We're planning to spend about 3 1/2 weeks in Spain and Lisbon next spring, mostly via train. Our focus is smaller towns and local color vs the big tourist sights (although we do have a few must- sees.) For those of you who've spent time in Spain, I'd love your thoughts on what you most enjoyed in these towns/cities. Right now this is our list - the order may change as I look at train routes. We want to experience fado, flamenco, a Spanish guitar concert, beautiful cathedrals, a whitewashed town, and one of the bullfighting museums in the south (but not an actual bullfight.) We'll skip the Alhambra, and make a day trip into Madrid to see Guernica.
The plan:
1. arrive Barcelona - 4 nights/ 3 days - ideally in a suburb closer to the water. Must see: Sagrada Familia
Then flying to
2. San Sebastien - 3 nights/ 2 days - Basque culture and food, the Basque museum
train to
3. Segovia - 3 nights/ 2 days
4. Toledo - 3 nights/ 2 days
5. Cordoba - 3nights/ 2 days
6. Sevilla - 3 nights/ 2 days
7. Ronda - 2 nights/ 1 day
8. Lisbon - 4 nights/ 3 days
return to US
Posted by
below Canada / above Mexico
358 posts
We spent 3 weeks in Spain and Portugal in Aug/Sep 2023. We experienced fado, flamenco, a Spanish guitar concert, cathedrals, a whitewashed town, and a bullfighting museum. Our trip reports have the details, and lists the highlights:
- Portugal including Lisbon (4 nights) (parts 1, 4): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-portugal-aug-sep-porto-coimbra-lisbon-then-to-spain
- Spain including Sevilla (3 nights), Ronda (2), Cordoba (1) (parts 1, 2, 3, 5): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-spain-aug-sep-seville-ronda-granada-cordoba-madrid
Posted by
Chicago
1223 posts
I haven't charted it out, but your scheduling doesn't quite make sense, as it comes
out to 17 days and 25 nights, so unless there are full days allocated to travel, something
doesn't add up.
Apart from that, Segovia can probably be done in 1 day if needed. Same for Ronda
depending on whether you might plan to hike in the area or not.
A day trip into Madrid just to see Guernica seems like a lot of overhead, although
the Reina Sofia is an easy stroll from Atocha station. Maybe you mean you'd stop
along the way from Segovia to Toledo?
When you say you want to stay in a suburb of Barcelona, are you thinking away from
the city proper? It may introduce some inefficiencies in your travel days.
Posted by
new york
1280 posts
I'll just addd that the order of three Andalusia cities might be better like this:
Cordoba, Ronda, Sevilla, and then on to Portugal from Seville. But I know nothing about buses or train routes.
Ronda is the outlier, as it's a big detour from Cordoba to Sevilla.
Would a different "white town" be an alternative to Ronda..one that is not so far off your route?
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
8384 posts
@shoeflyer - travel days are not in the calculations; only the days in the towns themselves.
For Segovia and Toledo the train goes through Madrid. That travel day might be a good day to visit the Reina Sofía to see Guernica since the museum is across the street from Atocha where you catch the train to Toledo. An alternative would be to take a bus from Segovia to Toledo, but then you’d need a separate day trip into Madrid to see the painting.
There’s nothing wrong with the itinerary, but all of the places on your list is a major tourist destination, so you won’t get a real small town feel like you would if visiting any number of villages that seldom see a tourist. For those, a rental car would be best.
The bullfighting museum in Córdoba was nice and not very large.
Posted by
OP
the great P-NW
536 posts
Thanks, all, for your assistance. Much appreciated.
GeoffB, such great trip reports. So much information, well organized. Thank you.
shoeflyer, While in Madrid we'll take in a park and some other things. But now considering the option to just stroll over to the Reina Sofia from the train station too. Yes, we may be less efficient in Barcelona staying in a suburb, but we want a day to chill and get over jet lag before hitting the big city. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
jaimeelsablo, thanks so much for the routing ideas. I agree a rental car would be better, but alas not possible for our particular little group. Will consider bus an an option.
ekscrunchy - any other white town options you'd recommend via car or bus? Thanks for the comments.
Posted by
new york
1280 posts
I'd chose a 'white town" closer to Sevilla; there are so many.
La Puebla del Rio is about 20-minutes outside Seville, but you'd have to look up bus schedules. That's just one option...
https://www.turismosevilla.org/en/province-seville/our-towns/la-puebla-del-rio
Posted by
6612 posts
Not a fan of the even itself, but we felt the Ronda bullfighting museum gave an interesting overview.
I think one could make a case to skip flying to San Sebastian for such a brief stop, but if you’re happy with the allotment I can’t push the issue.