April 22 to 29 Barcelona or seville

I think you should evaluate your potential choices based on your personal interests - go where the are sites and activities you care about most. The weather in late April should not be a factor since it should be pleasant in all of them. Of course. a spring rain shower is always possible almost anywhere in Europe at this time of year As an aside, Cadiz is a great choice for a side trip from Seville, with much to do and see. However, since it is on the Atlantic coast, the water will most likely be too chilly for swimming - or is that just the thoughts of a warm weather Floridian ...

Thanks for your reply. Actually, we are more interested in beaches, hills. Barcelona has day trip to montserrat (cable car etc.) which is exciting. Trying to find more such things near Seville.

Beaches and hills--Barcelona would be the best choice. Andalusia is very dry and Seville is landlocked. At least Barcelona is on the coast, even though I think the beach there is artificial. You could take the train to other coastal towns like Stiges or even Collioure (France). Montserrat is quite a nice day trip from Barcelona.

It is likely to be warm enough to sunbath, but the water, even the Med, will be too cold for more than getting your feet wet. Late April isn't likely to be cold in either place.

If you are willing to rent a car, you could spend the time in the pueblos blancos (beautiful scenic hills) and down to the Costa del Sol. You could take a fast train to Malaga and pick up the car there, return it in Sevilla (or the other way). Driving to/from Madrid will just waste time.

Hi thanks

Actually , renting a car mayn't be a good idea for someone like me who prefers to go by public transportation. I was initially more inclined to Seville as I was told BArcelona area would be much cooler. Would you please let me know how to go to those places aorund Barcelona. I have already read about how to reach Montserrat? But would like to evaluate other places before I decide towards Barcelona.

Hi Chani
You said "beautiful hills" . Can you suggest some maybe a day trip from Seville or from Malaga and which could be approached by train or bus. Would like to visit one at least.

Regards
Nitin

Hi nitinjain84

Aside from Barcelona itself, which would occupy you for quite a few days, there are plenty more places to visit in Catalonia -the region Barcelona is capital of- that will blow your mind, from cosy picturesque small sea towns to impressive mountains, ancient historical sites, unforgettable heritage and cultural events, etc, and all relatively close to Barcelona and many of the them easy to reach by public transportation, so you can DIY. First, though, it's important for you to decide whether you want to visit or not :))... then specific responses can be given to specific questions.

Note however, that if you're looking to find something "Spanish" as often displayed in Holywood movies (flamenco, toros...)... forget it, this is Catalonia, which has a very different culture, traditions and even language (Spanish is not the local language, albeit it's co-official). If you visit you'll discover a totally different perspective from a small nation forged over 1000 years ago with her own unique traits.

To tease: http://www.act.cat/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Welcome.pdf

and
- http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/
- http://www.infocatalonia.eu/
- http://www.timeout.com/barcelona
- http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en

Hi
Thanks for the replies. Can someone also direct me to beautiful beaches which can be covered in day trip from Seville. Currently, I have found Victoria beach in Cadiz and Matalascanas beach. Are these beaches accessible through train or any public transportation.

Also, if I want to visit Cadiz from Seville-Santa justa, 3 months in advance, the earliest train timings are 14:45.Does it make sense to buy these tickets that much in advance. I can think about buying long distances (Madrid to Seville for example, but the other trains like these?

There's not much difference between the travel time on the Media Distancia trains and the higher-cost ALVIAs. Only the ALVIA fares change, depending on when you make your purchase. An early ALVIA purchase can be just a bit cheaper than a Media Distancia ticket. You have to decide whether saving 15 minutes and perhaps 2 euros is worth tying your schedule down so far in advance. I see weekday trains to Cadiz departing Sevilla Santa Justa at 6:40, 7:45, 8:30, 9:45, 10:45, 11:09 (ALVIA), 12:45, 14:45, and more. As shown, there's not always a train each hour.

Can someone also direct me to beautiful beaches which can be covered in day trip from Seville. Currently, I have found Victoria beach in Cadiz and Matalascanas beach. Are these beaches accessible through train or any public transportation.
Also, if I want to visit Cadiz from Seville-Santa justa, 3 months in advance, the earliest train timings are 14:45.Does it make sense to buy these tickets that much in advance. I can think about buying long distances (Madrid to Seville for example, but the other trains like these?

There's no reason to buy tickets in advance from Sevilla to Cadiz. There are no discounts. Today's schedule and April's schedule will be much the same, if not identical. Trains only appear on the website when tickets are offered for sale, so look at this week's trains, not April trains. I don't know the names of the beaches, but the Cadiz is right on the coast. From the train station, it's a short walk to the center (and the TI), then another short walk to the sea.

You could day trip by bus from Sevilla to Ronda and have a scenic ride through the hills and views from Ronda too. There's enough to see and do in Ronda to fill up a day.

As far as weather, I don't think Barcelona is much different from Sevilla or Cadiz in April.