Efficient travel in Spain

Are you planning on spending any time seeing Barcelona and Madrid? If so, I think you are trying to cram too much into too few days. Assuming you have a full 10 days (i.e. they don't include arrival or departure days) you will eat up most of 3 days getting two and from each destination. That gives you roughly 7 days for 4 cities.

If that is your plan however, your best bet would be to fly Barcelona to Grenada. From there, I'd work my way back up via the train. Given that the trains go city center to city center they are often more efficient than flying. None of the destinations you've listed require a car and in fact, would be a hindrance.

I would take the train from Seville to madrid. Easier than flying. It takes you from the center of seville to city center Madrid. No time or money trying to get to and from the airports. Otherwise your plan sounds good! We drove from Malaga to Seville snd enjoyed the trip. Have fun!

przybylski1,

I also think you’re trying to visit too many
cities in ten days, but if that’s what you’ve decided; here are my 2 cents...

Current plan is to fly from Barcelona to Grenada, rent a car to get to Sevilla, and fly from Sevilla to Madrid.

I’d suggest taking the ALSA Bus from Granada to Sevilla, and then the AVE (high speed train) from Sevilla to Madrid.

Make sure you book your Alhambra tickets 3 months in advance.

Enjoy your trip!

I second the others on saying it is way better to take the fast AVE train from Seville to Madrid. It's about 2-1/2 hours, which may seem longer than flying, but when you factor in having to get to the airport ahead of time, get through security, wait to board, wait to de-plane, etc. The train is comfortable, and you can get up and walk around much more freely, go the beverage/snack car etc. The security at the train station is simply putting your bag through a scanner and takes just a couple minutes, not like at the airport. Also, once you get to the airport in Madrid, you just have to get on a train and take a 40-minute journey to the Atocha train station to see Madrid sights anyway. So, train wins!

The only reason you would need to rent a car from Granada to Seville is if you wanted to stop through a "white town" like Ronda or Arcos de la Fronterra. Otherwise, the train or bus would be easier.

I've not gone from Barcelona to Granada, but have seen many others recommend flying that route.

Have fun planning!

Thanks for the input. For clarification, we are flying in overnight so we will have 3 days in Barcelona several days in the south and then 3 days in Madrid.

Agree with everyone else.

1. Too much, not enough time.

2. Forget flying from Sevilla to Madrid, that's loco. Take the train. Cheaper, faster, easier, better.

we are flying in overnight so we will have 3 days in Barcelona several days in the south and then 3 days in Madrid.

Even if you land early in the morning, you still have to get through immigration and (maybe?) wait for baggage collection, then get into the city and to your hotel to drop your luggage. By then it will probably be lunchtime. That gives you 1/2 day on Day 1, and you are likely to be in a jetlagged haze with little sleep on the overnight flight. So really only 2 full days in Barcelona. Then you use about 1/2 of Day 4 flying to Granada by the time you add up time to/from airports and lead time at the airport and maybe more for baggage collection on arrival (do check the Vueling hand luggage restrictions). Day 6 again you use nearly 1/2 day getting to Sevilla, and nearly 1/2 day getting to Madrid - remember you need to add time to get from hotel to station, and in Sevilla time at the station to go through security and board your train, then time to get from station to hotel. So you either have at best 3/4 day on Day 7 in Sevilla and then train and very late arrival in Madrid, or a second night in Sevilla and at best 3/4 day in Madrid on Day 8. Then one full day in Madrid on Day 9. If you are flying out on Day 10, unless you're taking an evening flight, that will be another non-day - just pack and get to the airport (about an hour) at least 3 hours before the flight.

Quite a rushed trip if you have just 10 nights.

Day
1. ARRIVE Barcelona (3N)
2. Barcelona
3. Barcelona
4. Fly to Granada (2N)
5. Visit the Alhambra
6. Train to Seville (2N)
7. Seville
8. Morning train to Cordoba for the Mezquita. Evening train to Madrid (3N)
9. Madrid
10. Day to Toledo
11. DEPART Madrid

The only part that makes sense to me in the flight from Barcelona to Granada. Why rent a car for Granada to Seville, is there something that you want to visit on the way? Even if you pull it off perfectly, Rome2rio says you'll only save 45 minutes and that does not count wrong turns and transacting the rental, etc. I would take the train. Train from Seville to Madrid is by far the best option.

Take the plane to Granada. Don't rent a car. You don't have time to explore the Pueblos Blancos, and that is the only good reason for a car between Granada and Seville. Once you include rental pick up and drop time, the train will be faster. Take the train to Madrid from Seville. Once you factor getting to and from the airport, the train is the fastest option.

Consider skipping either Granada or Seville this trip. You'll see more and spend less time in transit not to mention checking in and out of hotels and packing and unpacking.