We are taking an ocean cruise April 22 this year from Barcelona that will give us a day trip each at Granada & Sevilla on the cruise. We are planning on arriving either 4/13 or 14 in Madrid to explore Central Spain before taking the train to Barcelona. We plan on arriving in Barcelona in time for 3 1/2 days to explore. Train to Barcelona probably April 20th. (Two of the 3 1/2 days are technically part of the cruise so we have 5-6 days for Central Spain. I'm not counting arrival day because it may be late.) How should we split our time to see Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial and/or ? What should we add or delete? What are the best transportation options between sights? What order should they be seen? This is our first time to Spain. Thanks for any help you can offer.
Posted by
Port St Joe Florida
513 posts
I would recommend spending your days in Madrid. The 3 major art galleries and the Royal Palace will occupy your arrival day and two more days. You will then have time for some daytrips. Among your choices are Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, Avila, and Cuenca. Whether you arrive on the 13th or 14th will determine how many of these you can enjoy, and your preferences will decide which ones they will be. Buy (or go to your local library) a good Spain guidebook or two and check out all of the possibilities.
PS: Another option: You could see what you want to see in Madrid and its area, then take the AVE train to Zaragoza, about midway between Madrid and Barcelona. Zaragoza (frequently voted Spain's most livable city)is one of my favorite Spanish cities and has plenty to see and do to fill 2 days of sightseeing.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
13/4 Arrive Madrid (4 nights)
14/4 Madrid sights - Royal Palace, Prado
15/4 Segovia day trip
16/4 Reina Sofia, then to El Escorial
17/4 Thyssen then train to Toledo (2 nights)
18/4 Toledo sights
19/4 Train (via Madrid Atocha) to Barcelona (3 nights)
20/4 Barcelona sights
21/4 Barcelona sights
22/4 Board Viking Star (??)
23/4 1800 Viking Star sails
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15788 posts
Note that neither Sevilla nor Granada is near the port. You will probably dock in Malaga. Then it's at least 1.5 hours driving time to Granada if you go with a tour group. For Sevilla, the port is probably Cadiz. Again, it's at least 1.5 hours driving to Sevilla with a tour.
Given the choices in Malaga, Granada is obvious - but make sure it's not a tour that rushes you through the Alhamba - or only visits part of it. In Cadiz, there are other good choices - Cadiz itself, Jerez, and Arcos. And Sevilla deserves at least a 1-night stay.
Posted by
OP
Cinque Terra
15 posts
Thank you for your replies. You have given some good insight into planning our trip
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7159 posts
Whatever you do, don't spend all your time traveling between places. I always have a rental car when I travel in Europe, so for me the choice would be simple. Ensure you spend some time in Madrid because there are plenty of things to see. Toledo is good for one full day, more if you had more time. While El Escorial is nice, the only thing there is the royal tomb. It it very expensive because it is strictly a tourist location. Nearby is the Valley of the Fallen, Franco's monument to those who died during the 1930s Spanish civil war. From there are the towns of Segovia (good for a full day) and Avila. Salamanca is very nice. I noticed someone mentioned Cuenca. It is very pretty. In Madrid, there is one evening a week when the Reina Sofia museum is free to enter after 5pm. Check the museum's website to find out which day. It house's Picasso's famous Guernica painting. Unless you have a rental car, it doesn't matter what order to visit them. Each place you mentioned is worth a visit, so it's really the amount of time you have to visit.
Posted by
Washington DC
28083 posts
A point about Cuenca, where I stayed for two nights and which I enjoyed: It's very doable as a day trip via the AVE train that runs from Madrid to Valencia, which stops at Cuenca-Fernando Zobel and takes about an hour. Otherwise, the travel time would be too much. That AVE train can relatively inexpensive if the ticket is purchased far in advance but can go up to at least 35 euros one way.