fuel savings I imagine) 2nd engine started a few minutes before our departure from 25L (if I remember correctly). Our early departure leading to an early arrival at SVA. Other than the tight quarters the Vueling flight a very pleasent experience. However I would not want to spend more than 2 hours in that seat though. We did this flight immediately following a 7+ hour flight on United from Newark.

As far as the web based booking site is concerned (golearnto.com) the jury is still out. The idea is very good, but the support is lacking. No support over the weekend and limited hours. After they take the deposit they really want you to work directly with the porviders. However they suggets travelling on a Saturday and returning on a Saturday, but are not available to facilitate over those hours.

Trying to do this on a zed ticket we got bumped in Newark and set back 24 hours. Golearnto.com was unavailable, trying to communicate with the transportation, accomodation and school providers through the language barrier (most of them only speak Spanish) over the Easter National Holiday and the 9+6 hour time zone change(West & East coast of the USA) was problematic. Nobody to respond to an email message, nobody to call. So if a person was based in Europe and spoke Spanish none of the above would be any concern. However trying to use this service from the west coast of the United States was much more problematic.

The school itself in Seville, Taller Flamenco has been wonderful. My 16 year old is taking a weeks worth of intensive Flamenco guitar and Spanish lessons. Taller Flamenco of Sevilla Spain has met or exceeded every expectaion and hope I had for a fun, excellent and positive learning experience for my son. Prior to this trip the only Spanish I heard him speak was an occasional word or two, today surprisingly about 5% of what comes out of his mouth is Spanish. I have heard more Spanish out of this kid in the last 2 days than in the previous 2 years of taking Spanish classes at his public High School back in the USA. On the first day sitting around EWR all the kid talked about was video games, now it´s all about the music and Spanish. Vast imporvement may I say!

[Northbeach]

First of all thank you Dan Dare, Cavortingcheetah, Cameronian and others who took the time to forward your wonderful recommendations.

I would have to give the online website www.golearnto.com (http://www.golearnto.com/) high marks. Part of me wants to add negative critique of golearnto.com regarding their lack of support following the initial sale. However most of my problems were self induced by my trying to fly standby; therefore in all fairness it is hard to penalize the online booking service.

However golearnto.com is not open 24 hours a day, nor are they contactable over the weekend. On the package I purchased I could not pay for the course with a credit card. That forced me to exchange dollars for euros and carry cash and in doing that I incurred additional, and in my opinion unnecessary, financial transaction fees.

Overall golearnto.com did a fine job. I would not hesitate using them again. In fact I am playing with the idea of sailing in Australia and going to Dubai for Arabic lessons; both of which are current learning/vacation options being offered. I thought it is a fascinating idea combining learning or doing what interests you in a different location; an extremely effective blend of potentially exotic vacationing and sabbatical learning opportunity.

The learning workshop of Taller Flamenco itself in Seville Spain met or exceeded every hope and expectation I had for the trip/learning experience. I would give them my highest recommendation. They work with a lot of international students and are experienced in dealing with different people who come with vastly different levels of expertise. They offer Flamenco instruction in dance, song and guitar and can adapt to whatever your level from highly qualified to raw novice. Taller Flamenco also offers Spanish language lessons; those lessons were also of excellent quality.

To the flight crew and gate agents of Iberia flight 101 on the 14th (SEV-MAD) again my greatest thanks. You folks set the standard for professional courtesy and went to tremendous lengths to get the two of us on that flight to Madrid. Thank you again; I will never forget your kindness-ever!

I was highly impressed by the domestic service offered by both Vueling and Iberia. Whoever designed the airports at Barcelona and Madrid did a masterful job on a colossal scale.

Regarding United/Continental airlines international service; to be honest I was not expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised by the amenities offered on United’s 757 flight across the Atlantic. Everything was good; atmosphere, service, entertainment system and food. It was likely an older 757 but the interior had been updated.

Regarding U.S. Customs-Immigration experience in EWR; simply awful. I can’t believe the poor way we treat the thousands of passengers every hour who make the effort to travel to our country, I hang my head in shame.

In summery the trip was wonderful; tapas, Flamenco at Casa de la Memoria and other venues and Seville – perfect!

Thank you one and all for the wonderful suggestions and recommendations.

Respectfully,

Northbeach (now a new fan of Spain and everything Spanish)

[aviadores]

and don´t forgot to visit the giralda tower, it´s a beautiful monument also the sevillanas girls are a bigger monument. I wish you have a nice holiday. Olé..!!
:D Regards

[cavortingcheetah]

It was a pleasure to pass on information on one of my favourite countries aand glad that you had a great time there. Thanks for the feedback. Many people never bother to do that and it's appreciated.
EWR is a ghastly place but not as awful as LHR. Came through MSP yesterday and it was a pleasure. From the gate to the car rental exit boom took just under an hour.
Take yourselves down to EZE and the streets of Buenos Aires next time perhaps?