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15 days in Spain (Madrid,Toledo,Seguvia,Barcelona, Tarragona,Seville,Ronda,Granada,and Cordoba)

Folks,
I am planning a 15-day trip to Spain in April/May of next year. Does the following Itinerary make sense? I would love to get your comments and feedback if possible. Thanks!

Jack

Flying out from US on April 21

Madrid April 22, 23, 24 and 25 with two side-trips to Toledo and Segovia

April 26 Early AM AVE train from Madrid to Barcelona

Barcelona April 26, 27 and 28 with 1/2 day trip to Tarragona

April 29 Early AM AVE train from Barcelona to Seville

Seville April 29, 30 and May 1

Ronda May 2 early morning Train/bus to Ronda for 1/2 day and then evening train/bus to Granada

Granada May 2, 3 and 4

May 5 Early AM train from Granada to Cordoba

Cordoba May 5 and 1/2 day May 6

May 6 Evening AVE train from Cordoba to Madrid ., Sleep near airport.

May 7 fly home

Posted by
2417 posts

Quick comments: do you have to fly out of the same city you arrive in? If so, so be it, but if not, consider an open jaw itinerary.
Also, it seems a little too ambitious to be able to get more than a cursory look at the highlights in each location -- is that what you're after, or would you consider reducing the number of changes of location?
• first time in Granada can be done quicker, especially if you think a half day in Ronda or Tarragona is enough.

We need to know more about your priorities among sightseeing, museums, cultural events, etc. before we can give more advice.
I like museums and ruins a lot, for instance, so I'm going to want plenty of time in them, and almost zero time strolling the main shopping districts. Other people want to stroll and shop and dicker a lot. Still others want to attend choir or services at the churches, and so on, so we need a sense of what you care about.

Posted by
5187 posts

Jack,

I counted 15 nights which translates to 14 full days to visit your desired destinations.
IMO your itinerary is too rushed with too many destinations.
I'd suggest skipping Barcelona on this trip & allocating those 3 nights to one of your other destinations.

If it were me, I'd do something like this:

Arrive Madrid >> AVE to Córdoba (3 Nights= 2 full days) >> train or bus to Granada (3 N), train or bus to Ronda (1N) >> bus to Sevilla (4N) >> AVE to Madrid (4N)

Keep in mind that each time you relocate, you will lose at least half of that travel day.

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
26833 posts

You've got arguably the top Spanish destinations there. The schedule's a bit pushed for me but may be ideal for you. These are my thoughts:

  • On April 22 you're likely to be so jet-lagged you'll be in a fog, so you really have only one day in Madrid. If you have little to no interest in the art museums, that will probably be enough time. I think most tourists find Madrid outside the art museums (and perhaps the Palacio Real) rather less engaging than the other major cities you plan to visit.

  • Your early train departures may not look like a great idea when your dinner is served at 11 PM the night before. They eat very, very late in Spain. Maybe have your main meal at lunch on those days! Be care about any trips out of Atocha. It's a potentially confusing station, and for some express trains you line up (albeit briefly) to have your luggage scanned before you can go down to the platform.

  • I suggest taking time out from Barcelona to go to Tarragona only if you have a special interest in antiquities and little interest in Barcelona's modernista architecture. There is just so much to see in Barcelona. I am doubtful, too, that the Tarragona trip will be just half a day. The transportation time alone is over 2 hours. Unless you're staying right at Sants Station, you'll have to leave your hotel well in advance of the train's departure time. It's not a particularly complicated station, but it's also not small. Then you'll have a bit of walking to do in Tarragona. And are you really just going to see the theatre and nothing else?

  • Someone else will need to comment on whether you have planned the best order for the four Andalucía stops; I haven't been there recently. I assume you know that you need to go to the bus station in Ronda to find left-luggage lockers (according to the info I'm seeing online).

Overall comments:

You could save a bit of backtracking if you flew into Barcelona and out of one of the Andalucian airports (or vice versa), but I'm assuming you already have your plane ticket. To avoid one hotel change, you might consider going straight from Madrid to either Barcelona or Andalucía on your arrival day and ending in Madrid since you must be there for your flight home. You'll likely be fog-bound on April 22 anyway, so spending hours on the train would probably be a good use of your time. It might be risky to buy a non-refundable bargain train ticket, though, since you wouldn't be sure when you'd get to the train station.

I hate cold weather, and all tourists hate extreme heat, so I'd prefer to go with the odds and visit Andalucía first when making a mid-spring trip. You can take a look at temperature averages on Wikipedia and/or day-by-day actual weather stats for recent years on wunderground.com.

Some of the sites you'll probably want to visit are subject to sell-outs or long ticket lines. Consult a recent guide book or two to figure out which places need advance planning. Number 1 is the Alhambra, which books up very, very early, leaving you no option but to buy an expensive tour--assuming those are not also sold out. There are a number of Barcelona sites that benefit from pre-booking, though I haven't heard of total sell-outs far in advance. Let us know what's on your list and people with recent experience in Barcelona can tell you what they observed.

Posted by
7175 posts

For me, your time works better like this, assuming arrival and departure thru Madrid is set.

April 22
Arrive Madrid
Train to Cordoba - 1 night

April 23
Train to Seville - 3 nights

April 26
Train to Ronda - 1 night

April 27
Train to Granada - 2 nights

April 29
Fly to Barcelona - 4 nights
Day trip to Tarragona

May 3
Train to Madrid - 4 nights
Day trips to Toledo and Segovia

May 7
Fly home from Madrid

Posted by
15560 posts

David has come up with an excellent itinerary to include all the places you listed. It is very fast-paced, which is fine if that's your style. It has the advantage of having all the 1 and 2-nighters in the first week and less hectic second week. Still, for many of us, it would be too fast. Keep in mind that a 2-hour train ride takes a lot longer than 2 hours. You have to pack/unpack, get to/from train stations, and take into account traffic delays and enough time at the train station to find your train, go through security and board. While security is less stringent than at airports, there can be lines. All bags and parcels and coats/jackets have to be scanned. You may need time to get oriented to each new place to find your way around and use the public transport system. All that means in reality you won't have as much time for sightseeing as it looks like on paper.

May 1 is a holiday in much of Europe. Check what's going on in the city you plan to be in on that day. Train schedules may be affected and trains may be more crowded than usual. Also there are lots of spring festivals, especially in Andalucia. Feria in Sevilla and Jerez, Patios in Cordoba. RS has a list here but you'll have to check for exact dates. Visiting a town during a festival can be a very special experience, but it does mean high prices and many more tourists.

If you don't have air tickets yet, best to fly open-jaw into Madrid and out of Barcelona, or vice versa.

If you aren't staying overnight in Ronda, it's a long journey for just a few hours there. The best plan is to rent a car from Sevilla and drive through the hills, stopping in Arcos, overnight in Ronda, then possibly stopping in Antequera on the way to Granada and dropping the car there. If you can't stay overnight in Ronda, save it for your next visit.

2 nights is enough for most people to see the highlights of Granada.

Toledo is better as an overnight because it gets so many daytrippers from Madrid. On the other hand, Cordoba is an easy day trip from Sevilla. I would consider altering David's plan to spend your first night (maybe 2) in Toledo, then train to Sevilla for 4 nights with a day trip to Cordoba. Cordoba is my favorite Spanish city and I think it's particularly charming in the evenings - much more so than Sevilla. Still, how much time you spend there depends on what your interests are and how many other places you plan to visit.

Lastly, if you can't fly open-jaw, I agree with Priscilla, save Barcelona for another trip. BTW, I was underwhelmed by the Roman ruins of Tarragona and it's a hike to the sights from the train station (not difficult but time-consuming).

Almost forgot - read this excellent article about Spanish trains.

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you so much everyone! I briefly glanced through your comments and I will pore over them a bit later today in more detail. I have already identified a few changes I want to make. I really appreciate it.

Jack

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you very much for your feedback! My wife and I have decided to travel to Barcelona some other time, possibly combining it with a trip to the Basque region. We are comfortable with driving in Europe and we have driven extensively in Germany, Austria, Italy and Czech Republic in the past so the following itinerary is basically a drive option. Here is my first cut at it. I have taken your feedback into account and for that, I am thankful to you! This is still work in progress. I have tried to minimize the driving distances and spread them apart as much as I can but I may have to make a few more changes.

Oakland Friday April 21 Fly to Madrid

Saturday April 22 Rent a car at the airport and drive to Segovia 92km, 01hr25
Segovia overnight April 22

Sunday April 23 Drive to Salamanca 171km, 02hr15
Salamanca overnight April 23

Monday April 24 Drive to Caceres 208km, 02hr25
Caceres overnight April 24

Tuesday April 25 Drive to Seville 263km, 02hr50
Seville overnight April 25, 26,and 27

Friday April 28 AM Drive to Ronda 127km, 02h20 (or stop in Arcos if possible, adds 51km)
Ronda overnight, April 28

Saturday April 29 Drive to Granada 180km, 02h45 (stop in Antequera if possible)

Granada overnight April 29, 30 and May 1 Note: May 1 is Labor Day
Tuesday May 2 Drive to Cordoba 203km, 02hr30
Cordoba overnight May 2 Note: Cruses de mayo festival
Wednesday May 3 Drive to Toledo 343km, 03hr15
Toledo overnight May 3

Thursday May 4 Drive to Madrid 74km, 01hr10
Madrid overnight May 4, 5 and 6
Sunday May 7 Fly home

Posted by
26833 posts

I don't know that you'll have any extra time since you'll want to cover the medieval core of Cáceres, but if you do, your route from Cáceres to Seville takes you right past Mérida, known for its Roman ruins..

Posted by
7175 posts

What you propose looks about right, imho...
Segovia -1N
Salamanca -1N
Caceres -1N
Sevilla -3N
Ronda -1N
Granada -3N
Córdoba -1N
Toledo -1N
Madrid -3N

A few ideas...
1. Noting the Alhambra opens on May 1st, I would look at 2 nights in Ronda and then just 2 nights in Granada. This would allow a stop in Jerez/Arcos en route from Sevilla to Ronda, and also a day excursion from Ronda to Zahara and Grazalema.
2. Consider using the train Madrid > Segovia > Salamanca where the links are fast and frequent. You will not require a car while concentrating on these historic city centres where parking can be difficult.
3. In a similar vein you could drop a car in Córdoba, take the AVE to Madrid, and visit Toledo from there.
4. So I would hire a car for ...
Salamanca > Caceres > Sevilla, and
Sevilla > Ronda > Granada > Córdoba.
I don't see the point of paying for a car and it's parking space on days you will not have need for it.

Posted by
26833 posts

Considering this some more, I'm not sure those first few days are going to work well. All those one-night stops at the beginning of your trip, when you'll likely be jet-lagged. They're all nice places, but to me there are too many of them. I think Salamanca's historic district is the most spread out and time-consuming to visit (haven't confirmed that by checking maps). To me it was not as distinctive as the other two, so I'd suggest skipping it so you don't wear yourself out before you even get to Andalucía.

If seeing the university is a major reason for visiting Salamanca, check online the day before your visit to see whether there's any indication tourist visits will not be possible. That happens sometimes--I assume because of special events--and I experienced that problem in 2015. Unfortunately, even the tourist office wasn't aware of the planned closure, but I imagine such schedule anomalies are sometimes announced in advance.

Posted by
9 posts

David and Acraven, thank you very much for taking time and reviewing my itinerary! I appreciate it very much.

Posted by
9 posts

David and Acraven, thank you very much for taking time and reviewing my itinerary! I appreciate it very much.

Posted by
4535 posts

I think it is good to drop one of your major destinations (Barcelona) but what you gain from that is somewhat offset by adding lots of time in a car. That can sometimes be good and fun, but I suspect it will be fairly boring and at times stressful. A car is excellent for exploring a region like the White Hills, but kind of a waste to use to commute between Madrid and Andalucia. Cars are not helpful at all in most of the towns and cities you will be visiting and you will struggle to find parking or a hotel with parking. Consider renting a car in Sevilla and dropping it off in Grenada, spending a few days in between exploring the region. Use the high-speed AVE for the rest.

Since you've traveled to Europe before, I assume you know how you respond to jet lag (especially from CA). It seems rather hurried at the beginning but if you know it won't bother you, then ok.

Posted by
1520 posts

Jack,
I am asking you to consider your trip from a different perspective, "How many hours each day do anticipate having to use in actually enjoying each destination?"
Slow down you move too fast, you got to make the moment last.
Now add some time, create some memories.
Make this a wonderful journey and not just a trip.
Safe travels!

Posted by
15560 posts

Ronda is a lovely place and worth at least 1/2 day of sightseeing. So is Arcos. With only one night. So is Antequera. With only one night between Sevilla and Granada, I don't think you really have time for all three, and certainly not time to enjoy the scenic drive, stopping in the pullouts to relish the view and pop into the quaint hill towns that dot the landscape. I don't know which site you're using for driving times, but you need to take into account that when you get to a place, you have to find parking. And Sevilla and Granada are major cities with traffic to contend with.

My suggestion - drop the car in Granada. From there, the train is faster. Cordoba may be difficult to drive through (it's a city, not a small town) and the historic center may be off-limits in part by the festival, and there's not much parking there. Unless you're hotel has on-site parking, it'd be easier to arrive by train and take a short taxi ride to the front door.

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you so much for your excellent advice! I have made numerous changes as seen below. My wife wanted to have Barcelona included so I did that even though it is only for 3 nights. I took your advice and limited the driving to Anadalusia and that way we will spend less time driving. Jet-lag is a big concern and taking a train to Barcelona after we arrive in Madrid, should help us relax a bit. We will fly from Madrid to Seville. I bought two tickets for $135 on Iberia.

April 22- May 7: Barcelona, Seville, Ronda, Granada, Cordoba, Madrid (with a side-trip to Toledo or Seguvia)

Friday April 21 Flight to Madrid, arriving Saturday AM
Saturday April 22 AVE Train To Barcelona
Barcelona overnight April 22, 23, and 24
Tuesday April 25 Fly to Seville
Seville overnight April 25, 26,and 27
Friday April 28 Rent a car and drive to Ronda (ViaMichelin: 127km, 02h20)
Ronda overnight, April 28
Saturday April 29 Drive to Granada (ViaMichelin: 180km, 02h45)
Granada overnight April 29, 30
Monday May 1 Evening drive to Cordoba (ViaMichelin: 203km, 02hr30)
Cordoba overnight May 1 and 2. Return Rental car on May 2. (Note: Crosses of May Festival in Cordoba)

Wednesday May 3 AVE Train To Madrid
Madrid overnight May 3, 4, 5 and 6 (side trip to Toledo or Seguvia)
Sunday May 7 Fly home to Oakland

Posted by
7175 posts

Your final plan looks great.
If you could fly open jaw (in to Barcelona, out of Madrid) it would be even better.
You'll have a wonderful trip. Enjoy.

(Sorry, I took the liberty to tidy up your layout so it was a bit clearer for me, and others)

Friday April 21
Depart Oakland

Saturday April 22
Arrive Madrid
AVE Train to Barcelona (3 nights)

Tuesday April 25
Fly to Seville (3 nights)

Friday April 28
Pickup Rental Car
Drive to Ronda (1 night)

Saturday April 29
Drive to Granada (2 nights)

Monday May 1
Evening drive to Cordoba (2 nights)
Return Rental Car

Wednesday May 3
AVE Train to Madrid (4 nights)
(Side trip to Toledo or Segovia)

Sunday May 7
Fly home to Oakland

Posted by
15560 posts

You won't use the car in Granada or in Cordoba. It's easier to return the car in Granada and take the train to Cordoba, then a taxi from the train station to your hotel.