14+- days in Spain then travel to Provence in May 2019

Madrid 5 nights (day trip to Segovia and Toledo)
Train to Seville
Seville 4 nights
Fly or drive Seville to Barcelona
Barcelona 5 nights
Train from Barcelona to Nimes Avignon or Aix en Provence (or if you can afford the cost of renting a car and dropping it off in another country drive to Provence).

You need a guide book.

I think you might want to research places and share your interests. I was just in Madrid. It's a lively fun city, but it depends on what you like. If you are not an art museum person, you might be happy with just a few days. I will also recommend Toledo and Segovia for daytrips. For me, Barcelona and actually the surrounding area as well, are remarkable and I could probably spend at least 10 days there. On my recent trip we spent a lot of time in Andalusia. We loved it. But again, planning an itinerary is so very personal. Sevilla is a big, big city. But, we spent most of our time in the Jewish quarter and in the Triana neighborhood. Granada and Cordoba are much smaller. I liked the Alhambra in Granada, but in terms of the city itself, we absolutely loved Cordoba.We spent a lot of time just strolling along the river and in the Jewish quarter. So many patios and flowers! But, that's my thing, it may not be yours. In addition to a guidebook, I'd recommend watching RS's Spain shows. They are on this website. Maybe you'll decide to spend all your time in Madrid (with day trips) and Catalonia. Spain, is wonderful, but huge so you will want to set some priorities.

I wouldn't drive from Seville to Barcelona. It's 600 miles and the AVE trains make the run in as little as 5 hr. 30 min.

The best Itinerary depends on your interests and your travel style. Some folks are happy with a day or two in a city and moving on, don't mind changing hotels every night or two. Others prefer a more in-depth experience. There is enough to fill 14+ weeks in Spain and May sounds like a great time to visit, lots of daylight and not yet summer heat.

You should plan to take the train from Barcelona to your first destination in France and rent a car there. Drop-off charges in another country are often several hundred euros.

Have you been to Europe before?

A kinda ‘best of’ itinerary with 16 nights ...

Day
1. Arrive Madrid (4 nts)
2. Madrid
3. Day to Toledo
4. Day to Segovia
5. Train to Sevilla (4 nts)
6. Sevilla
7. Day to Cordoba for the Mezquita
8. Sevilla
9. Pick up car. Drive to Ronda (2 nts)
10. Day to Pueblos Blancos
11. Drive to Granada (2 nts)
12. Visit Alhambra
13. Fly to Barcelona (4 nts)
14. Barcelona
15. Barcelona
16. Barcelona
17. Train to Nimes for Provence

Thank you for the great suggestions. Looks like starting in Madrid makes sense, then head South and then take a train or drive north to Barcelona. If we rent a car in Madrid and return to Barcelona are their big fees? Open to other ideas. We love museums and architectural sites...but also love to roam the local sites. Not crazy about taking buses; love the freedom of a car. We have traveled extensively in Italy, and a bit in France, but never been tomSpain.

If you will enjoy the "road trip", go for it. Otherwise, when I planned my trip to Spain I noticed that the trains were considerable faster than car travel, and that doesn't even count stopping for gas, getting lost, etc.

Yes, along the Barcelona-Madrid-Cordoba-Seville rail line the trains are much, much faster than driving. When you start venturing to Granada, you have a different situation. You can compare approximate driving times (ViaMichelin.com) to train times (Deutsche Bahn website) to see what you think. ViaMichelin doesn't allow for stopping, getting lost, finding parking, picking up the car or returning the car. And you can pack a picnic and eat on the train, which it's hard for the driver to do in a car. Aside from Ronda and the white villages, and getting from that area to Granada, I suspect the car wouldn't be helpful.

acraven would you suggest driving to Ronda from Granada or Seviila? Thanks!

Ronda is closer to Granada