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La Granja Visit with TM – cash entrances.
El Escorial Visit with local guide who pays entrances.
· Call or text Escorial guide the day before to confirm.
· Entrances to Escorial are paid by the guide.
· This is a full day and timing can be tricky. Please convey that to your group leaders and ask that they help you with group logistics to stay on time.
· Please check in advance to make sure the entrance time on your voucher will enable you to make all the visits today. If not, please call the Area Office.
· Please make sure everyone in your group has their whispers sets before heading out on sightseeing ( and that you have the microphone/s for the local guide) .
For Route March, visit: www.mappy.com www.viamichelin.com
La Granja – visit
Remind your group to leave their backpacks on the bus – checking them in takes up a lot of time.
Have the driver drop you off near Hotel Roma and then walk your group up Plaza España (gardens) to the palace. On arrival you can arrange a guided tour for your group free of charge. Most tours are in Spanish, however English speaking guides are available. Therefore, it is always a good idea to call on the morning of your visit to let them know you are coming. If you have a Spanish speaking guide, ask them to give a more simplified visit, as you will be required to translate for your group.
La Granja is best known for being an imitation of the Palace of Versailles, depending on the interests of your group you might want to spend more time in the gardens, where there are 26 fountains, than the palace itself.
After visiting the palace give group free time in gardens. Continue to El Escorial.
El Escorial – visit
Remind your group to leave their backpacks on the bus
The bus drop off and pick up point is the bus station. Take your group up the ramps and make a left on Calle San Juan this curves around to become Calle Juan Leyva. Take the second street on your left – Calle San Francisco, which will lead you down to a dead end that is covered in ivy. Walk under the ivy and down the stairs and turn right. The Hotel Florida is just up the street on your right-hand side. Meet you guide there. If you arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled meeting time, allow the group to use the bathrooms in the lobby of the hotel (more bathroom’s downstairs). Please introduce yourself to the hotel staff at reception. Meet your guide and walk over to the Palace together. The guide will go in one entrance to pay for tickets and will direct you to another entrance where he will meet you just after the second security check point. The tour takes approx. 1.5 hours, and includes Royal apartments, the library and the Mausoleum. After the visit, allow time for toilets at Hotel Florida).
A – Hotel Florida – Meeting place with guide & bathrooms
B – Bus Drop Off/Pick Up point (there is a ramp from the bus station
up to Calle San Juan, which is faster and a bit nicer than the
road)
Continue to Cuenca.