Our trip is planned for the first half of October. With 15 days to play with we want to see as much as possible without excessive moving around. Having said that.......and thinking of October weather, planning to start north and move south. Here's a sketch of our plan for you to comment on or amend: Barcelona (4N), train to Madrid (4N)--including a day trip to Toledo or Segovia, train to Sevilla (3-4N)--day trip to Cordoba, car/train(?) to Ronda (1-2N), car/bus/train(?) to Granada (2N). Fly home from Granada or Madrid. As I write this, it seems like a lot of packing and unpacking. We've contemplated saving Madrid or Barcelona for its own, more relaxed trip but wanting to hear your feedback!
Posted by
San Franciso Bay Area, USA
951 posts
We did a similar route to what you are proposing last year (end of September to first week in October, total 14 days). Here is what we learned that might help you in your planning.
- Plan for at least half day of travel time for each change you make. High-speed trains from Barcelona to Madrid (2 hours 45 minutes) and Madrid to Sevilla (2 hours 30 minutes) are efficient, but when you factor in packing/unpacking, transit to/from train station, if is about 4-5 hours. The train & bus from Sevilla to Granada is 3 hours 43 minutes and then if you take a train back to it is 4 hours with bus & train, so if you are leaving from Granada, you may just want to fly.
- Some sights you need to book well in advanced, e.g. the Alhambra. It sells out quickly, even the tours. The Alhambra is the highlight of Granada.
- We wished we would have done less moving around, even eliminating one of the day trips we took from Madrid.
- Spain is one of the world’s foodie destinations. We took time to take a cooking class, food walking tours, and even a winery/Segovia tour (versus just taking the train to Segovia). One of the best experiences was drinking wine on a bluff at overlooking the Alcazar at Segovia. If you like good food and wine, this is a place to take the time to savor culinary experiences.
Have a great trip,
Sandy
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
Granada is not a gateway city for long haul flights, so fly in to Barcelona, and out of Madrid.
My ‘Best of Spain’ In 2 weeks ...
Day
1. ARRIVE Barcelona (4N)
2. Barcelona
3. Barcelona
4. Barcelona
5. Fly to Granada (2N)
6. Visit the Alhambra
7. Train to Seville (4N)
8. Seville
9. Day to Cordoba for the Mezquita
10. Seville
11. Train to Madrid (4N)
12. Madrid
13. Day to Toledo
14. Madrid (or day to Segovia)
15. DEPART Madrid