Granada, Seville, Madrid October itinerary

Granada I would not start there. First, it's a long way from the Madrid airport, first get to the train station (allow an hour), then a 4 hour train to Granada. You won't want to buy tickets in advance for the train take a chance on missing the train. There's one at 2.30 pm and the last one at 5.30 pm. It's 10.30 am right now in Spain and all 4 trains tomorrow (Friday) to Granada are sold out. Looks like you're landing in Madrid on Friday. Second, the Alhambra is a lot to take in and a lot of walking up/downhill. You don't want to do that at the very beginning of your trip when you may be jetlagged and draggy. Third, I think it's better to see the Alhambra during the day on one day and at night on another, rather than leave and go back on the same day. I did the night tour of the Nasrid Palaces first, and I recommend that order.

Seville I haven't been to the "Librija" but in March I visited the newly-opened Palacio de las Dueñas (former home of the last Duchess of Alba) and highly recommend it. An excellent not-so-touristy flamenco show is at La Casa del Flamenco. I understand the fascination with Roman ruins. Italica is "okay" but with the short time you have, better to spend it seeing the special sights of Moorish Spain by devoting the day to Cordoba.

Cordoba is less than an hour by train from Seville and on the route to Madrid. You can either day-trip there or stop for the day between them. There is luggage storage at the bus station across the street from the train station. The Mezquita is not to be missed.

Italica It's a long way out by bus, mostly because the buses are not frequent and aren't necessarily on schedule. I spent a long time waiting for the return bus. The site is not well-developed. I was there 3 years ago, so there's probably been more excavation, but large sections had yet to be uncovered. I was there in February and it was pretty hot, with almost no shade at all. There's a well preserved though small amphitheater and some good mosaic floors. None of the signage was in English. I spent €10 on the English guidebook that was very heavy and next to useless, no explanations equivalent to the Italian signage but lots of dull facts. I ended up leaving it behind in my hotel room, not worth the weight in my luggage to keep it. If you've seen Roman ruins elsewhere, consider skipping this. If I'd had a car and it'd only taken me a few minutes to drive each way, I'd surely feel differently, but with walking to the bus station, figuring out where to buy the bus ticket, where the bus stopped, the long ride . . . it just wasn't worth the time.

Chani, thank you for your response. I had looked at going to Seville first, then Granada, but for some reason I was thinking the other order would be better. We can definitely go to Seville first if that is recommended.

I had thought to save Córdoba for another trip. It seems like there is enough there that it is worth at least a night or two and we could enjoy it at it's own pace. I do like the idea of keeping it in our pocket as a day trip from Seville. It would be a great option if we feel like switching it up!

I think we could easily put Italica on the back burner. We had a similar experience when we visited Villa d'Este from Rome via public transportation. It was quite the time getting there but we found it to be completely worth it. We try to be flexible and visit things in priority to us so if there is something we run out of time to see, that's ok! Las Duenas looks lovely; thank you for the suggestion.

You could fly from Madrid to Granada if you wanted to start there. It would make more sense than trying to take the train.

You could split up Madrid and spend your first couple nights there and last couple there. Just adds an extra hotel change to your itinerary.

If you do visit Italica and maybe a daytrip to Cordoba, four nights in Sevilla is good. If you skip those, it might be a bit much as your other sites might consume a couple of days. Two nights in Granada is a minimum but consider a third night depending on when you arrive and depart so as not to cheat yourself.

Cordoba is well worth an overnight or two for the charm, but many people spend just the day there and can see the major sites. It's only 45 minutes from Sevilla.

The train in/out of Granada is still under construction - if you book it they just transfer you to a bus automatically. You don't have to do anything special. The ALSA bus is actually more convenient between Granada and Sevilla, especially while the train line is under construction.

Julie,

Good plan, having been to Spain many times, I would recommend a visit to Cordaba while In Andalusia, Mezquita a must see, one of the greatest buildings in the world. Granada and Sevillia are awesome, maybe subtract a day from southern Spain and add to Madrid if doing Segovia (which I recommend). Madrid needs more days than Sevilla. Grenada also requires a day and evening in Abelcine part of city. I did a similar trip, landed in Madrid, took bullet train to Cordaba, train to Grenada, and finished in Sevilla. Enjoy.

October 7 - Arrive Madrid. Train to Sevilla - 3 nights
October 8 - Sevilla sights
October 9 - Day trip to Cordoba (Mezquita)
October 10 - Train to Granada - 2 nights
October 11 - Alhambra
October 12 - Train to Madrid - 4 nights
October 13 - Day trip to Toledo
October 14 - Madrid sights
October 15 - Day trip to Segovia
October 16 - Depart Madrid

You have a few options with the 'ninth' night...
1) In Madrid, as above, with a day trip to Toledo
2) In Sevilla, with a possible day trip to Jerez
3) In Ronda, for an overnight between Sevilla and Granada

Thank you all for your helpful replies! I have gone back over what I was thinking when I was thinking Granada first...I realized my logic was Granada first so we could stay later the third day before departing for Seville if we wanted more time in Granada. Let me know what you think of that logic...is it just bad? We can definitely go to Seville first if that's the best plan?

Soooo...that potential "extra" night if we take one from Seville. We do enjoy some leisurely time for a little shopping. The "I" in "we" loves flea markets for good vintage stuff; not into expensive antiques, but nice decorative vintage stuff. I also like finding souvenirs specific to where we are visiting. The both of us love some down time for food/wine exploration; we try to make an afternoon of food and wine and chatting with people on each trip we've taken and that time is always a highlight. Are all three cities (Madrid, Granada, Seville) just as good for these activities or do you find one to stand out? That could help us decide where to spend our extra night.

Also factoring into where we allocate that 4th night...I'm guessing you will all call me crazy, but I'm not obsessed with seeing the Mezquita in Córdoba like I am the Alhambra or the Alcazar. I am completely ok with saving it for another trip since it isn't as high of priority for us (this trip at least) and spending the time elsewhere.

There is nothing wrong with saving something for next time. You can't see and do everything at once.

Have you considered renting a car for 2 days? If you want to see Italica, it would be easier by car. And you could explore some White Hills town for a day. You could rent the car in Granada and drop it off in Sevilla (or visa versa). That could be your extra night (stay in a hill town).

Douglas, my husband specifically asked for no car rentals this trip since he drove in our past two trips (Ireland and France). So, while it makes good travel-sense to have a car, it doesn't make good marriage-sense. :)

I'll repeat myself. Starting in Granada is not a good idea because [1] it's complicated to get there, unless you have a connecting flight (not on a separate ticket) and [2] you don't want to spend your first day, jetlagged and possibly sleep-deprived, at the top tourist sight in Spain.

I've been to Spain 3 times, the Alhambra once (it's just hard to get to Granada), the Alcazar twice in 3 visits to Sevilla, but the Mezquita all 3 times. The Alcazar is somewhat similar to what you'll see at the Alhambra, the Mezquita is completely different from everything else. Just sayin' . . .

Ok, we have been thinking it over and are close to settled. Seville 3 nights, Granada 2 nights, Madrid 4 nights. This means we will travel from Granada to Madrid on October 12, a major holiday. Do you think there will be any train delays or schedule changes? I ask because we traveled on a holiday in Italy and some trains did not run on holidays which meant we sat for extra hours at the train station.

Pre-book your train ticket. If they sell you a ticket then the train is running (strikes not withstanding). And holidays are busy so some trains will sell out. Plus you get deep discounts for advance tickets on RENFE. Use Paypal to purchase the tickets, US credit cards rarely work well on their website no matter what you do. Most trains go on sale about 90 days in advance (that does vary in Spain).

And fair enough about "no car rentals." Just wanted to throw it out there as an option.

Julie, please read this article which will give you lots of excellent information on the Spanish trains, especially how to use the Renfe website.

Also consider taking the Alsa bus from Granada to Madrid. It only takes a few minutes longer than the train, though the bus station in Granada is a little farther from the center, maybe in Madrid as well. Anyway, I just looked at their website and they are selling tickets for Oct. 12, so the train should be okay. The trains only show up on the Renfe site when they go on sale, usually about 2 months in advance, but Renfe is erratic, sometimes some trains only show up a week or two ahead and sometimes 3 months or more in advance.

Alhambra tickets for October will go on sale in another month or so. You'll have time to get them, they don't sell out quickly, but they do sell out, so do check the official website now and then.

Spent the past few days getting into the thick of the planning, especially Seville and Granada. Seville really starts sounding even more amazing after digging around for potential things to do! I'm hoping we can see most of the things we're interested in...we always plan lots of options so we know what there is to do that we are interested in but we are flexible and adapt our schedule as needed. So sometimes we see it all, sometimes we don't. And that's ok!

Friday: arrive Seville in afternoon from Madrid. Check into apartment rental (close to Flamenco Museum) hit the streets to explore. Might try to visit either Palacio de las Dueñas or Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Librija this afternoon (maybe both if we have energy, especially since they are in the same area). We'll probably try to stay up until 10 or so. Going to try to sleep in, in the mornings, so we can stay up later to enjoy these lively Spanish nights I've been reading about.

Saturday: explore Triana in the morning for ceramics shopping, and El Postigo for other good shopping. Visit Alcazar with Upper Apartments portion. Follow up with cathedral and Giralda bell tower. Explore Barrio Cruz using RS walk and catch flamenco at Casa de la Memoria.

Sunday: Check out the art at the Plaza del Museo Art Market in the morning. Walk down to the Plaza de Espana area. Check out the Museo Arqueológico and Parque de María Luisa, possibly rent a bicycle there and putt around the park for a bit. Explore and eat in the evening. Calle Betis in Triana for nice night views?

Monday: 10am bus to Granada, arrive 1pm. Explore Granada and Albayzin in the afternoon. Evening views from San Nicolas, dinner on San Nicolas and flamenco this evening. I wanted to do the Alhambra at night this night but it is not offered.

Tuesday: Spend most of the day at Alhambra and area. Perhaps go visit the Al Andalusia hammam afterwards, eat some tapas, and go back for a night time visit of the Alhambra.

Wednesday: Morning Olive Oil Tour (9:30-1:30, if they offer it on the holiday, I've emailed them to find out). Train or bus to Madrid afterwards for 4 nights (2 full days Madrid, 1 full day Segovia).

For Seville, two things that I wouldn't mind seeing that I don't think we currently have time for: Italica and the Bullfighting Museum. How does our Seville time seem now that I've laid out more concrete ideas for things we'd like to see and do? Does it seem about right or too full?

Saturday: explore Triana in the morning for ceramics shopping, and El Postigo for other good shopping. Visit Alcazar with Upper Apartments portion. Follow up with cathedral and Giralda bell tower. Explore Barrio Cruz using RS walk and catch flamenco at Casa de la Memoria.

I would start at the Cathedral when they open, and be among the first to climb the tower, before it's very crowded. Then the Alcazar. If you want to see the Royal Apartments, do that first. The last visit is around 1 p.m. Then take your time for the rest. It's probably a good idea to stop at the Alcazar to buy tickets early, especially for the Royal Apts.

Chani, I read that stores on Saturday don't open back up after the siesta. That's why I put shopping first. Do you know if that's true or not?

Sounds like we may need rethink this some more.

I actually think the flow is good. With just two nights in Granada thought all you really have time for is the Alhambra (to which you will of course have tickets in advance.) It is a good place to catch Flamenco; there are many Flamenco shows in the Albaicin where we stayed on our trip and central hotels make arrangements to bus people there for the nightly shows. We didn't do Flamenco but did stay in the Albaicin and loved it: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2013/06/15/granada-they-said-wed-be-mugged-in-the-albaicin/

I would also recommend stopping off in Cordoba for the Mezquita on the train up from Seville to Madrid. https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/the-mezquita-at-least-the-catholics-had-the-good-sense-not-to-destroy-it-when-they-desecrated-it/ You can visit in a few hours and it was absolutely the best thing we saw in Andalucia on our 2.5 week trip that included a week in Seville, two nights in Ronda, two in Granada and 6 in Madrid. The Alhambra and the Alcazar were great -- but the Mezquita was unlike anything else we have ever seen. Be sure to go to the Alcazar in the morning as the royal apartments are only open then (at least were when we were there); we missed that part of this beautiful site because we went in the afternoon)

If you are looking for lodging in Granada, we stayed at the Hotel Anacapri which is recommended by Rick's book and were very happy with it. And there was a rail strike on our last day so we stayed a third day. English speaking manager. Walking distance to the Alhambra though we did take a bus there.

Maybe go shopping on Friday?

Janet, I love your report on Granada and the Albayzin. Sounds like you had a good time there and even managed not to get mugged! :)

Chani, I think shopping on Friday is what we'll have to do...I dislike to prioritize shopping so much but I do love ceramics. I would hate to miss out on them out so that's what we'll do. I'm thinking some good shopping with some tapas and drinks mixed in might be a pleasant way to spend our first afternoon in Spain.

So, our updated Seville itinerary...

Friday: Arrive Seville early afternoon. Visit Cathedral and Giralda tower during the siesta time. Go ceramics shopping in Triana and possibly visit a few other shops in the afternoon to early evening.

Saturday: Royal Alcazar and Apartments first thing in the morning (pre-booked tickets). Visit Palacio de las Dueñas and Museo Palacio de la Condesa de Librija in the afternoon. Catch a flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria. Do the RS Barrio Santa Cruz walk in the evening/night time (looks like there was last year at 7pm in the evening in October). Do the horse drawn carriages operate into the evening/night?

Sunday: Same as previous post (Plaza del Museo Art Market, Museo Arqueológico, Parque de Maria Luisa, Plaza de Espana), but with a question. Do you think there would be time after the art market and before Plaza de Espana to visit Italica? I have contacted Paul McGrath (The Other Spain) and he said he could do a 2.5 hour trip to Italica. I definitely don't mind paying a little extra for a guide and the ease of transportation with time savings. Do you think there is time in the day for this or is Sunday too packed? We probably wouldn't spend lots of time in the archaeological museum because we're more of the "browsing" type, not the intense "studying and read every plaque" type.

Julie, if you love ceramics, then you must make time for it. Absolutely start your trip with something you love.

On Sunday, if Italica is a priority, then do it! Going with a private guide/car will eliminate all the issues I had with it (except for the heat☺). My favorite time of day for Plaza de Espana is late afternoon and hang around while the lights go on. In early October sunset isn't until 8 pm so that should give you plenty of time for the park and getting to the plaza. I just looked at some of my photos - and there are horse-drawn carriages there! One would guess they go through the park, not just a circle in the plaza.

Julie,
You mentioned that you may be traveling from Granada to Madrid on October 12th.
We were traveling from Granada to Sevilla on October 12th last year & the only thing I'd recommend, is getting to the train or bus station way before the processions begin, otherwise you or your taxi will get stuck in a ton of traffic!

Chani, we booked with Paul for 11am. Thinking that will give us enough time at the art market in the morning and then hopefully a couple of hours for the archaeological museum in the afternoon. Very much looking forward to Italica! And that ceramics shopping. Or how about Seville in general! Or Spain! I can't wait! :) Glad to hear there were carriages down by the park when you were there. I hope we can snag a ride. Sounds very romantic and fun.

Priscilla, that is good to know! I'm looking at departing Granada to Madrid via the 2:45 afternoon train. We're interested in doing the Granada Olive Oil morning tour. They would drop us off at our hotel between 1:00 and 1:30 in the afternoon. Would that leave us enough time to grab our luggage and get to the train station in time to catch our train (with pre-booked tickets)? It says it's a 2km (25 minute) walk or a 20 minute car (taxi) ride...I don't want to cut it too close but I'd really like to go on that olive oil tour. I'm wondering if there would be a lot of festivities in the streets in the early afternoon in Granada? I was reading that last year's festivities were a parade from the Plaza del Carmen to the Royal Chapel?

Julie,
I really don't know how long the parade/ festivities last on the streets of Granada on October 12th since we missed it all, because we had to get to the bus station.
I'd suggest you contact the hotel where you'll be staying & ask about the festivities/ parade ( procesiones) schedule.

When we arrived to Sevilla (from Granada) on October 12th, the taxi driver explained that he had to take a different route to try to get us as close to our hotel as possible. Apparently there had been a parade & some of the streets were still closed off to traffic.

For ceramics in Triana, make sure you check the largest selection at 'Cerámica Santa Ana', on Calle San Jorge.

You may also enjoy the 'Mercado de Triana', where you can buy your staples for a delicious picnic, or just check out the colorful fresh produce.
If you like grapes, you'll find the biggest, sweetest grapes in Spain at this time of year.

Edit: Julie, don't forget to book your Alhambra tickets way in advance.
When we were there, there were many disappointed travelers because the Alhambra tickets were all sold out for the entire month!