Barcelona to Madrid - 10-day itinerary

Posted by lisakc on 08/18/19 05:33 PM

I have a flight into Barcelona November 15 and then out of Madrid on November 25. I’m going to be spending the first three days in Barcelona for a conference, but I’ve already been there twice so looking to go somewhere else for the next week. I’ll be solo but might be meeting a friend from Italy somewhere in Spain (was thinking Madrid) the second weekend.

I was originally thinking I’d do 3 nights in Valencia and 4 in Madrid, but I’m wondering if I should skip Valencia and go to Seville and then Madrid.

What would be the ideal itinerary?

Posted by balso

Paris

08/18/19 11:16 PM

7304 posts

It depends on your interests... Here is my take. Seville will be lovely in November and is the highest profile destination, but it involves more travel time. Valencia is more laid back, but very charming.

I would lean towards Valencia, because while you can just about do justice to Sevilla in two to three days, you'd have to skip the rest of what Andalucía has to offer. So I'd save that entire region for another trip.

From Madrid, in 4 nights you'll have time for a day trip, Toledo and Segovia are the typical 'best' choices.

Posted by lisakc OP

08/19/19 12:35 AM

2 posts

Thanks for the input. The travel time to Seville actually doesn’t look that bad — 5.5 hours on the high speed train vs. 3.5 to Valencia. And I won’t be taking advantage of the beaches there in November anyway.

Posted by Chani

Tel Aviv

08/19/19 05:27 AM

15788 posts

My standard advice on Madrid . . . if you love European painting you'll want 2 full days just for that, a day at the Prado and a day split between the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia. Add 1 more day for the other sights - palace, parks, Naval Museum (very good), walking tour. The general consensus is that Madrid is the least interesting place in Spain - other than the art, most European cities and most of Spain have more to offer. Of course, there's always more to discover and enjoy in Madrid, I'm just comparing it with other options. Madrid is also convenient for a day trip to Toledo, but Toledo is better as a 1 or 2-night stay.

Most people's idea of "Spanish" is what you'll find in Andalucia - Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, among my personal favorite places in Europe.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

08/19/19 09:21 AM

28085 posts

I agree with Chani about Madrid and surroundings.

As for Valencia vs. Andalucia, having finally gotten to Valencia (after 5-6 months in Spain, spread over at least 4 trips), my opinion is that it's a very pleasant city but is nowhere near as interesting as Seville, Cordoba or Granada. However, if you're very interested in contemporary architecture, Calatrava's City of Arts and Sciences could make it a must.

Between Madrid and Valencia is the Cuenca with its very atmospheric medieval hill town and a couple of very nice modern-art museums. I suspect it could be chilly and windy in November, but I would otherwise highly, highly recommend a day there (overnight if interested in the museums) on the way between Madrid and Valencia. Cuenca's right on the AVE line, but you might end up needing a taxi from the AVE station into town. There's bus service, but I think it's infrequent on weekends (perhaps non-existent on Sundays and holidays).