how to divide up 21 nights?

Food for thought:

Barcelona is the capital of a small nation, Catalonia -currently within the Kingdom of Spain- with a rich past and history, not to mention a diverse and prolific culture and traditions. I'm saying so because aside a visit to Barcelona, there's a lot more to do/discover in Catalonia which would certainly fill up all your vacation time if you wanted to, with the added bonus that everything is fairly close (Catalonia is the size of Maryland) and still you have coastal towns and beaches, 10000ft high peaks, remains from several civilizations, natural parks, breathtaking landscapes, ancient traditions, etc. which means you can plan many day (or overnight) escapades without having to pack/unpack from your "base camp". I'm not saying visiting Andalucia or other Spanish regions is not worth, but only that there's much more that meet the eye in Catalonia if you feel like discovering it and, if you're not one of those that believe there's a void or a no man's land between major cities (LOL!) you can find yourself immerse in less touristy experiences that will surely make a lasting impression. For those visitors preferring to do less packing/unpacking, the option of staying within the same area yet having a bit of everything, is a reflection that can be useful.

Again, just food for thought:
For Barcelona: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/ | http://www.infocatalonia.eu | http://www.timeout.com/barcelona | http://lameva.barcelona.cat For other ideas while in Catalonia: http://www.catalunya.com/ | http://www.infocatalonia.eu | http://en.costabrava.org/ -Costa Brava Tourism Agency | http://www.lleidatur.com/ -Lleida and Pyrenees-Aran Tourism Agency | http://www.visitpirineus.com/ -Pyrenees-Aran Tourism Agency | http://www.turismeamposta.cat/en -Terres de l’Ebre Tourism Agency | http://www.girona.cat/turisme/eng/index.php -Girona City Council | http://www.tarragonaturisme.cat/ -Tarragona City Council ... and for a map with the regions within Catalonia mentioned in the links above.

Enric, that's a good thought. Had only thought of the city sites because I got rid of the car. Always like the idea of having a base camp.

You will only benefit from having a car from Sevilla to Granada. Trains are best elsewhere as the sights are all central in each location and the driving is pretty uninspiring. Fly from Granada to Barcelona.

Madrid - 4 nights (day trips to Segovia & Toledo)
Toledo - 2 nights
Córdoba - 2 nights
Sevilla - 3 nights
Ronda - 2 nights
Granada - 3 nights
Barcelona - 5 nts (day trip to Girona+Figueres)

I agree with David (above), you may consider waiting to get the car once you have visited Sevilla.

• Toledo is an easy 30 minute train ride from Madrid.

• Madrid to Córdoba takes about 1HR 45 minutes on the AVE ( high speed
  train)

• Córdoba to Sevilla takes about 45 minutes on the AVE or Avant train

• You may check train schedules here:http://www.renfe.com

• You may prefer to buy your train tickets in advance(up to 120 days)
  for a discounted price.

• If you're over 60, you can purchase a 'Tarjeta Dorada' (Golden Card) which will provide a discount on your train tickets: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/tarifas/tarjeta_dorada.html

Enjoy your trip!

Michael,

Felling like this is too much for that amount of time. Don't want to spend half the trip pacing/unpacking, but so much to see!

IMO, your itinerary sounds exhausting, especially if you keep all the destinations you've listed above.

Since you have 21 nights, that leaves you with 20 days to explore Spain.

Right now you have 10 destinations (8 if you skip Tarifa/Tangier) for these 20 days.

Everyone's travel style is different; some like to see as many places as possible & opt for a whirlwind type of trip, others like to spend a bit more time in each of their destinations. I've done both types of trips over the years, but have settled on the idea that
"less is more", so I like visiting less destinations & spending more days in each place.

Keep in mind that each time you relocate, you will lose at least half of that travel day.

I'd suggest skipping some of the cities on your itinerary & consider something like this:

• Arrive Madrid (4-5N) with day trip to Toledo &/or Segovia = 3-4 days in Madrid (less if you take day trips)
• AVE train to Córdoba (3N) = 2 full days in Córdoba
• AVE train to Sevilla (4N) = 3 full days in Sevilla
• bus to Granada (3-4N) = 2-3 full days in Granada
• Fly to Barcelona(4-5) = 3-4 full days in Barcelona

Hope this helps!

@m1bem... I can't speak for other regions, but in Catalonia there's a rather decent network of buses and regional trains that allow you to visit a lot (not everything!) from your base camp, say Barcelona, without having to rent a car.

That's right Enric. Look for my friend Mario, he could be driving your red TMB bus.

It's up to you to decide your style of travel. Don't be hell bent on reducing your number of destinations. A lot of things deserve consideration...
- total length of your trip
- balance of shorter stay and longer stay destinations
- your morning organisation skills to move hotels and destinations
- the ease of logistics for that move
- the desire to experience somewhere different in the evenings

In most places, you lose about 1/2 day by changing locations, but not so much in Spain. I generally prefer 3-night stays and longer, but found that in Spain, sometimes 2-nighters are fine, and even single night stays can be okay.

The most important thing to know before advising you is WHEN ARE YOU GOING? The heat in summer in Andalusia, and even Madrid, can be brutal. Spring brings many festivals, you may want to avoid the crowds and high season rates, or you may want to take part in these very special occasions.

Skip Tarifa/Tangier. Either plan to take 5-7 days out of your trip and see Morocco (missing lots of great places in Spain) or save Morocco for a separate trip. Visiting Tangier is somewhat like going to Tijuana and thinking you've seen Mexico.

How much time you spend in Madrid depends on your interests. If you love painting, you may want to devote 2 full days there, 1 for the Prado, 1 for the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia. If not, consider a day or two for an overview or even skip it entirely. While Madrid certainly has a lot to offer, it is a "modern" city (relative to Spain) and pales in comparison with your other destinations.

I like the idea of 3-4 days in Barcelona and 3-4 days outside the city with a car.

As usual, djp_syd's itinerary suggestions are spot on. I also think your plan for renting a car is a good one. It is an easy drive from Toledo to Cordoba (3 hours) and your car would be particularly useful from Seville, through the Pueblos Blancos, and on to Granada.

Thanks for the great ideas. Using the train more,especially with a senior card, is a good idea. The more I look at Barcelona the more time I want to spend there, especially with the idea of day trips out from there.
As I do my planning I'm feeling I need to lock in accommodations ( before I get to Spain) for my entry and exit, i.e. Madrid and Barcelona and play everything in between ( accommodations) by ear. Have been looking at some nice Airbnb places and some nice hotels and Hostals for around $100 +/- a night. All are in town locations. Any opinions.
Thanks again for all the helpful input.
Michael

"Playing by ear" really depends on the time of year. I wouldn't like to be arriving in Granada or Sevilla any time from April to October and expect desirable accommodation freely available.

Something like this may be better for you with driving options in the south.
I would book accommodation in Sevilla and Granada (and make sure you have Alhambra tickets).

Madrid - 5 nights (day trips to Segovia & Toledo)
Train to Sevilla - 4 nights (day trip to Cordoba)
Pick up hire car
Drive to Jerez de la Frontera - 1 night
Drive to Ronda - 2 nights
Drive to Granada - 3 nights
Return hire car
Fly to Barcelona - 6 nts (day trip to Girona+Figueres)

Most of us book everything in advance. Brad does more travel "winging it." Read his Spain trip report. He does do a lot of research before the trip and selects several preferred options, then reserves ahead a day or two in advance while he's traveling.

Trains are often faster (door-to-door) than driving. You won't need a car in the cities (probably won't want to drive in and out of them) and you'll pay for parking. For the places you are contemplating, a car will only be useful for the days between Seville and Granada.

And you still haven't told us when you are planning to be in Spain. It does make a difference.

Chani, thanks for the reply. Going maybe last week of September into October. Except for the start and end, Madrid - Barcelona, I like to take Brads approach for accommodations and I'll have some fallback options. Also, I was thinking that along the way I might get some recommendations from the places I'm staying at for the next town.

I have read Brad's report. Lots of good stuff there. Buying a cheap phone for local calling is helpful. I had been thinking of getting a SIM card for my unlocked iPhone, so I'll have to consider buying a cheap phone with minutes. Another thing that I may have to pursue on a different blog is wether to get a SIM card for my cellular iPad.
Thanks again.

Thanks djp_syd and RS Team. These are very nice ideas. An extra night in Madrid w/day trips to Toledo and/or Segovia is something I hadn't considered. I like the idea of a drive to Jerez de la Frontera, (that is an important stop for significant other). With an extra night in Barcelona I can take the day trips to Girona and Figueres.

Madrid - 5 nights (day trips to Segovia & Toledo)
Train to Sevilla - 4 nights (day trip to Cordoba)
Pick up hire car
Drive to Jerez de la Frontera - 1 night
Drive to Ronda - 2 nights
Drive to Granada - 3 nights
Return hire car
Fly to Barcelona - 6 nts (day trip to Girona+Figueres)

Drive from Jerez to Ronda via Arcos and Grazalema. Other white towns you may like to include - Zahara, Olivera, Setenil de las Bodegas.

It's an excellent itinerary. I don't see any advantage to "winging it" though. Why not to book your hotels in advance? You can buy train tickets 2 months in advance and save big time. You need to buy tickets well in advance (months) for the Alhambra and some of the Barcelona sights.

You may save a little on day trips by buying Tarjeta Dorada cards at €6 each, if you are 60 or older. This will entitle you to discounts of 25%-40% on the full price of train tickets - good for those day trips. You can only buy the cards in Spain in person, but once you have them, you can buy tickets in advance with the discount. Most sights give a discount to pensioners - usually from the age of 65. Before you buy any sight tickets, check for that discount. A few may only be offered to Spanish or EU citizens.