sorry, but i have to just add...lonely planet spain is a very poor book. i just wrote a major guide book of spain and in my research, i read in-depth several guidebooks--page by page. across the board lonely planet was off--not only in their seemingly random selection of hotel and rest. recs, but also in their choice of some truly foul destinations.
the most intriguing and well-thought out book i read, in english, was the cadogan spain, even if it is a bit cheeky at times.
if you are interested in going north (pais vasco or rioja) check out the site
www.maribelsguides.com she gives fairly concise reviews of various places. her recommendations of hotels and restaurants however, stick mainly in the upper echelons of price. she is also a pretty shoddy writer, but it is nice to be able to download and print short guides on these places.
also, check the official spain site
www.spain.info where you can plan trips following "rutas." also, certain regions have excellent websites where you can plan routes. the site for extremadura,
www.turismoextremadura.com, is quite good infowise (even though it is a bit confusing to manage). look for their "ruta de plata" for an interesting off-the-beaten path trip. the
i do agree with mark that viamichelin.es is great for generating routes, however if you want city maps, go with
www.qdq.com/contenidos/mappy/index.asp which always has consistent maps.
my book will be out in may and i'll have copies available here, if you are travelling after that date, i'll be sure to get you one.
if you are travelling beforehand and decide on where you want to go, let me know and i'll send you some specific info. also...don't forget, all the autonomous regions have offices in madrid, a visit to anyone of them will get you loads of free maps, driving routes, etc. here is a list of the offices.
tourism offices in madridgood luck and happy trails!
