Hello, we are spending 3 weeks in May and have most of our itinerary confirmed. However, we have 3 nights free between Granada and Barcelona that we need to fill (we deleted San Sebastián for travel reasons). I've looked at Valencia, but it's difficult to get there from Granada (especially if the train from Madrid is still out). Do you have any recommendations? (Current itinerary: Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, ________, Barcelona -- Flying into Madrid and out of Barcelona which is fixed.) We love history, small towns and beaches.
Thank you!
Posted by
5608 posts
Are the other nights changeable or do you need to keep those as is? Sevilla is missing so it would be great to add that but it would fit better earlier in the chronology. You have to pass through Madrid regardless I think. Zaragoza between Madrid and Barcelona is somewhere I have had on my list.
A nice idea might be to rent a car and go to a smaller place for a few nights just for the contrast.
Posted by
Surrey, UK
153 posts
I'd think about Malaga, which has good high speed train connections, old centre, lots of sights, museums (incl Picasso), beaches etc etc.
Posted by
new york
249 posts
If you mean the train from Madrid to Valencia, I took it last November. We spent 9 or 10 nights in Valencia and also visited Denia, which we also loved.
Posted by
State of Washington, USA
278 posts
My wife and I spent 11 nights in Spain in Sep 2023, including visiting places on your itinerary. (Seville - 3 nights, Ronda - 2, Granada - 2, Cordoba - 1, Madrid - 3). Info that might aid your planning is in our trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-spain-aug-sep-seville-ronda-granada-cordoba-madrid
Posted by
Sevilla
1310 posts
As already mentioned, Sevilla would seem to be a missing destination. It could fit in well with your southern portion.
Alternatively, you could fly from Granada to Barcelona airport, but instead of stopping immediately in the latter city, spend your extra 3 nights in another Catalan town before returning to Barcelona itself. For example, and I haven't checked the actual route, but I would guess it is fairly straightforward to go from Barcelona airport to Girona (changing bus/train in Barcelona), then catching a train back to Barcelona after 3 nights.