Hello fellow travelers,
I need help setting up a comprehensive TRAIN itinerary, as well as how many days to spend on each city. We are somewhat fit seniors who have travelled to Spain (Costa Verde, Barcelona, Pamplona, etc.) previously.
Cities we're considering:
Sevilla, Cadiz, Tarifa, Malaga, Marbella, Nerja, Granada, Almeria.
Flying RT to Madrid on May 19 - June 10, 2025.
I very much appreciate your travel expertise. Gracias!
Mari Umpierre
You can't do those cities by train, you would need to use bus for some (most?) legs. Buses in Spain are easy, clean, and cheap, do not overlook them.
Most likely, your sequence would be:
Train from Madrid to Seville.
Train, or Bus, from Seville to Cadiz (The bus station is more convenient to central Seville)
Bus from Cadiz to Tarifa.
Bus Tarifa to Marbella
Bus from Marbella to Malaga
Bus from Malaga to Nerja
Bus from Nerja to Almeria
Train from Almeria to Granada
Train from Granada to Madrid.
On average, not counting Madrid, you are looking about 3 nights per stop. You could trim a night from Tarifa, maybe choose either Marbella or Nerja (I would skip Marbella). Seville would be worth an added night, can't speak to Almeria.
I'd prioritize Cordoba, dropping one or more of Tarifa, Marbella, Nerja and Almeria if I had to. There's also Madrid to consider if you haven't previously spent time there, and wonderful Toledo. Of the southern cities, I felt Seville needed the most time, then Granada and Cordoba. Toledo perhaps falls below Seville, time-wise, and above Granada/Cordoba--but a lot depends on what interests you.
I'd agree with acraven. Prioritise Seville, Cadiz, Malaga and Granada, and add in Cordoba for sure. Two/three full days in each, although two would be enough for Cadiz.
