Cordoba - Day Trip or stop on way Madrid?

Cordoba is really odd. You can see the "sights" in a couple of hours, then wonder why you even bothered. But, then, after you've been there a couple of weeks you never want to leave and keep coming back.

I'd vote to skip it.

I disagree with Ed. I think Cordoba is well worth the stop. We did an overnight between Madrid and Seville but it could be done as a day stop between Madrid and Seville. There are really only two sites -- the Mezquita and the Alcazar. The Alcazar can be skipped especially if you have seen the Alcazar in Seville or Granada. But the Mezquita is unique. I have never seen anything quite like it anywhere. Remember Cordoba was the Moorish capitol for several hundred years and a big focus point of the Moorish history in Spain. I would allow more than three hours -- maybe more like five to six would be easy.

It is a short taxi ride from the station - less than 10E. Since we did an overnight I cannot address the luggage storage issue. We were traveling over New Year's week bought our ticket day before with no problems. You might miss some discounts buying that late.

I agree with Frank. On a trip around Iberia that had many highlights, Cordoba was one of the best.

We did it as a long day trip, coming from Sevilla and going to Madrid (most people come the other way but that shouldn't matter). We arrived mid-morning on the high speed train from Sevilla, and upon arrival we hoofed it across the street from the train station to the bus station and scored a locker there. There were some lockers but there were not a lot of them. My guess is that if you have your act together, get off the train quickly, know where you're going, and get there faster than the clueless tourists who will wander off the train behind you, you should be OK.

We took a bus to the old quarter of the city. Easy, quick and cheap. We wandered the city for a bit and grabbed a picnic lunch. Frank is correct, there are two primary sights: the alcazar, which is OK but doesn't really compare to other fortified things you;ll see in Spain, and then there's the Mezquita, which is what makes the trip worthwhile. I spent hours inside wandering, soaking up the atmosphere and taking hundreds of pictures. Do not miss this! We were there until late afternoon, and by then the crowds has all departed and the low sun bathing the interior in deep, golden light made the place utterly breathtaking. We too had wondered weather it was worth a stop, but standing there amid that forest of a thousand columns, I was very, very glad we found the time to stop. Magical stuff.

As the afternoon was turning to evening, we headed back to the station (via bus) and caught a fast train to Madrid, arriving there early in the evening.

I'm VERY glad we spent the day there. Highly, highly recommended.

Hope that helps.

Since you're on your way from Sevilla to Madrid anyway, yes, a stop in Cordoba is well worth it. Start out early (Sevilla will still be asleep), allot 4-6 hours, then continue on to Madrid. If you see everything in less than your allotted time, then wander the streets for a while...there's lots to see.
A report on Tripadvisor from mid-October says the left luggage facility in the bus station (across the street from the train station) is still there.