8 day trip, late Oct

How many nights is eight days in Spain? Arrival day is more about settling in after a night of no sleep so take that into consideration too.
Have you looked at flights i.e., flying into Granada and out of Madrid, etc. Sevilla has an airport too.

We would arrive in Spain sometime in the morning 10/25, and depart 11/1, so it's 7 nights.

I have looked at flights into Madrid/out of Barcelona, but haven't looked at Granada, Sevilla yet. But with not much time, not having to backtrack to Madrid to fly is probably smart.

Eight days is seven nights. If it was my trip I’d spend 3N (2 full days) in Madrid and 2N (1 full day) each in Toledo and Segovia. I’d hate to use any more time than necessary traveling between places. Eight days is not much at all. Good luck with your decision.

Even split between Sevilla and Madrid. If you’re flying in/out from Madrid, get a cheap flight from Madrid to Sevilla a few hours after your USA to Madrid flight lands. Then take a high speed train back to Madrid after Sevilla.

Or see if it’s affordable to fly home from Sevilla or fly to Sevilla and from Madrid on one ticket. That can make things cost more.

I wouldn’t plan any day trips, Madrid and Sevilla are plenty to see.

Alternate idea: Just do Madrid with day trips to Segovia and Toledo, or just do Sevilla with a day trip to Cordoba.

I recommend Madrid for 4 nights, 2 days for seeing Madrid and 2 days for day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Then head to Seville and spend the rest of your time there.

Thanks all, very helpful!!!

Comments so far seem to be Madrid + Sevilla. Would you say that's a better choice than Madrid + Barcelona?

I wish we had more time, but we're at that stage in life where it's a minor miracle to get adult kids aligned on work schedules etc for 8 days, and I'd rather go and hit the highlights than wait for a time when we have 2+ weeks and it never happens.

Having easily spent 8 + nights in Madrid alone on several different trips, I am with those who vote for spending a relaxing time in Madrid with some day trips. Segovia, Toledo, El Escorial are all easily done. If you want to go a bit further out, Cordoba and its Mezquita can be a longer day trip by train. These are all quite different in "flavor". Some enjoy Avila, but it doesn't get much love on this board....

As for Seville vs Barcelona, they are very different cities. If you want to split your time, a quick survey of major sights/sites and activities available in each city should suggest which might be preferred for your interests.

I do not mean to offend anyone, everyone has their likes and dislikes which is the way it should be. I have noted, however, a strong predilection for Seville from a number of posters on this board. Many recommendations for staying multiple nights in Seville. I have to admit, I spent some time in the city last year based on the number of recommendations - and, to my disappointment, I don't share the same affinity for the city. That's OK, I still saw a lot that I am happy to be familiar with. What I learned is, listen to any advice, consider, then trust my own instincts!

If your eight days translates to seven nights and arrival day is more about adjusting to jet lag that means you have six full days for sight-seeing. Day eight is spent flying home and does not count as a seeing the sights day. Furthermore, every time you change a location you lose a day.
Madrid and Barcelona requires three nights and if you add a day trip to Segovia make it four nights in Madrid. Sevilla and Granada both deserve two nights each. All four cities have airports. You can fly from and to the US to and from Madrid and Barcelona. A connection in Europe would be required for both Sevilla and Granada.

On the subject of Barcelona vs. Sevilla, you can’t go wrong. But I prefer Sevilla.

If you want to see Spain, Sevilla is quintessential Spain, whereas Barcelona isn’t. Barcelona is also much more overtouristed with tons of cruise ship passengers and others. This also contributes to Sevilla having more affordable prices. I also just love the food in Sevilla. It’s basically the capital of tapas. And culturally/historically you see the Moorish influence that makes Spain the unique country it is.