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What kind of places will we stay?
- Usually in small, family-run hotels, inns or bed and
breakfasts. When we have to choose between several places, we place a higher
priority on a convienient location and a friendly atmosphere than on wall to wall carpet,
designer bath soaps, hairdryers or satellite TV. Some places may not have telephones or TV in the rooms. Most rooms will be doubles with bathrooms or small
apartments with one/two bedrooms and living room; exceptions will be shown in trip
description. These exceptions are most likely on hiking trips where a night or two might be in a dorm-style mountain refuge, or on
Adventure Trips in new areas. As exceptions on the other end of the spectrum, every now
and then, when it fits in with a good route, we may use a luxurious hotel, parador or spa.
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- What is the food like?
- Spanish cuisine does fantastic things with simple
ingredients: potato omelette, garlic soup (hot and cold!),
fish or meat stews, roast or sauteed vegetables and a variety of regional dishes
made with different kinds of beans or chickpeas with local ham or sausage. We work with our hotels to give you a mixture of
regional specialties and more familiar food, so you can sample new things or enjoy old
favorites. And if you have special food needs, we can usually accomodate them, as long as you let us know ahead of time.
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- How much should I calculate for meals that aren’t
included or extra food and beverages?
- The answer depends a lot on your own personal needs but as
a basic guideline at present exchange rate for lunch money, including a beverage, figure
about $6.00-7.00 for an ample picnic, $10.00 for a fast sitdown meal in a café, and $20-25 for a meal so hearty you'll probably want a
"siesta"! A fixed price dinner menu is usually around $25 (lunches often less)
and a nice meal can be had for $35-40. Sometimes you can get amazingly good food for a lot less (part luck, part skill) and in Madrid, Barcelona, coastal areas and nice restaurants it will often be more than prices shown here; watch the beverage and dessert as they add up fast. To give you plenty of choice, we try to plan
nights that don’t include dinners for towns with a variety of places, from basic to pretty special. For daily extras, three extra beverages and some
fruit or chocolate may run around $5-6.00
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- Why doesn’t Puente include lunches on all their
trips?
- There are two reasons. First of all, we think that everyone
has different needs at lunchtime. Some people want a sitdown lunch and others prefer a
quick sandwich or fruit. These
differences are especially important on biking trips, where the group doesn’t always travel
together; not including lunches on these trips lets everyone follow their own style
without losing out on a planned meal.
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- The second reason is that we think arranging your own lunch
is a great way to experience part of Spain many travellers don’t see. Buying your
food like a local is a great cultural experience, giving you insights you wouldn't get any
other way. If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. If you need some help,
we’ll point you in the right direction so you get what you need. And remember that on some walking or hiking trips where getting supplies may be a
problem, we DO include lunches.
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- What size are the groups?
- Groups are usually between six and fourteen people, and up to twenty on some trips. Hiking
and adventure trips have lower maximums (see trip descriptions) due to the special needs
of those trips. In spite of those maximum numbers, our groups are often under 10 people, which offers an even more personalized experience. Our small groups let us stay in those hotels off the usual tourist routes
that larger groups cannot use, and ensures better, more personal service wherever we go.
Small groups reduce the “bubble effect” of travelling surrounded by lots of
people that can keep you from seeing new things up close. On walking or hiking trips,
smaller groups are better for the environment, as well as increasing the possibility of
seeing wild animals. And we think our groups
are less intimidating to townspeople, who may hesitate to approach a group of thirty
people but will be eager for a chat if the group is smaller.
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- Do I have to stay with the group all the time during
the day?
- Bikers are free to stay with the main part of the group or
go at their own speed, using the route information provided each day. Walkers and hikers
must stay with the group, due to the difficulties of navigating in unknown territory.
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- How difficult are the routes?
- All routes are rated for difficulty in the trip
description. Most Puente trips are of moderate difficulty, not for super athletes but not
for the totally sedentary. As a general rule for both biking and walking routes, if a day
is hilly or has lots to see, the distance is shorter.
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- Biking routes usually have longer and shorter options. Walking or hiking routes may have shorter options
on the tougher days in case of bad weather, or optional strolls in the afternoon on
shorter days. For walking and hiking routes,
technical difficulties like snow or rockfields are minimal, usually only at higher
altitudes in early spring or late fall.
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- Is there a support vehicle every day?
- Luggage is delivered from one hotel to the next, unless
otherwise specified in trip description (some Adventure Trips). During the day, on biking trips the
mechanic’s - luggage van will “sweep” the route, with several pre-specified
meeting points during the day. On walking or
hiking trips, the bus may or may not be able to meet us during the day; we try for at
least one access point, especially on longer days, but that isn’t always possible. In
both cases, we recommend a small backpack to carry personal gear.
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- What kind of roads and paths will we use?
- Biking trips usually use secondary or terciary paved roads
without a lot of traffic. Sometimes the best option may be a good dirt road. On those days
we try to have a paved option in these cases for people who aren’t comfortable on
unpaved roads. Walking can be on good dirt
roads, old livestock paths, old cart and bridle paths or mountain paths. Usually the
surface is pretty good, but if you have any doubts about a route, especially if you have
feet, ankle or knee problems, please ask for more information.
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- What kind of gear do I need?
- You will receive a pre-trip packet upon registration with
information on climate and a list of suggested gear, but as a general rule if you are
already a walker or biker you probably won’t need anything new. If you'd like
to see our suggested packing list for a general idea of what you may need, please click HERE (also linked through travel tips page)
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Can you suggest some books to read?
There are lots of great books out there and everyone has different tastes. Our suggestions can be found on our Spain reading list (also linked through cultural tips page). We also suggest you browse in your local bookstore - if you find something you absolutely love please let us know!
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- What are your safety policies?
- For biking trips, we give basic safety guidelines at the
beginning of the trip, which we encourage all participants to follow. Helmets are required at all times; please bring
your own to ensure comfort and correct fit. If you don’t have one, let us know and we
can arrange rental for a small additional fee.
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- For walking and hiking trips, participants must stay with
the group, not engage in risky behaviour and follow the leader’s instructions at all times,
especially in poor weather conditions.
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- As part of our safety policy we require information from
all participants about any possible medical problems, including all pre-existing
conditions, allergies and special needs. Our
guides have first aid training to handle most emergencies that might arise during a trip.
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Could
you explain a typical day?
The most important thing to remember is that "typical
days" don't really exist. If you're curious about the basic schedule, it
would be more or less as follows:
Breakfast sometime between 8 and 9 (depending on the time
of year, route for the day and sometimes hotel schedules), loading support vehicle shortly afterwards if
changing hotels.
On biking routes, bikers can leave on their own once they
have loaded their gear onto the support vehicle, riding at their own speed following route
notes and meeting van at scheduled stops if they want.
On walking routes, the group leaves together once the
support vehicle is loaded. Some days a morning bus transfer is necessary, other days
departure is on foot. Rest stops and pacing are in accordance with the length of the walk,
terrain, weather conditions and overall group ability, but usually there will be a morning
snack stop as well as lunch, coinciding when possible with a town or with a special picnic
spot. Some days an afternoon bus transfer is necessary, other days arrival is on foot.
Normally the routes are planned to end in the late
afternoon, to give participants time to walk around town, shop, shower and relax before
dinner, though if there is a lot to see in the town route may finish earlier. Dinner
is usually between 8.30 and 9 (early for Spain!), with route review for the following day
after dinner.
Due to long gap between picnic lunch on the trail and dinner, you may
want to follow the very Spanish custom of having a snack in the mid-afternoon. If
the walk is long, we may stop on the trail so we can eat something, or may wait til we
reach town to have a coffee, beer or something else before going to the hotel.
Aside from this basic routine, nothing is typical or
routine about active travel in Spain. Every curve in a highway or a path can bring
something new. Every day is different. Be ready to be surprised.
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- How does PUENTE design the trips?
- Most of PUENTE trips
are based on favorite biking or hiking trips done in the past. Others begin with an
article in the Spanish press or a comment from biking or hiking friends. After that comes
a long period of research with maps, books, magazines and contact with organizations based
in the area being studied. Then comes the first research trip and another period for
research and finalizing the route. Often a second or third research trip is necessary --
we walk or bike as much as we can before deciding on the best options for the main route,
extensions and alternate routes for bad weather.
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- Incidentally, most of our research is
done self-contained, that's why there are some monster backpacks and saddlebags in some of
our pictures. Doing research this way is tougher but it gives us more freedom to explore
and guarantees a more enjoyable experience for you -- if we can have fun exploring with
more than 30 pounds of gear, just imagine what it's like with a support vehicle!
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Given
the new international situation, is travel in Spain safe?
If you really think
about it, travel, international or domestic, has never been 100% safe. But nothing in life
is 100% safe, starting with travel by car or accidents in the home.
What has changed
now, more than anything else, is our perception of risk, due to the tragic attacks of 2001
and new public awareness of factors we previously ignored. Perhaps the overall risk factor
has increased marginally, but travel in Spain, a European country with a good police
force and well-informed citizens, is quite safe.
As to general
safety, as always travelers need to take basic precautions to protect their valuables in
cities, but these precautions are the same as always, especially larger cities like Madrid
or Barcelona. (if you'd like some safety tips for big cities, go to our CITY SMARTS tips, also linked through travel tips page at left).
As to avoiding risks from a terrorist attack, Puente trips are usually
off the usual tourist routes and use small local establishments; these two factors,
together with our small group size and bicultural ownership, let us blend into the local
culture, reducing any minimal risk even further, and at the same time gives you a more
authentic cultural experience.
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More about
safety
