Travelling to Spain in October need help with itinerary.

Oh and we could fly into Madrid and out of Barcelona it for any reason that is better.

Barcelona - with only 3 nights, one of which is your arrival day, I wouldn't suggest a day trip. The city has more than enough to keep you occupied for 2 days!

Sevilla - a day trip to Cordoba is a good idea. Granada is pretty far for a day trip (3 hour bus or train, I think). I love Granada, but this may not be the best use of time. If there were a way to squeeze 2 nights in Granada, I would advocate for this 100%. If not, think about the timing and your tolerance for it. A day trip would let you see the Alhambra, but not really the rest of the town.

Madrid - yes, but pick 1 (3 nights with 2 day trips is too much). Toledo is historic and beautiful but very crowded. I was just there and didn't love the vibe, but the sights are amazing. Segovia, it's been awhile but I remember it being more vibrant and feeling more lived in. Segovia = best choice for the feel. Toledo = best choice for historical significance. My opinion only.

I would say the effort for 2 or 3 nights in London at the end of your trip is not worth it.
Spend all your time (12 nights??) in Spain.
Arrive in Barcelona - 3 nights
Fly to Granada - 2 nights
Train to Sevilla - 3 nights (with day trip to Cordoba)
Train to Madrid - 4 nights (with day trips to Toledo and Segovia)
Depart from Madrid

Is London a must? I'd spend those extra days in Spain. Use those 2 nights for Granada. Barcelona has so many sights, I'd spend 4 nights.

If you drop London, fly from Barcelona to Granada for 2 nights, then train or bus to Seville, 4 nights with a day trip to Cordoba - or 1 night in Cordoba. If you keep London, can you fly from Seville? It would be faster/easier from Barcelona to Madrid to Seville.

Madrid is the least interesting city on your list (unless you want to spend 2 days seeing the paintings in the amazing art museums there). You need to get to the train station (Atocha) to get the high-spped commuter train to Toledo. You can store luggage in lockers at Atocha. I'd spend a night in Toledo (take a small overnight bag), then the last 1-2 nights in Madrid, with a possible day trip to Segovia.

Both Toledo and Cordoba are have lovely historic centers and are well worth the overnight stay.

I would go to La Casa del Flamenco in Seville for flamenco. There are shows at the Royal Stables in Cordoba a couple nights a week, highly recommend that.

Thank you all so much for the info. London isn't really a must we just thought it would make our flight home a bit easier. It sounds like Granada is not to be missed and I wonder is Valencia better than Madrid? I continue to hear Madrid isn't very exciting but thought it might be a good base. So much to consider!!

I will book our flamenco in Seville.

Thank you.

Madrid may not be on a par with Paris or Rome in terms of 'sex appeal' for the visitor, and it certainly suffers as being considered the 'ugly duckling' behind its rivals - sassy Sevilla and beautiful Barcelona. However, I would rate it up there with places like Berlin, Prague and Amsterdam. You just need to know where to look.

Have a look ... http://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/madrid-e-mad-mad.htm

Add in possible day trips to Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, Avila, and it's easy to fill a number of days.

I would say that Valencia is not better than Madrid. Some people - - some of them posters on this site - - like to run it down, but you need to keep in mind that it's a world class city. It has some fabulous art museums, beautiful parks, a royal palace, great restaurants, and lively nightlife. We did a hoho bus tour and were amazed at the beautiful architecture that can be seen as you pass through dsome of the neighborhoods.

It is a lot to fit in and you'll find you won't be able to do as many daytrips as you think. 3 nights in Barcelona is about the minimum to see the city and museums. I wouldn't plan a daytrip with only that amount of time.

Granada is not a daytrip city. It is 3 hours by bus from Sevilla and the Alhambra is a half day visit minimum. Typically 2 nights are needed as a minimum so that you have a full day to see the Alhambra and explore some of the city.

Cordoba, Toledo and Segovia are all easy daytrips. Toledo is the one that really deserves an overnight (the others are worth it too but much easier to see in just a few hours).

Madrid has some of the best art museums in the world and there is plenty to do there. But I'm one of those that finds it rather dull as a city compared to the other places you'll be visiting. I personally would feel very let down if that were the end of my trip unless art museums are a passion for you. But if you spend time in Segovia and Toledo, you'll be fine.

Valencia is a great and under-appreciated city here. But it's usually not on the first time list. If you fall in love with Spain, plan to go back and spend some time there.

Sevilla is the flamenco capital. The most artistic shows are at Casa de la Memoria de Al-Andalus. The other main shows are good but canned performances.

If you are staying in Santa Cruz and want to see flamenco, buy tickets for the early evening show at La Casa del Flamenco (nothing canned here). Then walk around the corner and take a break for some tapas and a glass of wine at Las Teresas. Then walk across Calle San Jose for the 10:00 PM show at La Carboneria (you get a seat for the price of a drink). La Casa is the more formal style of flamenco while La Carboneria is a little more rustic. All these establishments are just a few hundred yards from each other and together, make for a nice evening in Seville.

This is all great advice. Thank you very much. I think we will drop London.

Does this sound better?
Madrid 3 nights with a day trip to Segovia
Toledo 2 or 3 nights - too much?
Seville - 3 nights day trip to Cordoba
Fly or train to Barcelona 4 nights and fly home from Barcelona

I spoke to the Hotel staff in Seville and she said there is construction between Seville and Granada making it more difficult to get there. Wondering if we should skip Granada this time?

There are works upgrading the rail line to Granada, but although it may be an annoyance, reports on here suggest the bus replacement is seamless and without significant time penalty. The Alhambra in Granada is the number one draw card in all of Spain.

Madrid 3 nights with a day trip to Segovia
Toledo 2 or 3 nights - too much?
Seville - 3 nights day trip to Cordoba
Fly or train to Barcelona 4 nights and fly home from Barcelona

One night in Toledo is enough. I would not skip Granada - 2 nights after Seville, then fly to Barcelona.

I agree with Chani. 1 night in Toledo is adequate for such a short trip and that can give you 2 nights for Granada. The bus is more convenient and has more options between Sevilla and Granada. ALSA is the bus line and tickets can be bought at the station. If in Granada before Barcelona, fly there (there are no direct train routes and it's a long trip).

Ok this is perfect. Thank you all. I think we will just do a day trip to Toledo from Madrid and do two nights in Granada. I'm not a fan of moving around so much. I will look into flying from Granada back to Barcelona.

It's too bad you don't have time to spend the night in Toledo, but there are a lot of cities to visit in Spain. If you can avoid doing your day-trip(s) from Madrid on the weekend, there may be somewhat fewer other tourists around. I noticed that Toledo hotel rates in particular were much, much higher on weekends, especially on Saturday night.

I'm curious to know what would be the advantage to spending the night in Toledo as opposed to just a day trip? I see a lot of suggestions for one night there but two is to many?

Toledo is often full of day-trippers from Madrid. Staying overnight allows you to enjoy the town in the quiet hours before and after the "DT's." To make it easier, pack a small overnight bag and leave the rest in a locker at the Atocha station on the way to Toledo, then retrieve it/them before the train to Granada. Obviously this only works if you are taking the train from Madrid to Granada.

Yes, Toledo is full of day trippers during the day, especially in the small stretch between Zocodover square and the Cathedral.
I have been overnight twice and have two differing opinions :)
Visit 1 was a few years ago and I loved staying overnight - it was quieter and the cathedral is beautiful lit up at night. We had the streets to ourselves which was wonderful.
Visit 2 was a few weeks ago. I wasn't as keen on an overnight - yes it was very quiet. Too quiet. A lot of shops and restaurants were either closed or at very low service levels after 6 or 7, and there was no sense of life. Very few tourists but also no residents. Felt very odd and dead.
I don't think it has changed, I think I just saw two sides of the same coin. Time of year was the same both times, weather was good, the second visit was a weekend which I would think would be more active, but maybe not. I don't remember the days of the week for visit 1.

The area around sights on the other end of town seemed much less crowded during the day than the cathedral/Zocodover/Alcazar stretch.

An overnight gets you two things: 1 is to experience the city when it is not so crowded and wander the winding streets at dusk and/or dawn. 2 is more time to see things and to enjoy a dinner in town. Toledo has a lot of really great sites that daytrippers miss because there isn't enough time. Two different historic synagogues (both in the Mudejar style), a Christian monastery, a former mosque that has Visgothic elements and early Christian decoration and several important sites for El Greco art. You can still get a flavor of the city with a daytrip, but you will miss a lot. And 2-3 nights is a great way to spend time in the city, but with your overall itinerary, more than 1 night means eliminating other things.

Sounds good. That solidifies my decision to stay overnight. Thanks!