Spain during spring break

When is your spring break?

Easter is on April 1st, 2018, so Holy Week (Semana Santa) will be the week before. There will be week-long processions well into the night in most of the Andalusian towns.

March is very pleasant in Andalucia. We often visit during Easter which falls variably between late March/early April. On some occasions we've had a couple of rainy days but typically it is warm and sunny. The mountain villages such as Rhonda etc can be a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings so it's certainly advisable to layer clothing. It's an ideal time for walking and exploring as you don't have the brutal heat of summer.

I would certainly choose Malaga over Madrid if the cost isn't too prohibitive.

Best with a car ...

Day
1. Arrive Malaga. To Ronda (1)
2. To Seville (2)
3. Seville
4. To Cordoba (1)
5. To Granada (2)
6. Alhambra
7. To Nerja/Malaga (1)
8. Depart Malaga

We will miss Easter - Spring break is March 10th - 18th. Malaga is not much more expensive than flying into Madrid and would get us a little closer to where we want to be. Any suggestions on a 6 day itinerary from Malaga would be very helpful. We are willing to take trains/buses or hire a car.

Bit tricky if you only have 5 nights.

Day
1. Arrive Malaga. To Seville (2)
2. Seville
3. Via Cordoba to Granada (2)
4. Alhambra
5. To Malaga (1)
6. Depart Malaga

I'd be more inclined to fly in/out of Madrid, spending all 5 nights in one location, and making day trips to Toledo and Segovia.

Thank you so much for all your ideas. I don't typically think about taking a trip to Europe during Spring Break because Its only a week. I thinking basing myself in one or two places may be the answer.

Malaga is not much more expensive than flying into Madrid and would get us a little closer to where we want to be. That's sort of true. I think it would take you about an hour longer to get to Cordoba from Madrid airport than from Malaga airport. There are more trains from Madrid, so even though the journey's longer, the waiting time could be less.

Where do you want to go most? If you stay in Sevilla, you can daytrip by train/bus to Cadiz, Jerez, Arcos, and Cordoba. Granada usually means at least a 2-night stay. Much as I enjoyed Malaga, it doesn't have nearly as much to offer as Sevilla, Cordoba, or Granada.

For something different, Google Las Fallas in Valencia. The festival begins on March 15 and it's a lovely city. You could combine Barcelona and Valencia.

Chani,

Thank you for responding.

I was not planning on staying in Malaga but just to use it as a way to get closer to the area. But, as you pointed out, train service is not much longer from Madrid to Sevilla and would be more frequent. I think I would like to focus on Sevilla and Granada and take day trips from there. I have not been to Spain in 30 years but it did include Barcelona. My focus back then was the beach and night life! I would really like to visit Rhonda as well. Is that doable from Granada? Maybe, if we put Rhonda on the last leg of the trip, we should get a cheap budge flight back to Madrid from Malaga. I am usually so good at planning my European vacations, but I just don't know Spain very well. Thanks for all your help.

Margaret, my daughter (who is also a teacher) and I did a very similar trip over spring break last year, although we stole a day from each side of spring break, giving us a couple of extra nights. We flew in and out of Madrid because of cheap flights and immediately trained to Córdoba for a night, then Seville for 4 nights, Granada for 3 nights, and back to Madrid for a night before flying home. Loved all of it, but if you can't squeeze extra nights you could day trip to Córdoba from Seville (train straight to Seville upon arrival) and cut a night from Granada (giving you 1 1/2 days there).

We used public transportation the whole way, but some here talk about renting a car and seeing Ronda as a day trip (we chose to see Jerez) - or driving between the 2 main cities and stopping on the way (not spending a night). For us, coming from DFW, it was really not easier to fly to Malaga (or Granada or Seville) and certainly was not cheaper.

We loved the trip, loved Andalucia, and March spring break may be my new favorite travel time - it was certainly a perfect time to see Andalucia! :)

Travelmom (best wishes with things in Texas) was lucky to have 9 nights to play with. A few extra nights would certainly make the trip worthwhile. With only five, I would hesitate.

Travelmom and David,

9-10 days would be perfect, but I can't tag days on to my Spring Break (Contract does not allow this). I can't even sneak out a little earlier on Friday to catch the evening flight from Chicago or Dallas as I have to make a connection from Springfield, MO. So that leaves me flying out Saturday and arriving in Madrid on Sunday. I could leave Madrid the following Sunday and arrive in time to return to work on the Monday morning. (exhausting I know). So yes, this is why I am hesitant. March is the perfect time to go - climate is good and its far enough away from my summer plans - I am looking at $1100 round trip for airfare. I don't know if I want to spend this much to only to have 7 days on the ground in Spain.

Thanks for taking time out to respond and yes, Travelmom, stay safe in Texas. We are all thinking about you here in Missouri.

Wow, that's an expensive airfare from the US, going from what I have seen others post at various times.

If you want to go to Granada, then Malaga makes a lot of sense. Fly into Malaga and take the bus or train straight to Granada. From Granada you can use train or bus to Ronda (no H - Rhonda was one of my roommates at summer camp :-), then train or bus to Sevilla/Cordoba. A car might be better since it allows you to enjoy driving through the hills and seeing more of the white villages (pueblos blancos). You can rent in Granada and drop off in Sevilla or Cordoba. If you have a flight out of Madrid or Malaga early afternoon or later, you can get there from Sevilla/Cordoba by train in the morning. Otherwise you'll want to take an evening train to your departure city.

Read this article about Spanish train system. Check the schedules and figure out what works for you. Schedules don't change much, so look at a near date, like next week, for the day of the week you would be traveling. ALSA is the major bus company. To/from Granada and Ronda, sometimes the bus is more convenient.

My first visit was 6 nights, public transit. On a short trip it's easier to keep it simple. I did 3 nights Seville, 3 nights Granada.

I flew into Madrid, arrived at 6AM, got an afternoon train to Seville and arrived by dinnertime, and then had 2 full days there. Then I checked out of my hotel, took the train to Cordoba for a half-day and saw the Mesquita. Then the late afternoon bus to Granada, arrived in time for dinner, and 2 days in Granada. Then home from Granada (early flight to Madrid, connecting on to Chicago).

A bit of a whirlwind, but I find changing hotels the most annoying part of a short trip, so picking 1-2 places will minimize that. I have been back for more in-depth visits, but this was a good intro to the most popular parts.

Mira, I really like your itinerary. Thanks for everyone who gave input. I now have a good idea on how this is going to work with my limited days in Spain. Keep it Simple, fly into Madrid, use the trains, and plan to come back another time. Now to research hotels, train schedules, and hopefully a good flight deal.

Yes, I also thought Mira very skilfully got the most out of her limited time.

I will that my whirlwind visit included a visit to the Prado and the Reina Sofia in Madrid. Arrive Madrid 6AM, express bus to Atocha, check bags in the station, wander around until the museums open, visit the highlights, lunch, train to Seville. Of course, after visiting these museums on other trips I realize that I was too jet lagged to get the most out of it...but still a nice bonus to be able to see a few highlights in Madrid. If I could have flown into Seville I would have, but the schedules didn't work out.