Itinerary Advice

Have a good time

I think you are making a great decision to side trip to Monserrat and I think your plan seems reasonable, though I can’t comment on the Valencia portion. It’s past Madrid, but only other thought is did you consider the Andalusia region? Another nice town that is not really a secret near Madrid is Toledo.

Enjoy!

In case you are not aware, Madrid can be quite chilly in February. The average low temperature is 38.7F. The figure for Barcelona is 48.7F.

Possible day trips from Madrid include Toledo, Segovia, Cuenca and Alcala de Henares. All of those places are worthy of a night or two (or even three). The Cuenca day trip is only practical by AVE, and those tickets will probably be expensive if bought at the last minute.

I love that you’re staying at least 6 nights in each place. Yes, some of the day trip destinations (all of them, maybe) could be worth more time, but settling into a town can be so rewarding.

From Madrid, be sure to do day trips to Toledo and Segovia. Also, perhaps you could squeeze in Granada as well while in the east.

Thanks to all of you! Our daughter studied in Seville a while ago, so we have traveled through Andalucia. Loved it but don't want to try to spread ourselves too thin this time around. We will definitely pack for colder weather in Madrid-being Bostonians, we're okay with chillier temps! And we will add some day trips to Madris- Toledo certainly on the list!

Any advice on flying to Palma from Valencia and then on to Madrid? We use standard carry ons but some of the European airlines make me nervous with their limitations!

There's ferry service from Valencia to Mallorca, but I don't know how long it takes or whether it runs year-round.

We are also in our 70s and always travel off season to Spain. We include Valencia for 2 to 3 weeks on our yearly sojourn to Spain before returning to New Zealand.

We were in Valencia February last year for three weeks. The weather was stunning every day, chilly but clear blue skies. Its an amazing city with numerous cycling and walking options. We are heading back early next year.

Your itinerary is excellent given you have a decent amount of nights in each place. 6 nights is only 5 full days to enjoy Valencia its a large city and there's a lot of ground to cover. Its a walking city with excellent cycling lanes.

Thanks for all great advice. Finalizing plans and reconsidering Mallorca.

May switch it out instead to spend 3 nights Cordoba, another 3 in Toledo and then on to final destination-Madrid.

Thoughts? I'm just thinking well find more to do in Cordoba and Toledo than in Palma in February but welcome opinions.