Barcelona-Granada without flying?

You are correct. Trains from Barcelona to Granada are only available during the day and are 8+ hours with a stop (changeover to bus) in Antequera.

My family just flew this route on Vueling a few weeks ago. While there may be some horror stories, ours was not one of them. I found them easy to deal with and not much different than any US based carrier I have flown (minus the luggage rules etc). It was a very viable option. I know there have been some complaints on this board and I am sure they are valid and with cause. I just wanted to say we didn't have a negative experience so it's not going to be doom and gloom on every flight.

Just don't check your bags, do only carry-ons to minimize the most irritating risks. This is a very short flight, it's not worth writing Vueling off completely. Your alternatives aren't very attractive, so just cross your fingers and take the bite. Most flights are uneventful, the ones that aren't are the ones that get the outsized coverage.

It's a bit like saying, "if I fly United I am going to be dragged feet first off the plane".

Driving will just take longer and be less comfortable. viamichelin.com shows 9.25 hours net driving time.

Or perhaps change your itinerary - do you have your Alhambra tickets yet?

Your best train alternative.

AVE 3990
Dep 08:30 BARCELONA SANTS (Spain)
Arr 14:02 ANTEQUERA-SANTA ANA (Spain)
TRN13065
Dep 14:40 ANTEQUERA-SANTA ANA (Spain)
Arr 16:10 GRANADA (Spain)

You'll spend 8 plus hours on either a train or car. Is that amount of time really worth it? Have you looked into other options besides Veuling? If you do fly, try not to take one of the last flights of the day; that way if there is a delay or cancellation, you have plenty of time to catch a later flight.

Not certain what sort of schedule you're on, but if you decide to drive, break the drive up with some sightseeing. If a matter of picking the route you want to take then researching things to see in the towns you'll pass through. We always drive and find some very interesting places worth short stops.

I'm glad someone posted this because I had the same question. Since we want to go to Seville, Morocco, and Gibralter. We don't want to rent a car.

Thanks for all the feedback! We only have two days for Granada, including one for Alhambra (we already have tickets), so we won't have time for sightseeing if we drive down from Barcelona (though renting a car is cheaper than the train). We're probably going to take the train; it is a 7 hour trip but we'll be able to relax (we transfer to a bus for the last hour). And while the direct flight from Barcelona to Granada is 1.5 hours, we'd have additional travel time getting to and from airports, going through security, checking in our luggage (our US carry-ons are larger than Veuling allows) and picking up luggage from baggage claim. In the end, we'd rather have an additional 3 hours of train travel rather than worry about unexpected delays, flight changes or luggage snafus. We've got a tight schedule and can't afford to get bumped from a flight and miss our chance to see the Alhambra! FWIW, here's our travel plan: Barcelona-Granada by train; Granada-Seville by bus; Seville-Madrid by train (w/possible side trip to Cordoba or Toledo)...

Oh, please don't skip the Mezquita in Cordoba, even if it's just a 1/2 day visit on your way from Sevilla to Madrid (there's luggage storage at the bus station across the street from the train).

It's on the agenda, Chani :-)

Note that you cannot really go to Toledo as a "side trip". All of the trains to Toledo start from Madrid.

I would indeed call Toledo a 'side trip' (from Madrid),and Cordoba a 'stopover' (enroute to Madrid).

I'd fly....when you weigh your options and time ann there are several airlines to choose from