Working out my plan for Madrid and Southern Spain, during winter holidays

Posted by TravelChildMom on 05/26/24 12:48 AM

I know this is a lot of moving around, am open to suggestions. This is missing Ronda (we aren't hikers and if I can avoid driving, I prefer it, but convince me!). If I skip any cities, it will either be Valencia (I want to see it, but it is geographically the outlier; again if I am wrong and trains make that a non-issue, convince me!) and/or Cordoba. I need to figure this out, as I need to start booking hotels and figuring out dinner on Christmas and New Year's.

Dec 25 -- arriving Madrid, but thinking I will immediately leave for a different city, to maximize having travel time on a holiday when there isn't much else to do. So, if I do go to Valencia, it would be straight to Valencia.

26 -- See Valencia. Either take a late train to Granada or sleep again in Valencia and go early in the morning to Granada.

27 -- Granada. See Alhambra. Sleep in Granada or take a train to Seville late that night and Seville in the morning. Either way, I will spend one of these two nights in Granada, unless it is possible to store luggage and do this as a day trip. If we only see Alhambra, that's fine ... it would be easier to have one fewer hotel, but there are extra logistics with the luggage in this case.

28 - here is where I decide if I go to Cordoba. It would definitely be easier to do that if we don't sleep in Granada. If we don't go to Cordoba, we will be going straight to Seville. So, either Cordoba or Seville here.

29 -- Seville

30 -- I want two full days in Seville, so depending on the 28th, this is either Seville or Madrid.

31 -- Madrid.
1 -- Madrid.
2 -- Madrid.

3 -- Madrid and we would leave that night or that afternoon.

4ish days in Madrid feels ample, unless the Jan 1 essentially doesn't count. I know things will close early on 12/31 as well. If I skip Valencia, I will probably take it easier in Granada and add some time in Seville.

Posted by Mike L

Detroit, MI

05/26/24 02:00 AM

1039 posts

My trip was in March 2022. It was: Plane arrived in Madrid, train to Seville the same day, 4 nights in Seville, bus to Granada (or you could take the train, the ALSA bus was cheaper, it worked ok); arrived in Granada at 12pm, the rest of that day in Granada, Alhambra the following day, 2nd night in Granada (maybe I could have left Granada the evening after the Alhambra; early morning train to Cordoba, 2 nights in Cordoba (maybe I could have cut this down to one night), 5 nights/4 whole days in Madrid but with a day trip you are not taking)

Start by using google maps or rome2rio to estimate travel time and look up supposed train/bus/car routes.

Yes you should take a train to your first city the day your plane arrives in Madrid.

It is possible to take the train from Madrid to Valencia. After Valencia you could take the train to one of your other destinations. On the way you would switch trains in Madrid. Valencia requires at least a night. Its a 1 hour 53 minute to 2hr 11 min train ride. Do you know what you want to see in Valencia? I didn't make time for it.

You could take the train from Madrid to Granada. On the way, the train stops in Cordoba.

It takes 6 hr 14 min to 7hr 48min to take trains and/or buses from Valencia to Granada.

Maybe try taking the train to Valencia the day your plane arrives, 2 or more nights in Valencia, trains to Seville (it takes 5h 23min to 6h 21 min), at least 2 (or more) nights in Seville, bus or train to Granada, 2 nights there; trains to Madrid, the rest of your nights in Madrid.

It might help to list what you want to see in each city so you know how many nights in each city YOU require.