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Thoughts on itinerary: 12 days over Christmas/New Year's (2022/23)?

Posted by (San Diego) on

Hello - We are planning about a \ 12 day trip over the Christmas/New Year's Holiday.

We are a family of 5 (2 college "kids" and one in high school), so our dates are pretty set. (We plan to arrive the evening of Christmas Eve (12/24), but could maybe arrive 12/23 instead of 12/24 - if it would make a big difference.

We are coming from west coast of CA, so long flights. We're thinking it may be best to pick a few cities as a home base, and take side trips, rather than moving around too much. And with 5 of us, probably looking for an apartment stay rather than multiple hotel rooms.

I'm thinking fly into Madrid and out of Barcelona. But other thoughts are welcome - we don't yet have flights.

I'd appreciate thoughts on an itinerary, and specifically on where might be nice to spend Christmas and New Year's. I realize activities will be closed for those holidays - so we hope to be in an area where we could explore the city / self guided walking tour perhaps, and maybe dinner?

Any thoughts on an itinerary - we're just beginning to plan, and thinking roughly:
- Sat 12/24 - Arrive Madrid in the evening. Wondering how many days to stay in Madrid, given everything will be closed on Christmas
- Tue 12/27 - Train to Sevilla (is there time to add a stop in Cordoba? or does that need an overnights stay?)
- Tue 12/27 - arrive in Sevilla. Make Sevilla a home base, with a day trip to Jerez. We'd like to see the horses.

The only show day is Thur 12/29 - though I've heard it's also nice to take a tour and watch practice on a non-show day. Any thoughts on that?
- Would Granada be a good side trip from Sevilla? Or should we consider staying in Granada, and fly (or train) from Granada to Barcelona?
- Would Sevilla be a nice place to celebrate New Year's Eve? Or Granada? Or should we fly to Barcelona on 12/31?
- Sat 12/31 or Sun 1/1 -Fly Sevilla or Granada to Barcelona
- Explore Barcelona, with maybe a day trip to Montserrat or or Sitges
- Thur 1/5 - Fly back home

Thank you for any insights & suggestions. (I just got the Rick Steve's Spain Book so will be diving in!)

Arline

Posted by
6113 posts

I haven’t been here at Christmas and New Year, so will leave that aspect for others. I would suggest three bases, given the time of year and your timeframe.

Madrid will be very cold at that time of year.

There is enough in Seville to fill three full days. Additional easy day trips are Cadiz and Jerez. I went to see the Riding School on a non-performance day. You get a guided tour round the stables and behind the scenes. We could sit and watch the riders in the arena for as long as we wanted. If you go on a show day, you can’t go to the stables etc. - you just see the show (you can’t take photos). There is also the Carriage Museum etc, so our visit lasted about 4 hours.

We also had sherry tasting at a bodega in Jerez.

Three Kings (6 January) is a much bigger festival in Spain than New Year.

Granada is too far for a day trip, as it’s 150 miles and 3.5 hours each way door to door. The main attraction is The Alhambra - you will need to book tickets well in advance.

Posted by
1596 posts

I would definitely spend a night or two in Granada. It is too far from Seville for a day trip. The Alhambra is magnificent and you really should plan on spending at least half a day there. We took our time visiting the Alhambra. Please don't rush through it. Savor its beauty! You definitely need to purchase Alhambra tickets in advance.

A lot of people visit Cordoba as a day trip from Seville or en route to Seville from Madrid. If you only have time for a day trip, then by all means stop in Cordoba. The Mezquita is another amazing historical site, and Cordoba is a lovely small city with its white-washed walls, patios, narrow lanes, etc. If you have the time, I highly recommend spending at least one night in Cordoba. We had 2 nights each in Cordoba and Granada, and would have enjoyed an extra night in each place.

Can't really offer advice on where to spend NYE.

For guidebooks, I also recommend Fodors, Michelin Green Guide, and Lonely Planet.

Posted by
2267 posts

Contrary to the conventional wisdom on here, I'm a big fan of Madrid. It's only been the capital for less than 500 years, so isn't the most historical city in Spain but is still teeming with world-shaping history as well as contemporary life and culture. I think two weeks is not too long for a trip to Madrid and its surroundings. But two days is certainly barely even a taste, and those two days are already iffy on the calendar for seeing and doing. That you've allocated so little time there suggests it's not a priority for this trip, and if that's the case, I might suggest you just skip it.

Sevilla + side trips, Granada, and Barcelona would be plenty to fill your agenda.

Posted by
15576 posts

Check the Royal Stables in Cordoba. They also have horse shows in the early evening. They are a shorter than in Jerez and not as elaborate, but you are closer to the horses and you do see them dance and you can take photos. Cordoba is definitely worth an overnight. Most people who say you only need a day trip are people who've only done a day trip. There are direct trains to Barcelona - 4.5 hours, so it's not even out of your way.

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