Anybody on this tour yet? Would like to hear from you

I'm going on this tour too

Getting close, eh? I'm not on this trip, but the reverse one. We'll be passing each other when your tour is on the road from the French Riviera to La Spezia.

I'd be interested in what you thought of the Barcelona dinner if you go a few days prior. Truth be told, there are mixed reviews on this site (you can do a "Find" for message board mentions). It probably really depends on the person. I'm undecided.

I was unprepared for getting from the Madrid airport to the hotel when I was in Madrid in 2003. The metro (like London's Tube) is really nice:
http://www.madrid-tourist-guide.com/en/airport/madrid-a...transport.html#metro

if you're staying at the Hotel Florida Norte (I'd bet money), that looks like it's a half block NorthWest of the Principe Pio metro stop:

http://alkaspace.com/is.php?i=25569&img=madrid_hotel_to.jpg

On the metro map (plano de metro), the aeropuerto (airport) is at the N/E corner, and the stop I mentioned is on the middle-West side. I think the one-way way fare is 1 euro. Yeah. Deal.

I took a taxi and then was like, "What'd I do that for?" My group stays at that hotel when we get there at the end of the trip.

- Greg