I just want to start by saying this forum has been immensely helpful in my travel planning. So thank you in advance.
My husband and I, both age 56, will be flying from Boston to Barcelona on Sept.28th. I would potentially like to spend at least 4 days in Barcelona and in Madrid. We are laid back travels and do not have to see every museum available to us, we prefer to take in the scenery , culture and architecture. I would love to see Alhambra on my way to Madrid and any other points of interest without being to rushed. We are not fans of spending 1 night in each place. That being said , our fly home date is negotiable and I would love some suggestions of a laid back itinerary where we could get a wonderful taste of Spain. Also is it possible to take the train to all of these locations or would we also need to rent a car ?
Posted by
Washington DC
30439 posts
The Alhambra is in Granada, which is, unfortunately, not on the way from Barcelona to Madrid. It's considerably farther south and east than Madrid. But Spain has a network of fast trains to some major cities, plus slower trains to many others. There are also comfortable buses that are practical for many trips. Where fast trains are available, they are often much, much faster than a car, so it may be totally unnecessary to drive yourself around, depending on what your itinerary ends up looking like.
The Spanish high-speed rail network goes to these cities (among others): Barcelona, Zaragoza, Madrid, Toledo (spur line connected only to Madrid), Cordoba, Seville and Granada. Rail service to and from Granada isn't especially frequent, and many folks who want to go to both Seville and Granada (highly recommended) find buses useful due to schedule and/or frequency. On that particular leg, buses take a more direct route than the fastest trains, so there's not a great deal of difference in scheduled travel time.
I'd recommend getting a copy of Rick's guide to Spain. It's a fabulous country with many interesting cities. The architecture is very different in Barcelona, Madrid and the major cities of the south. And of course the Alhambra is truly stunning.
You might like to take a look at the high-level sightseeing tips Rick has on this website. After choosing one of these links, click on At a Glance:
These destinations just scratch the surface of Spain's great destinations.
Posted by
below Canada / above Mexico
357 posts
My wife and I made our first trip to Spain in Sep 2023, and chose to focus on the Andalucia area and Madrid. We spent 11 nights; our trip report might be useful reference for your planning: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-spain-aug-sep-seville-ronda-granada-cordoba-madrid
Posted by
new york
1409 posts
If those are your intended destinations, and you are flying into Barcelona, I would spend a minimum of five days in that city (I just spent 6 and I've been there a few times before).
From Barcelona, then take the direct dueling flight to Granada; spend three nights there which will allow time for the Alhambra and ambling about the city.
Then, if you have the time, you could rent a car (renting at the airport makes it easier to live the city) and visit a few towns in Andalusia of your choice.
After that, you could drop the car and either take the train or fly to Madrid and spent the remaining time there.
OR if you are willing to skip Madrid, you could return the car at an airport that offers direct flights to Barcelona (those include Jerez and Sevilla) and fly home.
I did not understand if you are flying home from Barcelona; it would be best if you could fly home from Madrid to avoid backtracking.
It is extremely easy to drive in much of Andalucia; roads are excellent and drivers a polite.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
8483 posts
You wouldn’t need a car for the two cities you mentioned. As acraven stated, Granada isn’t between them.
For the remainder of the trip it’s a matter of personal travel style and whether you prefer cities or smaller towns. One could easily spend a month (depending on what you like to see and do) driving between Barcelona and Madrid visiting out of the way sites that would be difficult to reach by public transportation.