hkto

I am in Spain now and CC is taken anywhere so need for cash is small. Some businesses have minimum for CC but very few. Had lots of CC transactions and not a single reject. For ATM look for same sign as one on your card (eg Cirrus)

Sorry for confusion, to me Muelle Heredia is center (may south of it). Main station near Zambrano rail station is not. But they are not that far apart. IMHO Torremolinos beach is not worth the trip especially if time is short. 

Not on the beach topic trip to Mijas on M112 is interesting but probably needs at least 4 hr time commitment

Malaquetta beach is in Malaga proper and in walking distance from dock. This year chair/umbrella rental was 10€. For other Costa del Sol beaches some kind of transport is needed. Torremolinos is 30 min by M121 bus from center of Malaga (not bus station)

Alcazaba in Malaga is not even comparable to Alcazar in Seville. Nothing in common. It's just old fortification. Malaga has a castle Gibralfaro on top of the hill but it's not in the same league as Alcazar

I don't think there is a need for Montserrat tour. Tickets are sold with different options and just for monastery visit half day is enough, more if using on site funiculars  and hiking. There are 2 ways to get there from train station: aeri and funicular depending on purchased ticket. Aeri station is first from Barcelona.

https://www.fgc.cat/en/fgc-network/tourism-mountain-ticket/#1546245978419-591e24b3-ec11

Stick to regular taxis. Cabify is not great option for visitors and I don't even know where pick up is in the airport but definitely not in taxi rank. Most municipal governments  in Spain are not friends with ride share services. And unlike US drivers are licensed and therefore prices are not that different from taxis. At least in Barcelona it's possible to complain about dishonest drivers so most are honest and drive with meter on.

Weather in late November is pleasant in Seville, low to mid 20s C. I don't think that tour is necessary as most attraction are easy to visit. Alcazar and Cathedral are next to each other and Plaza Espana/Maria Luisa park is may be 15 -20 min walk from there. I doubt that guided tour goes anywhere else. Also Alcazar has paid guides and also audio guide.

See my previous reply.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2666393-bilbao-on-our-own/?do=findComment&comment=57694593

There is bus, metro and taxi that should be in 25€ ballpark. Also cruise company may run paid shuttle. I don't find Guggenheim worth visiting, exterior is more interesting. Old town is about 15 min walk from Guggenheim.

CASP74 has good reviews. Gran Via is safe however park behind Arc De Triomf is full of homeless and other certain shady characters so I would avoid at night. Barcelona Nord bus station is pickpocket magnet but just the station.

Anywhere in Eixample except near Arc De Triomf and Barcelona Nord bus station is fine. Going north of Diagonal is ok too. I would prefer any normal residential area to Ramblas which noisy, crowded and full of pickpockets. 

Most hotels near BCN are not exactly close, 3 miles or more from the terminal. City center is reasonably close in 25-30 min by taxi. Taxis run 24/7. Renfe runs till 11:30pm, metro little bit longer. 

Can try this one http://www.barcelonairporthotel.com/en but large room or suite is usually poor value compared to 2 separate rooms. The one above has suites

Yes tap is accepted wider in Europe than in the US however it's a setup function. So one card may work and the other will not on the same terminal. Rules are defined by type of card and amount. For example, local card will more likely have a higher limit for tap then the foreign one or foreign one will not tap at all. Here my MC elite has $200 tap limit at Costco and $100 anywhere else

Businesses don't care whether payment is authorized by tap or pin. Payment providers setup rules and as a precaution most foreign cards are declined on tap but usually authorized with PIN. Even here in Canada certain local cards fail tap with one provider but work fine with the other. Most gas pumps are setup to deny taps. So it all depends.

Most places take CCs. However pay attention to idiocynracies of credit card terminals. Some ask to convert currency which is a ripoff (always choose €) and others ask for some extra input before pin entry (1 in Portugal). Tap will not likely work for foreign cards.

If buying train tickets buy RT as it's cheaper than 2 OW. Santa Justa is about 30 min walk. San Bernardo is closer but not by much. Buy Alcazar tickets in advance online (for 1€ extra) but they are timed. Live lineup can be long especially in the middle of the day. Cathedral lines are short.

100 series buses go to Palma Nova. Takes around 30 min and fare in 3€ ballpark. Most go via waterfront not far from cruise dock. Can check info here

 https://www.tib.org/en/web/ctm/autobus/seccio/100

Port of Gijon is about 4-5 miles from city center. Closest beach to center is Poniente. Arbeyal is smaller and closer to port but probably too far to walk, 30-40 min. Another beach is San Lorenzo which is the biggest and is the main city beach.

Most consumer electronic adapters (phone, laptop, electic toothbrushes, etc) are dual voltage which is marked on it (110-240). Small appliances like hair dryers, irons, battery charger, etc are more likely not but some can be.

If going in the summer Gijon has nice beach

For $40 it must a Cadillac of adapters. Any EU to NA plug adapter from Dollar store (see image below) is ok. Costs around $1. Their true cost is around 20c

There is a direct bus http://siu.ctmam.ctan.es/es/movil/horarios_lineas_tabla.php?lang=en&linea=3

More frequent buses need transfer in Torremolinos

Logistics are different for each place, no one fits single formula. For private apartments booked through Airbnb rules are set by owner. So more likely you'll negotiate check in and out time with them. Some more progressive owners have electronic lock with pass code. It's necessary to have working cell for messages and unfortunately BCN airport it's not a good place to get local SIM card. For corporate run apartments there is some one to check in but not late (may be up to 8-9pm). If doing lots of cooking look for places near supermarket. They are mapped by Google maps (e.g. Mercadona near Barcelona, Spain). It's always possible to do one shopping and get can take cab back from supermarket. Everything is closed on Sunday except small shops. Personal preference is Eixample. Not as noisy and crowded as Ramblas/Barri Gothic but central and has excellent restaurants and shops.

Also can check out branded stores like Vialis http://www.vialis.es/en Picolinos or Fluchos. All high quality Spanish brands. 

http://bizkaitaxi.eus/en/