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Southern Spain Itinerary Suggestions/Help

My bf and I are going to Spain for a little over a week in October and want to focus our time on the Andalusian region and could use some advice on how to organize our itinerary. We are flying in and out of Madrid (getting in October 13th in the morning and flying out October 24 morning).

We would like to visit Sevilla, Granada, and Cordoba, and if time permits, end our trip in a beach town like Nerja. We’d also be interested in shorter day trips if there is time.

Any recommendations on order? We’re leaning towards using public transit but would consider renting a car if that is better.

Posted by
4219 posts

Car won't help on this itinerary. I would start in Cordoba, as you have the shortest train time from Madrid. Train and bus will serve you well for the rest. You will want to be back in Madrid the night before flight.

Posted by
2767 posts

So you need to be back in Madrid on the evening of the 23. I’d start from there and work backward. If you want to end in Nerja, how are the connections for Madrid? If you decide to skip the beach, or do it in the middle, then consider ending on the place that makes going back to Madrid easiest. I think that would be Cordoba.

If I’m counting right you have 11 nights, the last of which needs to be in Madrid for flight reasons. So 10 nights and 3-4 places. I’d skip the coast this time and go Granada - Seville - Cordoba. 4-4-2 nights. There’s time to do Nerja (trade one night from G and/or S for 1-2 nights in Nerja) but IMO the logistics don’t work as well and I prefer to not rush - these places are about atmosphere and lingering not rushing.

From Granada you could do a day trip to Nerja (I did it by car). A rental car is not needed for going from city to city but having one for a day here or there makes day trips easier. You can rent for only a day or two if it makes sense, no need to have it the whole time.

Posted by
7595 posts

I suggest you consider skipping the beach. I wasn't that impress with Costa del Sol beaching when I visited.

Seville is the gem, do at least 4 nights there. You can stop in Cordoba on your way south to Seville from Madrid. Granada is worth two days.

Also, consider visiting Toledo, just south of Madrid at some point.

I remember planning my first trip to Spain decades ago and a writer said two places NOT to miss were Toledo and Seville.

Posted by
26840 posts

The problem with doing Cordoba last is that--unless you want to squeeze in Toledo--you then have to begin the trip in either Seville or Granada. Both those cities are a considerable distance from Madrid, and the rail tickets are likely to be quite costly if purchased the day of travel. Bargains can be had if you buy the tickets quite early, but those tickets are good only for the specific departure date and time you choose.

It's a challenge to guess (and that's what it is, a guess) how much time to allow between the scheduled arrival time of your flight and the departure time of a train (which will leave from Atocha Station downtown). You could be very conservative and allow a 5-hour gap, but that's likely to be more time than you need. How will you feel as you sit, sleep-deprived and jetlagged, at Atocha while multiple trains to your destination depart but you cannot take them because your ticket is for a later train? But if you are less conservative in your choice of departure time and your flight is delayed or canceled (or Immigration is backed up, or one of your bags goes astray and you end up in a long line of folks filing lost-luggage claims), the aggressive bargain ticket you purchased well ahead of time will be useless and you'll have to buy a new ticket, probably at a high price.

This is an awkward situation to be in, because there's no predictable correct choice; there's just what turns out to be a lucky choice or an unlucky choice. The risk of financial loss is less if that first rail trip is a short one. Toledo (aside from being one of Spain's top sights) is ideal as a first stop in this situation because the rail fare is fixed at only 13.90 euros.

But you have only ten full days (eleven nights) in Spain and have to spend the last night in Madrid, leaving ten nights to distribute among your other stops. That works well for Seville, Granada and Cordoba but gets tight when you try to add another destination. I love Toledo, but I'd vote for taking somewhat more financial risk on the train ticket and starting the trip in Cordoba.

Another thing to consider is that it is far from rare for trains on the Barcelona-Cordoba-Seville line to sell out before departure, so there is some risk involved in waiting to buy that ticket until your flight lands in Spain. Trains to Toledo can also sell out, but I'd guess that's not too likely with midday trains unless you're traveling around a holiday. I don't know about trains to Granada, but there aren't many of them, so you don't have a lot of options there.

Posted by
6734 posts

Skip the "beach trip." You don't have time. The beach isn't that great. You would miss some of Spain's best stuff in order to get to this disappointing beach. Lots of other good advice above.

Posted by
15560 posts

The price for one ticket today from Madrid to Cordoba is €79.45. The price for one ticket on Oct. 3 is €46.35. If you buy in advance and miss the train, you'll forfeit the tickets. So that's your risk. You can get from the airport to Atocha station by train (the simplest), taxi (the most expensive but, depending on wait time at the airport and traffic into the city, may be the fastest), or bus. You can buy your tickets to Cordoba at the airport if you don't have them already. The local train from there to Atocha is included in the price. The ticket agent will give those tickets to you and will book the next available train to Cordoba. If you already bought tickets you can use a machine to get the local train tickets.

2 nights Cordoba
3-5 nights Sevilla
2-3 nights Granada (you need 2N for one full day)
2-4 nights Madrid
(total 11 nights)

As acraven has suggested, you could go to Toledo first. Buy tickets at the airport. Buying tickets from an agent at Atocha can take hours. Using machines can be a hassle, not sure if they all take cash, some people have had issues using US credit cards. Allow at least 15 minutes transfer time at Atocha (30 is probably better, some people find the train station very confusing). It adds a hotel change but saves lots of worry and eliminates risk. Toledo is a great place to visit, and better overnight than as a day trip from Madrid.

2N Toledo
1-2N Cordoba
3-4N Sevilla
2-3N Granada
1-3N Madrid

Posted by
15560 posts

Also be sure to get your Alhambra tickets soon after you nail down your itinerary. They often sell out in advance, though right now it looks like all of October is available. This is the official website.