Airport question re: Madrid and Barcelona

If you would stop and visit Barcelona for a few days before moving on, then you can search the budget airline options at www.skyscanner.com,.

But if you just want to get to Sevilla, then you're much better off booking the whole trip on one airline ticket, even if it has a connection. That way, the airline and it's partners are responsible to get you and your luggage all the way to Sevilla, even if there are flight delays. Whether you are buying the ticket or using airline miles, the connection is usually covered for about the same price.

Totally agree with Laura.

In any case, if you are interested, from Barcelona you have several daily flights to Seville from Vueling, Ryanair, Iberia... From Madrid, since it's closer, on top of flights you have the possibility of the fast trains AVE. From Barcelona too, but it's via Madrid so at the end of the day it's best to fly to Seville.

Madrid and Barcelona are major airports serving major cities. Sevilla is not a major city so direct service is not available. Fly into Madrid and take a connecting flight but do it as a total ticket. The big problem with two separate tickets is that if you miss the connection then it probably is a dead ticket.

The Spain portion of our trip was to start in Sevilla, hit Granada and finish off in Barcelona before heading up into Provence. If I search a complete ticket to Sevilla, I'm getting flight times of 57 hours. Trips can be found to Madrid/Barcelona for about 17 hours. Hence the reason for my question. Air Canada and Lufthansa, the two airlines that are available to me don't even give me a Sevilla option. . . I'm finding more info using Kayak.

Intercontinental flights really only service Madrid and Barcelona. Sevilla is a Spanish domestic and European port.
With your ideas I would fly into Madrid, then on to Sevilla via Cordoba by AVE train.
Look at Vueling for cheap flights from Granada to Barcelona.

When I request a multi-city flight schedule from Air Canada's web site (Vancouver-Sevilla on May 13 and Barcelona-Vancouver on a random return date), it shows me Vancouver-Sevilla flight options that take 19-21 hours, with connections at Toronto and Frankfurt. The longer one at 21 hours is also the cheapest; it leaves Vancouver at 6:00 a.m. and has a 3-hour layover in Toronto, instead only 1 or 2 hours there.

Laura, thanks for that. I was looking from Kelowna and getting the 57 hour ones. I'll work on that.

I was trying to find flights home from Sevilla a few years back and found very few options. I ended up taking the AVE train to Madrid and spending a night there before flying home. The train is only 2.5 hours.

Hi Warren,

Just wanted to add to also look with Air France. I'm in Montreal and will be travelling to Spain in October and I found the best deals were with Air France. I booked a multi-destination flight; flying to Barcelona and coming back from Madrid. Just a thought :)

Happy planning!

Consider flying to Madrid, then taking the train to Cordoba for your first night (the Mezquita is the second-best sight in Spain). Then continue to Seville and Granada by train and a budget flight from Granada to Barcelona. From the Madrid airport, there are frequent trains to the city and an easy transfer to the 2-hour train ride to Cordoba. A short taxi ride brings you to the old city and a pleasant place to spend the night and start adjusting to the time change. Seville is less than an hour by train from Cordoba.

thanks for all the replies.

Warrren,

If you want to start your holiday in Sevilla, the flights don't appear to be too difficult. I looked at several options on that route and here are a few to consider, along with some comments.....

1. Direct flight from Vancouver to London / LGW. Air Transat currently operates on that route, and possibly by next May WestJet will have their new 767 service landing there. You could also look at Canadian Affair / Thomas Cook as they also operate into LGW. From LGW, use an easyJet flight to Seville / SVQ. easyJet currenlty has flights listed as low as £53.99 PP. The disadvantage of that approach is that the EJ flight departs fairly early, so you'd have to spend at least one night in London and then connect with the Seville flight the following morning. Also, since it's not a code share you'd have to collect your luggage and re-check it. The advantage of this approach is that it should be the most cost effective and "least hassle" options (only two flights assuming you drive to Vancouver).
2. Direct flight from Vancouver to Frankfurt, and then connection to SVQ using Vueling. Air Canada is probably the best bet for direct flights to Frankfurt, either from Vancouver or Calgary. Vueling has flights to Seville, but not every day so some co-ordination would be needed. This is another option, but the disadvantage is that it will probably be more expensive. Vueling flights currently seem to be in the €150 PP range.
3. Air Canada code share flights. I looked briefly and this appears to be the most expensive option from Kelowna, but the prices could certainly be lower by next May. This wouldn't be as simple as No. 1 as it involves three flights and layovers in Vancouver and Frankfurt, with the final segment to Seville via Lufthansa.

Of these three options, I'd probably use the first one as it seems to be the easiest and cheapest.

I just brought up Lufthansa offering CAD 1281 for flights next May ...
Vancouver to Madrid via Munich 14:05 hrs
Barcelona to Vancouver via Munich 14:05 hrs

I am looking at the Best of Spain in October and noticed the problem flying out of Seville, too. Would it be easier to take a train from Seville to Madrid and fly out or a train to Seville to Barcelona and fly out from there? Thanks in advance.

Travelove,

I'm not clear on your question? Are you looking for transportation options at the end of the Spain tour? It would help to have some further information on your plans (ie: where are you going after the tour).

AVE high speed train does Sevilla to Madrid in 2.5 hrs with very frequent departures.
AVE high speed train does Madrid to Barcelona in a further 3 hrs with very frequent departures.
After finishing your tour in Sevilla you should be able to find an intercontinental departure flight from Madrid (in preference to more distant Barcelona).

Ken,

I wasn't planning on driving to Vancouver (about 8hrs), but the cost savings would be about $500/per person. I'd have to drive to Kelowna anyways, so another 4 hours . . . . gonna have to do some serious thinking about this.

thanks

Warren

Short of Air Canada introducing direct flights from Castlegar to Seville, you have no option but to get to Vancouver (or Toronto).

Warren,

I forgot that you'd be departing YLW. That's still an easy solution. Flight to Vancouver, Air Transat to Gatwick and then easyJet to Sevilla. I usually end up taking three flights every year, so I'm well used to that routine.

An alternative would be flight to Vancouver, Air Transat to Barcelona (one connection in Toronto) and then local flight or train to Sevilla.

One other point to mention. If you decide to consider Air Canada Rouge be sure to read the SkyTrax reviews first. I just checked and their ratings are still somewhat "mixed" as they were several months ago.