Spain travel

When you say 9 days, do you mean 8 nights or 9 nights in Spain?

If you have 8 nights, I'm afraid you'll have to skip Granada: 2 nights Madrid, 3 Sevilla, 3 Barcelona.

If you have 9 nights, a very fast-paced itinerary could be 2 nights in Madrid, 2-3 in Sevilla, 1-2 in Granada and 3 in Barcelona. I say "1-2 nights" for Granada but unless you manage to get to Granada very early, 2 nights is easier logistically speaking: visiting the Alhambra takes a while, and if you visit it on arrival day, getting into town, to a hotel, dropping luggage and going up the hill to the Alhambra eats up a lot of time.

But personally, I would skip Granada again and add a night to Barcelona.

You can consider flying between Granada and Barcelona, also between Sevilla and Barcelona to a lesser degree. For the rest of the journeys, the train will work.

I can't say how the classes are like on those trains, in recent years I've only done road trips in Spain.

Basic is a type of ticket (no refunds, no changes), not a class of travel. If you click on the fare box for a train on the Renfe website, the ticket restrictions will be displayed.

You're trying to do an awful lot in a very short time. How many nights will you have in Spain, not counting the night on the flight from the US/Canada? Or will you already be in Europe and then get to Madrid via train or a short flight?

What time of year is this trip?

Basic is a type of ticket (no refunds, no changes), not a class of travel.

Basico is actually both a type of ticket and, intrinsically, a class of travel—in what might commonly be referred to as the second-class carriage.

Elige, the next step up from Basico is a type of ticket (more flexible) that allows a choice of class/seat types—larger seats for an increased fare. (While the 'confort' seats are in the first class carriages, they do not offer any additional services.)

Preferente is the first class, with the most flexibility, larger seats, and a list of first-class services.

Don't forget to look at your options on the Iryo trains (Whose fare categories are even more confusing.)

I am sorry , but we will be there for a total of nine days excluding both flights. I have a feeling it will be a lot . So can someone can give me suggestions on where to start and ends this vacation , the best train itinerary as well . My family is not a museum enthusiast.Thanks

I think there are a few ways you can organize this trip. Everyone’s preferences are different so I’ll share what I’ve done on my four trips to Spain and what I liked about each.

Madrid area- I personally don’t care much for Madrid - it’s a big city that feels very cosmopolitan but for me lacked the unique charm of traveling to Europe- that’s a personal opinion of course and others might have a different view. it is a great home base for a number of day trips that could be of interest- depending on what your family enjoys. From Madrid there are a number of cultural, religious and historical points of interest. This could easily be a 9 day trip.

Southern Spain- I love this area because I love Moorish history and medieval towns. One trip we took the high speed train from Madrid to Sevilla and stayed in Sevilla , Granada and Arcos de La Fronterra ( the white mountain towns). We did all of this using trains ( perhaps buses too I can’t remember). If you’re in this area of Spain it’s easy to add a beach trip if your family would like a break from cultural tourism and sightseeing. This was part of a two week trip that included a few days in Barcelona. With 9 days assuming you don’t want to spend your trip on trains getting from point to point you could focus in the southern part of Spain.

Barcelona is my favorite city in the world. I love the vibe, the architecture, the Gaudi buildings, parks etc. You can also access a more urban beach nearby. A trip that focuses on just Madrid and surrounding area and Barcelona could be a good plan for a first time visit.

To the OP, you still didn’t say how many nights you actually have on the ground. That is the easiest way to plan trips.

You don’t have a lot of time whether it’s 9 nights or 8 nights. One possibility is to concentrate on Madrid and Barcelona since you are flying into Madrid and out of Barcelona. Toledo would be a good addition to a Madrid/Barcelona trip. So, perhaps 3 nights in Madrid, 2 nights in Toledo, and 4 nights in Barcelona. Save Andalusia for a separate trip when you can do it justice.

Normally, I would recommend 4 nights for Madrid but since you don’t like museums (Madrid has some outstanding art museums) I am recommending 3 nights in Madrid to get over jet lag and do some sightseeing. Toledo is a very interesting medieval city, the former capital of Spain, and where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived in peace hundreds of years ago. And Barcelona has so many interesting sites, including all the Gaudi buildings, that you really need at least 4 nights there.

The train from Madrid to Sevilla is a little less than three hours. The train from Sevilla to Granada is also about three hours. Expect to spend at least six hours on the train from Granada to Barcelona, with a possible stop or change in Madrid. You need to check schedules to ensure accurate timing.

Of course all of this is possible in nine days--it just really depends what you want to see in each city. There are times tourists just like to go from place to place to say they have been there and check it off the list--there are many tourists who are happy just seeing the outside of a place, without ever going inside.

You have to get a good guidebook and learn about the highlights of each of these cities, and decide why you want to go there and what you want to see. Then you have to calculate all the costs (train trips, hotels, entry fees, etc.) and see if it works with your budget.
After that you just determine how many days and nights you want in each location.

Personally I could spend weeks in both Madrid and Sevilla--Granada is less of a favorite, but the Alhambra is not to be missed, and if I wanted some intense flamenco lessons, I would por supuesto have to remain for a while in Granada.

If I am in Madrid, I cannot stay there without visiting some of the stunning nearby famous cities--Toledo, Avila, Segovia, etc. I also like touring the Palacio Real, and perhaps El Escorial. One of the things on my list is always to see as many castles as possible. I highly recommend the hotels called Paradores, which in many cases are converted historical buildings.

Nowadays Barcelona is swarming with tourists because of the many cruise ship day trippers, so staying overnight there a few days would allow you more time to tour.

I have traveled all over Spain by car, train, and plane for many decades. I lived in Spain for a while, worked there, and even attended a university (yes, all classes en Espanol). I am returning to visit again this Summer, and yes, I will be taking some trains as well! Good luck with all your planning.