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Spain by public transport

Posted by on

Hi all, I'll be doing a solo trip in june and I would like to travel Spain (Madrid areas and Andalusia) by train/bus. I've mapped out a rough itinerary and researched quite a bit (but havent read this forum thoroughly!) but I cant seem to find concrete information on public transport between some places (just one or two posts saying that there are buses, but not found on the web)

  • Are there any regular buses from Avila to Segovia?
  • What about regular buses from Consuegra to Cordoba or Granada? If there aren't, I'm planning to take bus from consuegra back to madrid, then to either cordoba or granada
  • Should I start in Cordoba or Granada? Current route (main places) is Madrid > Cordoba > Granada > Seville > Cadiz > back to Seville to Lisbon. Feel free to suggest a more logical route :)
  • Is Veger worth it? It looks absolutely amazing, but it is hard to reach. If I am going, I'll be staying a night to do the travelling time justice. Any other place to suggest? Looking for accessible white villages, planning to go to just one. Not really interested in Ronda and Arcos.

I'll be spending 2 full days in Madrid, 1 day in El Escorial and Avila, 2 half-days in Segovia (afternoon-night, morning-afternoon), (1/2 day buffer time to Toledo), 1 full day in Toledo, half day to Consuegra and spend the rest of the day travelling to Andalusia (but might be too rushed?), 2.5/3 days in Cordoba (depends on travel time from Consuegra), 1 day in Ubeda and Baeza, 3.5 days in Granada + 1/2 day hike in Lecrin Valley, 4.5 days in Seville (is this too much?), 1.5 days in Cadiz, 1 full day in Veger, (buffer 1 day travelling from Veger to Lisbon, rest for the rest of the day), 3 full days in Lisbon, 1.5 days in Sintra (is it enough?), back to Lisbon for flight. All the days are calculated after deducting travelling time.

A little more about myself: I like architecture and history, but not a fan of museums. For example, in palace museums I am usually wowed by the interior design eg. tiles,mosaic etc etc and not the items on displays. Hence i would probably just pop by some free museums in Madrid, would not spend too much time as I am not a fan of art as well. I like nature, mostly mountain views, but I'll be travelling by public transport and hence a side trip to Lecrin Valley from Granada as it is accessible, there are olive and orange groves and there are some easy hiking routes. For parks and gardens - 1 and 2 is fine, I don't need to go to all the famous gardens/parks, (but I need to go to all the historical monuments, cathedrals etc etc!!) I would love to just wander around the old towns for maybe a few hours, hence the extra time in each place as compared to other travellers. But do tell me if I am allocating too much/too little time in certain places!

Thanks a lot for your help! I greatly appreciate your suggestions :)

Posted by
7175 posts

U mean Vejer de la Frontera?
It is one of the few places in Andalusia that I haven't been, but it is on my radar for the future.

I think your best routing is ...
Madrid >> Toledo+Consuegra >> Madrid >> Córdoba >> Granada >> pueblos blancos >> Sevilla

I think Avila, Segovia, El Escorial are all best done separately from Madrid if you have the time.

Consuegra may be best as a day trip from Toledo. Samar is the bus company for Toledo - Consuegra.

Cadiz and Vejer de la Frontera may be best as day trips from a base in Jerez..

Posted by
5294 posts

Miffy,

To answer some of your questions:

  • Yes there is a bus you can take from Avila to Segovia: http://www.avanzabus.com/web/ ( click top right to change to English)

  • No, there is no direct bus from Consuegra to Córdoba or Granada but you may consider route as David (above)has suggested, especially since there is a bus to/from Toledo >> Consuegra : http://samar.es/horarios/nacional

  • The route depends on where you want to end up at the end of your trip.
    Your route makes good sense Madrid >> Toledo & Consuegra >> AVE train (via Madrid) to Córdoba>> bus to Granada>> bus to Sevilla

Check here for bus schedules/tickets for Córdoba >>Granada >> Sevilla: https://www.alsa.es/en

Check here for train schedules/tickets:http://www.renfe.com

  • Have you considered flying from Sevilla to Lisbon? It will save you some time...

Enjoy your trip!

Edit : Check here for inexpensive flights: http://www.skyscanner.com

Posted by
4 posts

David:
Yes I mean Vejer de la Frontera!
Okay, your routing sounds good but I am planning to go to only Vejer de la Frontera and not the usual Ronda and Arcos, and the only bus there is from Cadiz (or Jerez), hence I'm going to Seville first then Cadiz.
Which is better - Jerez or Cadiz? I'm interested in the history of the city - palaces, churches etc. Is there more to see in Jerez than horses and sherry?
And since you have been to most places in Andalusia, do you think 2.5 days in Cordoba, 3 days in Granada and 4.5 days in Seville is reasonable?

Thanks xx

Hi Priscilla!
Thanks a lot for your response, I'll take note of them! Flying to Lisbon sounds like a good idea!! Thanks a lot for the information :)

Posted by
4 posts

Update: I think I might just go to Ronda to see the bridge and admire the view of the gorge (stop for a few hours) so now my plan would be Córdoba > Granada > Ronda > Cadiz + Vejer de la frontera > Seville

Is that logical? It seems better as I don't have to go to Seville to go to Cadiz, and then Cadiz back to Seville again

Posted by
7175 posts

It sounds like you have 11 nights for that section.
Perhaps...
Córdoba - 2 nights
Granada - 2 nights
Ronda - 1 night
Sevilla - 3 nights
Jerez - 3 nights (with days to Cadiz and Vejer)

I would choose Jerez, as it's more of a cross roads for transport connections. Cadiz is the end of the line. Whilst I like Cadiz and find it an interesting stop, I feel Jerez offers you better overall atmosphere.

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