14 days in Spain - itinerary help (Barcelona, Seville, Granada & Madrid

It’s a pretty rushed plan. With 14 days you could cover about the bare minimum in those 4 cities, with no time for day trips or side trips.

You might want to plug the routes into google maps to see drive times. The distances may be greater than you assumed. Driving isn’t cheap in Spain, between rental, gas, tolls, and parking. Trains are the better option, except Barcelona to Sevilla, which most people fly.

Thanks Scudder. I forgot to add the itinerary which I have added now.

You mean to say Barcelona, Seville, Granada and Madrid is not doable in the given time?

Whether or not they're 'doable' really depends on how you like to travel. Get to each city and check off sights like a to-do list, you've got plenty of time. But wander, savor, and get to know the feeling of a place—I'd say your plan moves too quickly to allow that.

A recommendation: Unless you have already made arrangements, fly from Barcelona to GRANADA. Then take train or bus from Granada to SEVILLE. Finally, take a train from Seville to MADRID. That travel order will cost less and have shorter trips. If you check a site such as Rome2Rio, you may find that you travel longer than you expect, having less time for sight-seeing. There is more than enough sights in your planned stops to occupy ALL of your time, especially with kids. If you feel compelled to take a day trip, take the train from Madrid-Atocha station to Toledo and return. Taxis in Spain are generally cheap IF you set the price beforehand or take a metered cab. Bus travel is convenient in all of the cities. We have observed that the drivers and passengers are very helpful. Metro use in Barcelona & Madrid often requires long underground walks with stairs (there are elevators if they work) between stations. Having a car means finding parking - ugh! If the kids or adults get fussy, there are frequent ice cream, gelato or candy stores - let them diet at home.

Are Costa Brava, Valencia, Toledo & Pamplona worth a visit? Is yes,
then should we spend a night in each or make a base in one of the big
cities and do a day trip?

These places are all worth visiting, but your schedule isn't long enough to make the drive and then spend one full day (or two nights) in each. All you will be doing is driving.

Pamplona, (in Northern Spain), is a 4 hour + drive from Madrid. NOT A DAY TRIP from Madrid or Barcelona or Granada)

Where along the Costa Brava are you thinking? It's a big place? Figueres? Cadaques? Tossa de mar? These beach towns are beautiful, but public transportation may be tough. We rented a car when we visited that area.
I suggest you spend your 3 days seeing the sights of Barcelona.

Madrid to Valencia is a 4 hour drive. Granada to Valencia is a 5 hour drive. Barcelona to Valencia by train is almost 3 hours. Driving would be 3 ½ hours.

The only one that tourists often do is Madrid to Toledo as a day trip, either by train or a bus tour. Its a full day tour.
But since you are taking the train from Granada to Madrid is 3 to 4 hours, you really only have 2 full days in Madrid. Use that time to see Madrid and see Toledo on another trip.

Thanks Larry and Derek. Got your point, will rethink about the day trips.

Can you please suggest best areas/neighbourhoods to stay in those cities. We are mostly interested in sight seeing, good food and vibrant places.

I would not do day trips from Barcelona. You only have 4 nights in Barcelona which essentially gives you 3 full days. Barcelona is a large city with lots of interesting sites so IMO you need those 3 days for Barcelona. Also, you will be getting over jet lag in Barcelona so you won't be doing too much on your arrival day. And keep in mind that with a family of 5 (including the baby) it will take you much longer to get ready in the morning and leave your accommodations. I don't think you will be out the door by 8AM.

You also mention spending a night in each of the day trips places (Costa Brava, Valencia, etc.) but you simply just don't have the time for that.

I agree with the person who suggests flying from Barcelona to Granada. Makes a much better routing.

How much do you like art? I like Madrid and it has some awesome art museums, but if you don't like art I might consider dropping one night from Madrid and adding it to Seville so you can take a day trip to Cordoba. Or spend a night in Cordoba.

Thanks knkwoo

Can the experts here suggest best areas/neighbourhoods to stay Barcelona, Seville, Granada and Madrid. We are mostly interested in sight seeing, good food and vibrant places.

I was doing some reading and shortlisted some areas/neighbourhoods to stay eg

Barcelona - L’Eixample in Barcelona seems nice. Can’t decide between this and Gracia.
Will wait for suggestions though.

Seville - can’t decide between Barrio Santa Cruz,
El Arenal or Calle Betis

Granada - Realejo

Madrid - Barrio de Salamanca

In Barcelona we stayed in the Eixample neighborhood and really enjoyed our stay there. We visited Gracia, which is lovely, too. It has more of a residential feel because families actually live here. We saw children playing in the squares, riding their bikes, etc. However, I think Eixample is more centrally located for sightseeing and restaurants.

When in Seville we did stay in the Barrio Santa Cruz area, and we liked that, too. But it is very busy, very crowded with tour groups. Sometimes we had to fight our way through the tour groups. Within walking distance of the Seville Cathedral and Alcazar.

In Madrid we stayed at the Mercure Madrid Centro on Calle Lope de Vega, which is about a 10-minute walk from the Prado, Thyssen, and Reina Sofia museums. And tons of restaurants are in the area. About a block away from Calle de Jesus with all its tapas restaurants.

In Granada the hotel we stayed at is closed permanently. But it is/was located on Carrera del Darro, at the bottom of the Albayzin. This is a narrow, one-way street that parallels the narrow Rio Darro. Just a few minutes walk from Plaza Nueva.

Love this as we are making almost the same trip in November. Is a day trip from Seville to Gilbraltor worth it?

How many nights are you spending in Seville? Is Cordoba already on your itinerary?

I've spent a lot of time in Spain (over 4 months just since 2016), and I've felt no need to go to Gibraltar. I have instead been to Cadiz, Vejer de la Frontera, Ronda, Grazalema, Carmona and Priego de Cordoba in addition to the obvious places. But we each have our own interests.

Hey Acraven,

We are planning on spending 2 nights in Seville.
What do you suggest?

Golly. 2 nights will give you only about 1-1/2 days in Seville. It's a large city with many sights. For me, 4 nights there is the minimum to see a bunch of things and absorb the local flavor. I suspect that a fair number of folks would try to squeeze a side-trip to Cordona into a 4-night stay, but I would not.

Rick lists his top sightseeing picks for major cities right on this website.

Rick's top sightseeing picks for Seville << Click on At a Glance.

There's more that Rick doesn't highlight.