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20 nights for Spain and Portugal first time.

10/14 fly to Madrid
10/15-18 Madrid (4)
10/19 train to Cadiz
10/19-20 Cadiz (2)
10/21 train to Seville
10/21-24 Seville (4)
10/25 train to Cordoba
10/25-26 Cordoba (2)
10/27 train to Granada
10/27-29 Granada (3)
10/30 fly to Porto
10/30-31 Porto (2)
11/1 train to Lisbon
11/1-3 Lisbon (3)
11/4 fly home

Posted by
492 posts

I love Portugal, but skip it this trip.
Slow down and enjoy España.
Our trip to Portugal was 21 days for: Lisboa, Coimbra, Aveiro, and Porto.
Our upcoming 23-day trip to España is: Málaga, Granada, Sevilla, Córdoba, and Madrid.

Posted by
8244 posts

Don't miss Toledo and Segovia on day trips from Madrid.
I suggest skipping Portugal for this trip, you need time to explore the amazing Douro River Valley as well as other smaller cities and towns between Porto and Lisbon. Add Barcelona instead of Portugal.

Posted by
4961 posts

What is booked?
If Lisbon outbound is already purchased, then maybe just save Porto for a future trip and put those two nights somewhere on your Spain itinerary. I would not insert a flight in there for just two days, but that's a personal preference.
Posts that are just a list like this are hard to respond to because we don't know your interests, but based on logistics that is what I would change.

Posted by
351 posts

Wow! Looks like you're gonna have a great time! Plenty of time to see stuff! (Are you sneaking a day trip to Toledo from Madrid? I don't see a stop at Ronda either-- no matter! It will be fabulous!)

Happy travels!

Posted by
65 posts

I LOVE exploring all over the Iberian peninsula, and for me Portugal is always a sweet little sister to visit after time in spicy Spain.

Okay, your trip is less than a month away, so the question is, have you made train and hotel reservations in all of these cities yet, and/or booked advance entrance tickets to popular sights like the Alhambra?

Personally, there are always times when we try to see as much as possible in as short of a time as needed, but it is also important to know WHY you want to go somewhere, what exactly you want to see and do there, and how you decide to allocate a certain amount of days to each location.

For us, visiting historic cathedrals, castles, and towns as well as museums is always a priority. We also like staying in the paradores and pousadas, which may require a car or a taxi for some of the more out-of-the way locations.

I agree with the other poster that you need to try to visit both Toledo and Segovia while in Madrid, as they are wonderful examples of medieval cities. Near Lisbon is pretty Sintra, full of palaces to tour.

You will have a very nice overview introduction to southern Spain, and although the train travel will eat into some of your touring time, you will definitely be able to learn a bit about each of these famous cities. Traveling by train should take away some of the stress about moving from place to place.

Hopefully your time in Cádiz also allows for a tiny beach break.

Take time to have a vino and tapas in a cafe, enjoy some very nice slow meals, stroll around at sunset (paseo), and be mesmerized by all of the amazing art and architecture you will encounter. Make sure to learn some words in both Spanish and Portuguese, and try to see how the languages are similar and yet different, the same as many of the traditions and creations in the two countries.

Buen viaje!

Posted by
1700 posts

I agree about saving Portugal for another trip and spending all of your time in Spain. This way you could spend those 5 nights in Barcelona if you are interested.

Or spend 2 nights in Toledo and a couple nights in Malaga which is a very interesting city that is underrated. Or add a night to Cadiz since you are going that far.

Have you made your airline reservations yet? Hotel reservations?