Spain at a Slower Pace: The Best of Barcelona and Madrid

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on May 9, 2025

Meet the group at Meliá Madrid Serrano in Madrid

Start of Trip:  3:00 p.m. hotel check-in followed by Orientation at the program hotel followed by Welcome Dinner.

Getting to the site: An arrival transfer is organized for all participants who purchased an air inclusive program and arrive on the group arrival date. Transfer vehicles vary by group. Program Only Participants (POPs) or participants who are arriving early must make their own way to the hotel in Madrid. Taxis are readily available at each arrival terminal. Participants should take the official Madrid white taxi with red stripe, located at the taxi ranks outside of the terminal buildings. Taxis will cost a fixed rate of 30€ from the airport to downtown Madrid. Avoid unsolicited cab rides which may be offered inside the terminal building. Taxis generally accept credit and debit cards. Uber is widely available in both Madrid and Barcelona

Getting to the site by train or bus: Inter-city trains and buses to/from Barcelona are available to/from most Spanish and other European cities.

Your trip ends on: Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Barcelona at Catalonia Eixample 1864

End of Trip: 10:30 a.m. after breakfast. 11:00 a.m. hotel check-out. Airport transfers beginning at approximately 4:00 a.m.

Getting to the airport: A departure transfer is organized for all participants who purchased an air inclusive program and depart on the group departure date. Transfer vehicles vary by group. Program Only Participants (POPs) or participants who are departing late must make their own way to the Barcelona-El Prat airport. Taxis are approximately 30-40€, sometimes more depending on traffic. Official taxis in Barcelona are black and yellow.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.