Southern Spain/Portugal Itinerary - thoughts and best modes of travel in between

Lisbon-Seville leg could be tricky. TAP has one non-stop flight on December 24, currently priced at $202. Next best is a single Vueling connection that's just under 5 hours ($223). If you don't want to fly, you can take the train to Faro and switch to a bus or go bus all the way. Either will be significantly cheaper than flying, but slower. You should certainly book the bus ahead of time. I imagine it would be smart to pre-book the train as well.

Morocco is very interesting, but Tangier isn't anyone's favorite Moroccan city. Given the short amount of time you have for Seville and Granada--and no time at all for Cordoba--I'd skip Tangier and plan to see more of Morocco on a later trip.

I don't know what time your flight back to the US departs, but it may not work to spend your last night in Toledo. I don't think the trains and buses start running back to Madrid terribly early.

Natalie,

My daughter & I visited Annecy this May & we loved it! I'm envious of your friend who lives there!

Regarding your itinerary...

I'd skip Tarifa & Tangier & add those two nights to Sevilla. This will give you more time to explore Sevilla & you may even consider taking a day trip to Córdoba as well (or spend an overnight)

If you haven't done so, make sure you book your Alhambra tickets ASAP

Keep in mind that you will lose up to half a day each time you relocate from one location to the next.

If it were me taking this trip, I'd concentrate my time in Spain, Portugal or France but not all three.

Have a wonderful trip!

Edit:
I was writing at the same time as Acraven, so didn't read her reply till after I posted mine.
Anyway, Acraven makes a good point regarding the train from Toledo (to Madrid) not departing early on the weekends.
The first train departs Toledo at 9:25am on Saturdays & Sundays, so if your flight is early, you're better off sleeping in Madrid (or near the airport) the night before your flight.

I also forgot to mention... My favorite place for authentic tapas in Sevilla is at, "La Antigua Bodeguita", on Plaza San Salvador.
My mom & I ate there three days in a row!

Priscilla and acraven-

Thanks for your replies!! And we will definitely hit up that restaurant recommendation in Seville. :)

I understand that France/Portugal/Spain feels a little disjointed, but i can't go all the way there and not see where my best friend is living - so we are starting our trip and our adventures from there. :)

Would you suggest then staying in Madrid and just daytripping to Toledo? Neither of us have ever been to Toledo and I've been to Madrid three times, so I was curious to spend more time in Toledo - but it may not be worth it given my flight home.

We left Cordoba off mainly because of the stint in Tarifa. If we took Tarifa/Tangier out - would you rework the itinerary after Lisbon?

Thanks again for your help!

Natalie,

Hello. There are two things I can help on.

Getting Around: I see you're going from Lisbon to Seville. I took that same trip three summers back. I took EVA Transportes (http://eva-bus.com/) from Lisbon to Faro and then from Faro to Seville. In addition, you could probably book a flight for around $100 between Lisbon and Seville. Otherwise, I also recommend buses and trains between every stop.

Food: I'm not a foodie, but become one in Spain. One idea is to book a tour with Concepcion Delgado in Seville. She recommended the places where locals eat in Seville, and I followed one of her recommendations. The place she pointed me to was among the best. Look for her information about where to assemble for her tours in Rick's book.

Tenga un buen viaje.

If you find it doesn't work to spend the last night in Toledo, I'd still try to keep 2 nights in that city. It was one of my top 2 stops on this year's summer-long trip to Spain. Of course, it will be different in December, and if you want to take the train from Granada, you'll have to go all the way to Madrid first. ALSA has one direct bus on December 30th that would be about 30 minutes faster than the train journey. Changing hotels is annoying, though, so you could certainly visit Toledo from Madrid on December 31 if that was all the time you had. Do check the opening hours of the major Toledo sights since you'd be there on a Saturday that also happens to be New Year's Eve. For a small city, Toledo has an unusual number of historic buildings and museums that you'll probably want to go inside.

If you free up the Tarifa/Tangier time, it could be used for a day-trip to Cordoba from Seville and some extra time in Seville itself.

Natalie,

I completely understand wanting to spend time in Annecy where your best friend lives. ;-)

If you opt to skip Tangier & Tarifa, you don't necessarily have to change the order of travel, unless you find a reasonably priced flight directly to Granada (from Lisbon).
Then you can travel from Granada to Sevilla via bus or train &
either day trip to Córdoba, or stay overnight ( en route to Madrid/ Toledo)

Regarding your question about staying in Toledo. I happen to love Toledo (& Córdoba), so I'd definitely suggest spending the night there, so you can experience its beauty in the evening/ night & early morning, without the daytime crowds.

If you have an early flight out of Madrid, you may opt to spend the night before your flight near the airport.

Now that I think about it, I'd recommend changing your itinerary as follow (if possible): Lisbon>> fly to Granada>> bus/ train to Sevilla>> train to Córdoba >>Toledo, via Madrid). By taking this route, you'll avoid the long trek from Granada to Toledo & thereby you will arrive to Toledo earlier.

Consider leaving most of your luggage at the Atocha station & just take an overnight bag to Toledo.

When in Toledo try the tapas at El Trébol near Plaza Zocodover.
If you visit Córdoba, send me a PM & I will be happy to give you some of my favorite places to eat.

Enjoy!

Edit: If you cannot change the order of travel, then keep your original itinerary ( but skip Tangier& Tarifa), and add Córdoba if possible. This would be my second choice, if you've already booked your flight from Lisbon to Sevilla:
Lisbon>> Sevilla (3N)>> Granada(2N)>> Córdoba (1N) >> Toledo (1-2N)>> Madrid(1N)