4 Night Andalucia Itinerary

You'll spend way too much time in the car and have grossly insufficient time for sightseeing with that schedule; it amounts to mere hours in Cordoba and Granada.

Aside from some Roman ruins and a good archaeological museum, I found Merida really dull.

All the other places are great, but Seville is considerably larger and does call for more time. For me it's a 4-night sort of.place.

Between Seville and Cordoba a train will be much, much faster than driving even without considering the parking hassles. Both trains (not so many) and comfortable buses connect Granada to Seville, and a car probably wouldn't save any time there. It's not as if you have extra time to make stops along the way.

I think you really need to choose between Cordoba and Granada. Geography argues for Cordoba.

Definitely agree. Four nights in Sevilla would be what I would do. Do a day trip by train to Cordoba if you happen to get antsy.

Thank you -- I know I over plan. Your straightforward insight is what I needed to hear. I will simplify with more time in Sevilla and choose between Grenada and Cordoba, looking into a train option. Spending one night in Merida is a have-to, to see old friends, but I don't need to spend 2 nights there. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

If you decide on Granada, buy your Alhambra ticket as soon as you can. It sells out, sometimes far in advance.

Between Granada and Córdoba, I really don't understand why anyone would choose Córdoba. The Alhambra is something that IMO everyone in the western world should see.

Cue now for everyone who loves Córdoba ...

The Alhambra is the #1 sight in Spain for good reason. if you really want to visit more than one city in 4N, Cordoba may be a better option than Sevilla because the Mezquita is a must-see and it is unique. I've been to much of Andalucia and much of Morocco and have seen nothing that comes close. Both these historic centers offer more wandering quaint old streets than Sevilla does.

How are you getting from your last stop in France to anywhere in Spain? If you're leaving from Perpignan, it's over 1000 km to Granada. rome2rio.com estimates 6 hours if you fly (train to Barcelona, transfer to airport, fly to Granada, then local transport to the city.

It does seem that you are not taking into account how far apart places are and how time-consuming it is to get to each of them. What time is your flight from Sevilla? It's a couple hundred kms from Merida to the airport. That's a 2-hour drive at best, if your friends are taking you by car. If you're planning on public transportation, unless your flight is late in the day you are risking unforeseen delays that could end up with your missing that flight. Most of us on the forum highly recommend staying in your departure city the night before a flight especially if you are connecting to another flight.

I love both Granada and Cordoba. I spent multiple nights in each of those cities in 2019. But:

• A round-trip from Seville to Cordoba takes 1 hr. 48 min.
  
• A round-trip from Seville to Granada takes at least 5 hr. 20 min. by train and 6 hr. by bus.
• Service to Cordoba is a lot more frequent than service to Granada, which could help when you need to wring every possible minute out of the day.
• Although it's a lovely place to spend the night, a day-trip to Cordoba can work, giving the visitor enough time to see a good bit there, not just the Mezquita.
• The Alhambra in Granada is a large complex, not just one building. I spent well over half a day there without taking a lunch break. A day trip from Seville to Granada really shortchanges the city because so much time is spent on a train or a bus.

My point is that a nearly-full day in Cordoba is better than half a day in Granada.

I would see Cordoba as a daytrip from Seville - that's what I did and it was very easy. The Mezquita there is spectacular, especially since you're interested in architecture and history. So now you're up to 3 nights in Seville, which is better, but any chance you can add more time to to this trip? 4 nights in Seville would be great as it's a beautiful city with a lot to see and do -- but I can't recommend being "in the neighborhood" and skipping Granada either. Hmmm.

I visited these places last year. Maybe my experience can help narrow down what you do. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-spain-november-2023

I am beyond appreciative of everyone's advice. I have 6 full days. Original plan was 4 nights in Andalucia, but 2 nights in Merida. I changed plans to have 5 nights in Andalucia, with 1 night in Merida. (Monday morning flight from Barcelona arrives at 8:30 am in Seville, the Ryanair flight I am looking to take back to Barcelona leaves at 11 pm Sunday night, and I would just stay in the airport for my 6 am flight back to the States {maybe too risky with Ryanair?}) Everyone's comments on travel logistics, train/bus schedules are helpful. Thanks for heads up on buying the Alhambra ticket in advance -- I delight in in Moorish architecture so it is hard not to see it all, even though I know I can't do it justice. Going to soak in all the advice and see the best way to adjust plans.

Thank you for coming back to update us. I would be a little hesitant to rely on Ryanair, or maybe any plan that leaves you no back-up option for being at the airport by 3-4 a.m. I'd take a train to Barcelona planning to arrive in the evening.