Hi...
My wife and I are planning a trip to Spain in October...staying 2 weeks. I am afraid that will not be enough time to see both North and South areas of the country. If you fly into Madrid and HAD to select North vs South, which one? Thanks in advance. Safe travels.
Timothy
That is a tough question with no good answer. It just depends on what you want to see and do. In Oct I probably would go south just for slightly better weather.
Frank,
Thank you… will we need to be that concerned with the weather in early October? And if we go south, we miss Barcelona.. correct?
We were in Barcelona in October, and it was not too bad. For two weeks my suggestion would be to go to Barcelona, Granada, Sevilla and Madrid. I think you have time to see all four of those assuming your two weeks equals 14 days.
Nestor...thank you. Would you include Granada in that group as well??
I did include Granada. Train from Sevilla to Granada or backwards depending on the direction you are taking.
We did a day trip to Cordoba from Sevilla.
I love Cordoba. There is plenty to do for a few days.
If you are flying in and out of Madrid, I would immediately train to Cordoba for at least two nights, then Granada for two, Sevilla for five, then Toledo for at least two nights and back to Madrid. From Madrid, there are many day trip options and I would highly recommend Segovia for one of them.
How about spending two weeks in a region. Andalucía is huge and worth a couple trips by itself. Extremadura is good for a couple weeks. You could also combine Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria into two weeks. Which you choose should depend on what you want to see and do and how you’re getting around.
If I had to pick only one, I wouldn’t choose north or south. I’d choose a smaller geographic area and thoroughly cover it knowing I’ll return. We always have a rental car.
Northern Spain is green, mountainous, wet, rough sea, wonderful food, extremely beautiful landscapes, fishing towns...quite different to the "classic" idea of Spain that has been (wrongly) exported all over the world. Two different worlds, north and south, west and east, Spain is a very, very heterogeneous country and it´s a mix of so many varied cultures, ways of life, meals, climates, landscapes...
Picking either north or south is a good idea - we did that on separate trips. Not that we’ve seen all of Spain now, but our first trip involved places south, including Granada and Seville, but not Cordoba.
The “north” trip, by the way, was in October, so a worthwhile trip can be made then. We did get a couple of days, though, with substantial rain, and it wasn’t beach weather, if that’s something you’d want to include. After several days in Madrid, including a daytrip to Toledo, we also stayed a night in Segovia. Finished with the Madrid area, we took a 5-hour train in the morning to Bilbao, and stayed in the Old Town. Then San Sebastián (aka Donostia) for several nights, Girona, and Barcelona. There were several Salvador Dali sights along the way, and tremendous food.
San Sebastian is nice! We flew into Bilbao and took a bus into San Sebastian. It was cheaper to fly into Bilbao and less travel time with the layovers. Our purpose was to Hike in the area. ( the Camino) You can bus to many place in that area.
We then flew to Barcelona and took a train to Figueres. We hiked in Roses and along the Coast.( the Camino de Ronda) Beautiful!
Many beautiful towns to visit on the coast.
This year we are headed to Blanes and hiking up the Coast. Check out the YouTube videos on these area! That might help you plan your trip!
The coastal stretch of northern Spain between the Basque Country and Galicia is a great option to have for a summer trip to Spain--a time when the south (and even Madrid) can be really unpleasant because of the heat. The northern coastal area of Spain tends to be overcast, rainy and rather cool even in the middle of the summer.
In October, I'd prefer to head south. Barcelona and Valencia would be reasonable bets as well, from the weather standpoint. But be careful about the amount of geography you decide to cover; two weeks isn't a lot of time if you're going to change cities three for four times, especially if you cannot snag multi-city airline tickets that allow you to fly into Barcelona and out of Seville or perhaps Malaga. The trip between Barcelona and Seville or Granada requires either quite a lot of hours on a train or a flight, either of which will cost you a good chunk of a day from hotel to hotel.
I would choose Madrid and Andalucia in October because the temperatures should be more comfortable for sightseeing. Summers in Andalucia are EXTREMELY HOT! Think of temps in the 90's and 100's.
Start off in Madrid and then move south. If you can, try to get open-jaw or multi-city airline reservations. For example, fly into Madrid and home from Seville or Malaga. That way you don't waste time by backtracking to Madrid.
I would spend the entire two weeks in Madrid and Andalucia, and save Barcelona and other points north for a separate trip.
So for this trip, a possible itinerary could be:
Madrid - 4 nights
Toledo - 1 or 2 nights
Cordoba - 2 nights
Granada - 2 nights
Seville - 4 nights
For a total of 14 nights.
Cordoba is a wonderful city. The Mezquita is magnificent and so unique. And there are many other interesting sites such as the Alcazar and gardens, Palacio de Viana, Roman Bridge, the Mercado, and just wandering and exploring the lovely Juderia. Spending a night or two in Cordoba is so much better than seeing it as a daytrip.
If Malaga (another wonderful and underrated city) is better for airfares and schedules, then make Malaga your last stop. You could spend 2 nights here. If you do this, take a night from Toledo and a night from Cordoba. OR if you can arrive in Malaga early enough in the day to do some sightseeing, then only take one night from Toledo but spend 2 nights in Cordoba.
Our northern trip was:
Bilbao
Donostia
Iruñea
Zaragoza
Sitges
Barcelona
22 days
The only city I would skip is Iruñea. We had a great time overall.
Our upcoming trip will be:
Málaga
Granada
Sevilla
Córdoba
Madrid
23 days
No, you cannot see the entire country of Spain in two weeks.
You also have to understand the words "north and south" are very general, and encompass multiple regions of the country.
I actually lived, worked and went to the university in the region of Castilla-Leon, so I have a special fondness for this part of the country more than any other. I think that the Spanish language here is very rich, the area is quite historic and unique, and it is a bit more off the tourism path. My favorite cities in this part of the country include Santiago de Campostela (actually in Galicia, further north), Madrid, Segovia, Avila, and Salamanca. Toledo, in La Mancha, is another one of my absolute favorites. I could spend a week just visiting all the castles and cathedrals.
In the South, I love Sevilla, I find Cordoba quite sweet, Granada is a must-see because of the Alhambra, and yes, Ronda, Malaga, and Cadiz are all worth a visit. I also like the remoteness of Extremadura. Then there are beaches and beaches!
On the East coast, Valencia and further north, Barcelona, are also very popular with visitors.
You need to learn about all of these places and decide what truly interests you and what is a must-see. You have to consider your budget and your transportation--car or train? Then decide on your priorities and map out a route. Usually I choose to stay in the special castle/monastery hotels called paradores, so I map my trip out using their locations as bases.
The goal should not just be to create a check-off list of what you quickly see, but to create a meaningful and special trip that introduces you to the true heart and soul of the country, with all of its mighty history and special cultural components.
