I'm planning a trip to Spain with my husband and 12 years old daughter this December. We'll land in Barcelona, spend 2 days, and then travel to Granada. My questions:
1. I want to take a train from Barcelona to Granada. Can anyone share experience?
2. The plan is to spend 3 days in Granada, rent a car and drive to Ronda, spend a night there, drive to Seville and spend 2days ( 3 nights) there.
Is this a feasible plan? Should I replace Ronda with some other places? What are the must see places in Ronda in 1 day? This would be our first time driving outside USA. Any driving tips?
Posted by
6992 posts
Where are you flying home from?
It’s not the plan I would follow in December, but you have to choose what you most want to see and weigh if you’ll ever return, etc.
Why did you choose Ronda?
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
8781 posts
Not knowing what there is to see in Ronda makes me wonder why you chose it over a city like Córdoba that has more to see. One can see all the main sites in Ronda in half a day. Of course, more time can be spent there if you want to hike in the gorge.
Renting a car is a good idea if you intend to stop someplace between Granada and Ronda. The drive is just over two hours so that leaves plenty of time to stop someplace. Antequera, Olvera, or Setinil de las Bodegas might make good stops.
What are your driving concerns? The roads where you want to drive are in good condition and there is little traffic once outside of cities or towns. Drive at or below the speed limit as there are plenty of cameras.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
We'll fly home from Seville.
I chose Ronda seeing a friend 's pictures. Since nothing there is booked, I can change it to another place. That's the reason for this post, to get feedback.
For driving, do we need a special permit?
Posted by
6992 posts
I loved Ronda, but I visited in spring and I prioritize outdoor activity. It really just depends on what you want to see and do. You are covering a lot of ground, and if the weather is not lovely, I am not sure if it would be worth it to you or not. Cordoba would certainly be more efficient.
Posted by
Maryland
1226 posts
Given the relatively short trip you describe I am wondering why you are flying into Northern Spain and then devoting a long day on the train to get to Granada/Ronda/Cordoba/Sevilla where you actually want to spend time. Lots of people love Barcelona for good reason but to me you will not get much out of that stop between two long travel days. Maybe check out the Spanish rail sites (Renfe.com for example, although there are others) for some more information on train schedules before you go much further. Madrid to Cordoba to Granda by train and a drive from Granda to Ronda to Sevilla makes more sense to me. The drive is about Ronda but it also through a beautiful National Park and there are other charming villages to visit on the route (ex. Arcos de la Frontera). The Man in Seat 61 website has LOTS of information on train travel in Europe.
Posted by
below Canada / above Mexico
373 posts
We stayed 2 nights in Ronda in 2023 (our first trip to southern Spain) and are pleased we did. Information on our activities, including places we stopped while driving to/from Ronda, are in our trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-spain-aug-sep-seville-ronda-granada-cordoba-madrid