Zaragoza

Zaragoza is a major Spanish city that most tourists skip, which keeps prices low and crowds thin. The Basilica del Pilar and the riverside square in front of it are free to wander, the old town is walkable, and the tapas scene around El Tubo lets you eat well for a few euros a plate. It sits midway between Madrid and Barcelona on the high-speed rail line, so a stopover costs little extra time. Spring and autumn are the comfortable seasons here, since the summer heat on the Aragon plain is fierce.