3 peaceful nights solo between Lisbon and Seville in December, no car

Know nothing about Elvas, Ronda is not really "between" Lisbon and Seville. We are traveling between the two cities this spring, and have chosen a few nights in Tavira, not far from the border, but along the Southern route, Tavira is just off the coast.

We daytripped to Tavira 3-4 years ago, and based on that, thought it was worth a stay. Good seafood and restaurants, I did a search for spas, which turned up mainly salons and massage places.

Thanks for your advice Yes, I know to get to Ronda I'd probably have to go through Seville first, or else travel south to the Algarve first. My friend had recommended Ronda, though, and one idea was to see some of the coast on the bus ride from Lisbon. It would be a very long bus ride though, with multiple changes.

I'm not sure whether you realize you won't be able to get from Lisbon even to Seville purely by train. One option is to take the train to Faro on the Algarve and then get a bus to Seville. Another option would be to fly from Lisbon to Seville. You could do the latter and spend your solo days in Cordoba (closer/quicker) or Cadiz. I don't think Ronda has enough to do for three days without a car, even in the summer. But by the time you get there, you'd be down to not much more than two days anyway. Although I like Ronda, to me it's a secondary destination.

The train to Faro, bus to Seville, stay in Cordoba or Cadiz is definitely worth looking into. Also, my friend and I plan to spend only one night in Seville, so while I've been aiming for a town rather than a city, it may make more sense to get to know Seville and spend less time moving around. The friend I'm meeting in Seville is Spanish likes to drive, and we are going on to Carmona and Antequera & thereabouts, so maybe we can swing by Ronda when I'm with her. It's helpful to know Ronda isn't a good 3-day destination. Has anyone been to Elvas? I can post on the Portugual forum for that.

Cadiz has been mentioned, but keep in mind that buses (the only real option) from Faro, or Tavira that I mentioned, also require going through Seville in order to get to Cadiz.

In general, transport from Portugal to Spain is a frustrating exercise. No easy fast trains, few coordinated connections, so you may suffer a long wait at a transfer or need to change bus/train stations within a town, it can get confusing.

Heavens, yes. One day in Seville is grossly inadequate. Spend some of your extra time there! You could spend all of your extra time there and not run out of things to see.

I just replied to your post on the Portugal forum. Now that I see your itinerary, I would recommend spending time in Cordoba. It's my favorite Spanish city with lots of sights, one a major must-see (Mezquita) and many low-key sights that are interesting and rarely (ever?) crowded. And it has a quiet, romantic atmosphere in the evenings. Elvas seems so remote, I suspect you'd use up too much time in traveling there and back.

OK, thanks everyone, it will probably be Seville for the extra nights, but I am open to advice about places to stay in Cordoba, especially if they have a gym!