34 days in Spain - suggestions and changes :)

10 months. Does that mean your trip is in February? It would be helpful to know when you plan to go and what your main interests are. Have you been to Spain before? Have you driven in Europe before? Are you planning to have the car while you're in Barcelona and/or Madrid?

The Gaudi sights in Barcelona and the Alhambra are the only sights I can think of offhand that require much advance booking. You can watch the Alhambra website a couple months in advance to see how bookings are going - it generally shows how many tickets are left for each time slot each day. The Gaudi sights probably only need to be booked a few weeks in advance, maybe less especially in off-season.

I haven't plotted out your route but it does seem to zigzag a bit. Have you looked at google maps or similar for driving times? Do add extra time to them - for traffic, for wrong turns (it happens even with good GPS), city traffic and parking.

Thank you so much for the response.
I plan on the end of Feb thru beginning of April.
No I haven't driven in Europe. I drive a right hand stick drive(India) and intend to definitely use an automatic there.
Yup have checked gmaps. :) And planned a few extra hours. Almost natural when you are from this part of the world.
I have the vehicle in Madrid and i pick it up when I start for Figueres.
The path is barcelona , Zaragoza through rioja to Bilbao and then south along the costa del Sol Granada Valencia and then ending in Madrid.

Thank you again for the Booking details.

My area of knowledge:

Barcelona 5 days --> to Figueres --> drive the same evening to Zaragoza --- > Spend 2 days at Zaragoza (TOO MUCH, NOTHING MUCH TO SEE THERE REALLY)-- > to Haro (LAGUARDIA WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION TO VISIT)- > and Vitoria Gasteiz --> Spend the night here (OK, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT´S ON THE WAY TO BILBAO) and the next afternoon drive to Bilbao --> 2 days in Bilbao (ARE YOU SKIPPING SAN SEBASTIAN?)--> to Salamanca(should i visit Altamira caves? (YOU DON´T VISIT THE REAL CAVES, JUST A (BAD) REPLICA AND A MUSEUM, I´D VISIT EL CASTILLO AND LAS MONEDAS CAVES, REALLY INTERESTING CAVE ART).

It would be really helpful to know at what time of the year you are planning to visit.

If it is between November and March (inclusive), I would not go all the way to Bilbao. I would start in Barcelona, go to Figueras and Cadaqués if you want (I assume you are interested because of Dalí?), then take the train to Madrid, and rent a car for your "loop" towards Salamanca, then south towards Andalucía (with Extremadura on the way), and head north towards Madrid through the "Quixote lands" as you call them. Skipping Cartagena and Valencia, which are interesting places but would require a lot of travel time.

I assume all references to "days" really mean "nights", right? So you'll have only about 1-1/2 days in Zaragoza, which doesn't seem so excessive to me. Just spending one night there would give you only a few hours.

I see two glaring omissions: Seville and Cordoba. For me (and I think for almost everyone) they are a lot more interesting than several places on your list. Places I think you could consider trimming in order to fit in Seville and Cordoba are Jerez, Murcia, Cartagena, Tarifa and Malaga.

I'm pleased that you're planning chunks of time in Barcelona and Madrid. I think you've got one night more than you need in Granada (some people would say two extra nights). There's considerably more to do there than just visiting the Alhambra (which is a large, time-consuming sight), but it doesn't have as much to see as Seville.

If your trip in in the winter, I'd recommend holding off on the Basque Country for reasons of iffy weather. It's often coolish and damp there even in the summer.

Toledo and Segovia are both very worthwhile--among Spain's top destinations. Toledo in particular can easily justify two nights or even three.

There are segments of your trip that would be much faster by rail than by car, so I suggest that you revisit your transportation plan after you finish tweaking your itinerary. Barcelona-Figueres-Zaragoza requires a total of about 3-1/2 stress-free hours by train and over 6 hours by car. Valencia to Madrid would also be a lot faster by train: 1 hr. 40 min. vs. 3 hr. 40 min. In addition, parking, navigating and traffic difficulties are likely to increase the actual driving time, and the cost of parking and fuel will be significant.

Thank you so so much everyone.
The trip is basically for the entirety of March.
I really really wanted to see Basque country. So would it be terrible to visit?
I am sorry i do have cordoba as a day trip.
About the car , :) i would really like to drive through , i do understand the complications. However I am using it to go from point a-b. I would use local transportation when in the cities.

Cáceres is a decade old dream so I would love to add that ! Thank you.

The Neolithic caves ! -- yes please . I also read that the entire castille la Mancha area is filled with dolmens and caves. :) Thank you for that great tip. Will just exclude the museum at Altamira.
I will try to replan the Sevilla leg of the journey :))

@acraven - I enthusiastically agree re: Sevilla and Cordoba; I've just returned from two weeks in Sevilla (where I attended a Spanish program) and it has soared to the top of my list of my see/stay/experience cities. BTW, one night and two days were sufficient for Granada.

I've written before on this Forum of my preference/passion for traveling via car so I won't repeat myself but Spain is a BIG country and the flexibility of driving far out weighs the some of the negatives.

Enjoy the planning and wishing you safe travels.

"I really really wanted to see Basque country. So would it be terrible to visit?"

Well, this is a rainy area but while it´s pouring down in southern Spain at present, here in the north we are enjoying a lovely sunny, warm weather. It´s green, mountainous, beautiful landscapes, green rolling hills and rocky mountains, with quaint fishing towns on the coast and medieval villages inland. Of course, I´m biased as I´m Basque, but weather in winter is really mild in temperatures (average will be around 12 to 14º C (high 50s-low 60s), with frequent episodes of south wind that rise temperatures to the 70s in November and December. Unpredictable weather, it may be sunny for two days in a row and rainy for another three...or rain in the morning and sunny afternoon, you never know! (it´s probably our preferred topic of conversation!!).

Regarding caves, if you really want to see magnificent thousands year old cave art, the caves in Cantabria region are spectacular (El Castillo, Las Monedas, Covalanas, Cullalvera, Hornos de la Peña...caves are a must!!)

Tito Bustillo at Ribadesella has fantastic cave art. You should definitely see real cave art and not a replica. Google spain cave art there are several options.

I disagree that Zaragoza has nothing of interest. In several ways, the city encapsulates the history of Spain. There are the Moorish Aljaferia Palace (later headquarters for Los Reyes Catolicos), a heavily pedestrianized old center with many Art Nouveau buildings, and the extensive Roman ruins (Zaragoza named for Caesar Augustus). I found the presentation and accompanying museum one if the best I’ve seen in all of Europe. There is also the Cathedral, a famous pilgrimage site. (Not my kind of thing, but maybe yours).
We also discovered what maybe one of the most unusual attractions we’ve encountered in all our travels, a museum of origami. As improbable as it sounds, Zaragoza is an workd center for origami, and hosts international contests. The museum is really quite interesting.
3 days in Salamanca, on the other hand, seems excessive, as does 5 in Granada. Besides the Alhambra, what do you plan to do there?

You may be right with Zaragoza...for those of us living up here in the north, Zaragoza is kind in the middle of nowhere and we find not many reasons to get there. But it´s true that the Basilica of El Pilar and the nearby pedestrian area is interesting. Still, one night would be more than enough. Agree also with your opinion of Granada...one or maybe two nights and that´s it: the Alhambra, they Albaycin quarter and the so interesting tea bars...and the amazing enormous tapas they offer in every bar!

I agree with the posters who suggest adding Cordoba and Seville to your itinerary. They are very important cities historically and culturally, and they are also beautiful cities. Seville has the Alcazar, which is amazing, beautiful and right up there with the Alhambra, IMO. Cordoba boasts the Mezquite, a cathedral within a Mosque. And both cities have other important and lovely sites, and they are also gorgeous places for wandering and exploring. I would spend a minimum of 4 nights in Seville and a minimum of 2 nights in Cordoba.

Thank You so so much.
This has been extremely helpful.
So is this a more balanced itinerary?
4 days Barcelona
Figueres and drive to zaragoza - spend the night
1 day at Haro/La guardia
1or 2 Days at Bilbao
2 or 3 days in San Sebastian
Drive to Salamanca
2 days in Salamanca
1 day in Caceres
4 Days in Sevilla with a day in Cordoba
Maybe head to Jerez for some tasting and then to Malaga
3 days in Malaga
Try to do the Caminito del rey
3 days in Granada
3 days in Valencia
6 or 7 days in Madrid - includes a day trip to Toledo and Segovia and my 2 match days (or nights)

I list below sights in Granada other than the Alhambra and the Albaicin, from notes prepared for my 2019 trip; the list isn't prioritized.

• Basilica of San Juan de Dios (unbelievably over-the top baroque church)
• Hospital of San Juan de Dios (2 impressive patios)
• Monasterio de San Jeronimo (Spanish Renaissance with two-tiered cloister and 18th-century frescoes)
• Cathedral (most importantly the Capilla Real; sacristy has a Botticelli)
• Palacio de la Madraza (now part of university, with 14th-century Moorish prayer hall)
• Corral del Carbon (galleried courtyard from Moorish era, now government offices)
• Iglesia de Santa Ana (16th-century brick church, Mudejar with elegant Plateresque coffered ceiling)
• Real Cancilleria (beautiful arcaded patio and stalactite ceiling)
• Casa de los Tiros / Museum of Arts and Traditions (16th-century house with 19th-century art and decorative art)
• Carrera del Darro (road along river passing fine facades. Bars at top end have fine Alhambra views)
• Museo Arqueologico (in Renaissance mansion)
• El Banuelo (11th-century Moorish baths)
• Casa de Zafra (interpretation center for Albaicin)
• Casa Horno del Oro (old Moorish house)
• Palacio de Dar al-Horra
• Colegiata del Salvador (magnificent patio with horseshoe arches, church with reconstructed Moorish ceiling and small museum with beautiful religious paintings and sculptures)
• Plaza Charca (charming, with flower-laden houses)
• Sunset view from Plaza San Nicolas and/or from Calle Cruz de Quiros, above Calle Elvira
• Carmen-Museo Max Moreau (painter’s home)
• Casa de Porras (magnificent Renaissance-Mudejar wooden building, now part of university)
• Sacromonte (best seen on a group tour; Lonely Planet 2018 said it's unsafe for solo women. Highly commercialized flamenco shows)
• Sacromonte Abbey
• Casa del Chapiz
• Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo
• Rodriguez Acosta Foundation (gardens and good art collection, ancient to modern)
• Carmen de los Martires (gardens)
• Silla del Moro (hillside castle ruins, views)
• La Cartuja (flamboyant Churringueresque Carthusian monastery, greatest baroque monument in Granada; altar like ''motionless architectural earthquake"; doors inlaid with mother of pearl, ivory, ebony, tortoiseshell)
• Calle San Matias and neighboring streets(historical Jewish quarter now a foodie district)

This looks pretty good.

It's not a good plan to try to go to Segovia and Toledo the same day; I hope that's not what you're intending.

There's more to see in Bilbao than in San Sebastian, aside from the pretty beach. It's not that I think you have too much time in San Sebastian (maybe you want to do a lot of pintxo-bar hopping), but that one day (minus travel time) would be a bit short for Bilbao to me. But I do like art. In case you need side-trips from San Sebastian, I'd recommend Hondarribia or Zumaia/Getaria/Zarautz.

"1or 2 Days at Bilbao
2 or 3 days in San Sebastian"

Not that much to see or do in San Sebastian, I´d switch the order and spend more time in Bilbao (the pintxos and food scene is practically identical to San Sebastian, as it is all over the Basque Country), where there are more things to do or see. In SS I back previous poster´s suggestion on visiting Hondarribia, Getaria, Zumaia...along the coastal road. In Bilbao there´s a beautiful old quarter, not only the Guggenheim museum, and it´s a city with quite a few things to enjoy. And the outskirts.

Thank you so much again!
Yup i would like art over resort!
Perfect!!!! Switching the number of days and definitely doing the villages :D
Thank you Thank you Thank you!! every one

I realize that your long itinerary may elicit an infinity of different opinions, but I do have to offer an alternative to an earlier comment: "Nothing much to see there [in Zaragoza]." I admit I haven't been there since 2009, but then I found quite a lot to see, including two (maybe three ) Goya museums, a quaint historic center, several ancient Roman ruins, a 1000-year-old Moorish castle (with some post-reconquest restorations), distinctive "Mudejar" architecture, and more: and it's generally a pleasant city to be in. I easily spent at least three complete (non-travel) days there, perhaps more.
I realize that if you're one of those tourists whose aim is to check off items in one of those "100-Fabulous-Tourist-Spectacles-To-See-Before-You-Die" lists, you may not find any of them in Zaragoza. But then, you also won't find any of them in many other great cities and destinations.