Hi there,
We are first time travelers to Spain. We fly in and leave from Barcelona in November. We have about 10 full days to travel. We would like to visit Seville for sure, and of course explore Barcelona. Please advise for the best itinerary and places to visit, places to skip. Is it better to take a train, or rent a car. Flying is out of the question for us. Also we are traveling with two boys 8 and 13. So please mention any of the places that would be fun to visit with kids and what to stay away from. Thank you so much for your advice.
Very excited traveler :)
Posted by
Washington DC
28102 posts
No idea about kids, but I know Enric has posted kid-friendly suggestions for Barcelona on several occasions.
You definitely shouldn't drive from Barcelona to Seville. The fastest routing suggested by ViaMichelin is 10 hours, and that's with no stops, no getting lost, no looking for parking, no time at car-rental agencies, etc. Plus folks seem to think ViaMichelin's times are generally optimistic.
You can make the trip by train in 5-1/2 hours, and you can pack a nice picnic to enjoy on the way (or there's probably food service on the train). Flying would also be possible, but it wouldn't save you very much time by the time you deal with the airports.
The train takes you through Madrid and Cordoba, so you could see a bit of one place or the other if you're willing to deal with a third hotel, and you wouldn't have any extra train time.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you for your response. What if wanted to stop by Granada on the way to Seville, would it still be a long drive, if we spent one night in Granada. We might travel to Seville through Granada by car and then travel to Barcelona by train from Seville.
What would you suggest as an itinerary for 10 days trip to Spain with start and end points as Barcelona. I appreciate your suggestions.
Posted by
Washington DC
28102 posts
Go to ViaMichelin.com to check on that driving route. Going to Seville by way of Granada will definitely add time. Do you want to drive 9 to 11 hours in one day just to get to Granada? Flying would be a better way to travel from Barcelona to Granada. From Granada to Seville there's the pure bus option or a combination of train and a bus provided by Renfe, the train company.
If I had 10 days in Spain and was flying in and out of Barcelona, I'd spend all my time in or near Catalunya. For art-lovers, combining Barcelona and Madrid would also be a logical choice, since the train trip is so fast. To visit Barcelona, Granada and Seville, it would have been better to buy a multi-city ticket so you could fly home from Seville.
What you are proposing to do is going to turn 3 of your 10 days into travel days. Travel days are days when not a lot of sightseeing takes place because you're so busy packing up, checking out of your hotel, getting to the train station or airport, etc. You'll end up with a 7-day vacation rather than the 10-day trip you think you have.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Just to add that you should follow all of acraven's advice to the letter - she knows what she's talking about!
If you can change your international flights, you can see Seville and Barcelona easily (fly into one and fly out of the other). If you can change your international flights, and you're willing to fly within Spain, you can even see Seville, Barcelona, and Granada in 10 days. (You'd fly into Seville, take bus or train to Granada, then fly to Barcelona, then fly home from Barcelona). But if you have to fly into and out of Barcelona, she's right - you will burn much of a day getting to Seville, then much of another day getting back before your flight.
From Barcelona to Seville, as she says, train is probably as fast as flying, and is more pleasant and easier. From Barcelona to Granada, flying is easiest (they're working on the high speed train but it isn't ready, so buses replace part of the route and it takes longer). And from Granada to Seville, train or bus works well. For NONE of these is a car a good idea! The AVE trains (high speed, such as from Barcelona through Madrid to Seville) are twice as fast as driving, and wait till you see how hard and how expensive parking is in these cities.
If you were flying to Andalucia and spending all your time there, a car can be useful for some of the smaller cities and towns. Otherwise, for the places you want to to, it will just be an expensive headache.
If you really have your heart set on Seville or other parts of Andalucia on this trip, see how much it would cost you to change your tickets.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
This would be quite a rushed trip. Having to return to Barcelona eats into your precious time.
Day
1. ARRIVE Barcelona (3N)
2. Barcelona
3. Barcelona
4. Train to Seville (3N)
5. Seville
6. Day trip to Cordoba for the Mezquita
7. Train to Granada (2N)
8. Visit the Alhambra
9. Train to Madrid (2N)
10. Madrid
11. Train to Barcelona (1N)
12. DEPART Barcelona
Suggested train services...
Day 4 - AVE 3940
Dep 08:30 BARCELONA SANTS
Arr 14:02 SEVILLA-SANTA JUSTA
Day 7 - TRN13924
Dep 15:55 SEVILLA-SANTA JUSTA
Arr 19:14 GRANADA
Day 9
1) TRN13945
Dep 17:32 GRANADA
Arr 19:01 ANTEQUERA-SANTA ANA
2) AVE 2193
Dep 19:29 ANTEQUERA-SANTA ANA
Arr 21:45 MADRID-PUERTA DE ATOCHA
Day 11 - AVE 3161
Dep 16:00 MADRID-PUERTA DE ATOCHA
Arr 18:30 BARCELONA SANTS
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you for all the suggestions. At this point I think we will skip Granada, and probably just stick with Barcelona, Madrid and Seville, and maybe some day trips here and there. What are must see and not to miss places and attractions in these three cities. We are traveling with kids 13 and 8. From previous replies I understand that car is not recommended for our trip. How far in advance do we need to reserve trains?
Regards