I've planned a month long trip in Spain based on highlights from this website and others. We'll be arriving in Barcelona and travelling by train and bus to Madrid (4), Segovia (2), Toledo (2), Cordoba (2), Granada (4), Malaga (4), Ronda (3), Arcos de la Frontera (3), and Seville (7). I've put in brackets the number of days I plan to stay in each location. Does this itinerary seem reasonable or would it be wiser to pick maybe 3 base locations (possibly Madrid, Malaga and Seville) and plan day trips from there? My original plan includes a day trip to Figueres from Barcelona and to Los Pueblos Blancos and Jerez de la Frontera from Arcos. Usually we prefer to take our time exploring each location which is why I planned overnight stays. This is our first trip to Spain so I am unsure how convenient the bus and train stations are to city centres and attractions. Any recommendations will be much appreciated.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
So you're not planning to spend any time in Barcelona? If it were me, I wouldn't allow so much time in the "white towns" - they aren't all that different. You list 31 nights already, without Barcelona. Every time you change locations you will lose a half-day or more just to travel - checking in and out, eating, waiting for your bus, finding your new hotel, etc. I think you need to look at what the travel times are between places, and make some cuts. You already have too many nights allotted and it's all run run run. You will be happier if you take it slower. I have been to Spain five times now and still haven't seen everything on my list.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7162 posts
I think for the most part you have a good number of days for each location. For Ronda, one full day would be sufficient, so possibly 2 nights (unless you plan to take a day trip). Seven days in Sevilla seems excessive too. If you cut a couple days there, you could add in Salamanca or Burgos, or another day in Madrid.
All being said, a lot of what you do is dependent on train and bus schedules. Some might say your itinerary is aggressive so you need to weigh the time it will take to get to some of these places versus the time you'll get to enjoy the places. You don't want to spend so much time getting to and from places that you can't enjoy them.
I always have a rental car, so others who use public transportation will opine on the ease of getting around using trains and busses. Sounds like a nice trip.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4656 posts
As said, where does Barcelona fit in this picture? I might also rearrange the flow depending on arrival and departure cities.
I am not sure I totally agree with the losing half a day every move, as some of these places are short transits and I personally think there is false economy in a lot of day trips just to avoid some overnights. I can see the purpose of making Toledo, Segovia & Cordoba overnighters, as all these places are packed with day trippers, so overnight allows you to carve some quieter time for yourself and see what the city looks like without the hordes. However, the three of them in a row might test your energy. It may be possible to put Cordoba between Seville and Granada. I wonder if three nights each for Arco and Ronda might be too much?
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Hi Betty.
I count 31 nights, without your time planned for Barcelona being mentioned. So are you planning 5+ weeks all up?
Posted by
OP
Central Canada
2 posts
Thank you so much for these replies as this is exactly what I was hoping for. I neglected to note that I had planned for 4 days in Barcelona. Since this is the Spain forum I didn't elaborate on our plans but we are arriving in Barcelona on January 1st and plan to spend January in Spain, February in the Azores, and March in mainland Portugal. We will then be flying to Amsterdam for the Tulip Festival before heading home at the end of March. So far only the flights have been booked so until I figure out a reasonable itinerary the number of days in each area is flexible. I have 86 days to work with. I used the rome2rio website to estimate travel times and it ranges from 45 minutes to 3 hours so travel time is minimal. But I am concerned about the time spent checking in/out of hotels and getting to/from train or bus stations. I'll do more research on the Ronda and Arcos areas to see which one I could delete from the itinerary as it did seem to be a lot of days in that region. Most of our vacations are with our timeshare so we are used to staying at least one week. This will definitely be a different experience for us!
Posted by
Chicago
8166 posts
Beware you may arrive too early for Tulips around or at Keukenoff
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
I'm with you now. How fantastic for you. It all sounds wonderful ... he says typing with a hint of jealousy in his fingertips.
Looking at 5 weeks all up, and to minimise stress, maximise relaxation, I would plan for a full week in all 3 big cities - Barcelona, Madrid, Seville. You don't want to move about too much. Also in January you will find the coast milder than the interior. You might like to consider Valencia and Salamanca as possible additions.
Week
1. Barcelona - day trip to Figueres, Girona, Montserrat
2. Valencia (3), Salamanca (2), Toledo (2)
3. Madrid - day trip to Segovia, Avila, El Escorial
4. Granada (3), Ronda (2), Arcos (2)
5. Seville - day trip to Cordoba, Cadiz, Jerez
Hopping about in weeks 2&4 is balanced by the long stays in weeks 1,3,5. This is important on extended trips when you want to factor in rest days and time for laundry etc.