How Much Time In Madrid? In Seville?

We were in Sevilla in early May, during Feria, the previous year, 2011. The weather was perfect, so Maybe the extreme heat Nancy describes was unusual. It was really fun to be there at that time as the atmosphere was very festive throughout the town, not just at the fairgrounds. We spent an afternoon there to admire the horses and walk around, but we did not try to enter any casitas. It was easy to find dinner on a quiet square in the evening as most people were at the fair. We spent two nights there and that felt about right. Our hotel, Casa 1800, did not jack up their prices excessively; I think it was about 20 or 30 euros more than usual but nowhere double. The location was perfect and we really enjoyed the rooftop terrace at dusk, with the view of the Giralda lit for night.

I was in Sevilla this past May, on a couple of days when it was over 100 degrees (mid May). The unexpected heat probably colors my perception (the locals said it was unusual for it to be so hot so early), but I did not like it as well as Madrid. It is very different, and I loved the Real Alcazar and the cathedral, but I was over the heat very quickly. Since it will be Feria when you arrive, I would expect that accomodations might be expensive or hard to come by, but I don't know. We were there about two weeks later, and stayed outside of town, in Santiponce. Madrid is the capital city. It has world-class art museums (Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia), the royal palace, Retiro Park, an interesting old town area, and a vibrant new section. I stayed near the Prado (across the street from both that and the Thyssen), and found the old town very walkable. If I were you, I think I would spend the bulk of my pre-cruise time in Madrid, spending a day in Toledo, as you mention wanting to do. Segovia, with its acqueduct, is also a close day trip from Madrid. Love Segovia!

OK, Hotel Casa 1800 now charges an extra 100 euros a night during Feria. Yikes. But you can use a booking site like Booking.com to find hotels with better prices. There are quite a few with rooms for around $160 to $180 a night, including some well-located ones. ( By well-located I mean in Santa Cruz or near the cathedral).

I can't comment on Feria but in general, I prefer Sevilla over Madrid. Both are wonderful cities with much to do, I just think Sevilla has more character. Madrid is known best for it's art. The Prado is almost as massive as the Louvre, so plan the better part of a day there if you have more than a passing interest in art. The other musuems are also amazing, and should be done on separate days to avoid fatigue. Do not miss seeing Guernica, not matter your interest in art or Picasso. So right there is 3 days. I have not been inside the palace or cathedral, but those are reported to be worth it. The food in Madrid is also wonderful. One of my favorite things is to stroll the revitalized San Miguel Market for tapas and wine. Toledo is a perfect day trip. Try to stay late and have dinner there, the crowds thin and an after-dinner stroll is delightful. I love Toledo for its mesh of Moorish, Jewish and Christian art, architecture and culture. Segovia has also been mentioned and is worth it for the Roman aquaduct; the cathedral is also fantastic. The Alcazar is mostly reconstruction, so you can pass if you wish to and save it for the one in Sevilla. Sevilla's highlights are the cathedral and the Alcazar. I can spend an entire day in the Alcazar there is so much history and architecture to see, not to mention the grounds. Do take in a flamenco performance. I prefer the the ones at Al Andalus for their purity of the art, but the more commercial ones are far better than anything you've seen in the US. Daytrips from Sevilla should include Cordoba. The Mezquita is unlike anything else and the old town is a wonder to explore. YOu can also visit one or more White Hill towns.

From the airport in Madrid, take the airport-Atocha express bus to the Atocha Train Station (the last stop) Costis about 5 euros and it it about a 25 minute ride. Cheapest and best. The trip from Madrid to Sevilla is 2 1/2 hours, AVE high speed train. There will be a snack bar on it. The train tickets have the car number and the seat number printed on them. First class operation. In Sevilla, it will be very very crowded for the fair. Good tour company Really Discover Sevilla. They have much smaller tour groups than the others and can get you Flamenco show tickets as well. Highly recommended. Things to see: Cathederal, Library with Columbus' diary, etc, the Alcazar if you have time. You may be limited in your freedom to see much. Toledo - 24 minutes from the Atocha station. The only stop. Suggest you get a taxi at the station into town to the Plaza Zodocover, the main 'center' of the town. From there walk to the Cathderal, one hour hand held audio guide is excellent. Then back to the Plaza Zodocover, through the keystone arch on the side of the plaze, down the steps to the Museum de Santa Cruz - Excellent presentation. Then back to the Plaza Zodocover and up the street to the Alacazr, actually what would be the basement as the entrance into the Miliarty Museum is below the main building. New and a great place as well. See the original (many) city walls of the city. Good lunch can be found near the Plaza Z, out hte key stone arch, to the left at Cervantes Statue, to the side walk cafe directly ahead of you. Certantes House site, not original, but is a good see as well. Then get a taxi back to the train station. Choose from the above and you will have a good visit to these cities. Check the time for the train departure. If time allows, grab a bite in any of the many restaurants in Toledo.

I second the recommendation for a trip to Cordoba - I did it last fall and was really happy with my 5 or 6 hours there in the old city. Wonderful! I happened to really like Madrid (moreso than many other forum visitors apparently), and I would recommend about 3 days there, but I have never been to Seville, so I can't make a recommendation about partitioning your time. While in Madrid, though, don't ignore the other galleries (other than the Prado) - I enjoyed the Thyssen and Renia Sofia as much, even though they get much less buzz and hype.

On balance, there is much more to do in Madrid. But now that I've been there several times, I'd like to experience the Feria, even more so a procession of penitents. I should tell you that Queen's Day in the Netherlands (another national drinking party .... ) was a bit of a letdown for us in 2012. We also enjoyed Seville, but not for as many days. A good daytrip from Seville is Carmona/Italica. If you really like art, don't overlook the Academia des Bellas Artes in Madrid. It is a fine #4, (not a weak #4) and has the added advantage of leaving you alone in huge galleries stuffed with important works, including Goya, Rubens, Zurbaran and the rest. When you add in the two convents with (small) art collections and interesting interiors, the revitalized riverfront, San Gines churros and chocolate, you won't have enough time in Madrid to do everything!

i got back from spain in mid october. my second trip. first in 2010 was madrid,toledo, barcelona and granada. this time san sebastian, bilbao, barcelona, cordoba, sevilla and ronda. i like cordoba way more than sevilla. after the second time barcelona starts to become like paris. i love it. large pedestrian areas. lovely architecture. awesome. the north is amazing. madrid the prado the squares. yeah. but fc barcelona kicks!!!!!you know

I don't know how many days you have between the two, but I recommend three full days minimum in Madrid, and four would be better. That does not count the day trip to Toledo. Full disclosure, I think Madrid is one of the most underrated cities in Europe, along with Budapest and Lisbon (folks on this board have heard me say that before). The art museums are the highlight for my wife and me, but there is so much more to see and do in Madrid. The royal palace is great, just walking around the Plaza Mayor area, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Santa Ana, Parque de Buen Retiro especially on weekends when the locals come out to stroll. For Seville, I would allow three nights and two full days (we had one day fewer on our 2005 trip and it was too little). The Alcazar and Cathedral are great, but it's really a town to give yourself a little extra time and take it a little slower. My wife wished she had had more time to shop, because the local products are very interesting. I also concur that Cordoba is a worthy stop.

Super responses. Thanks to each of you for taking the time to give me your opinion. There seems to be a striking diversity of opinion on the merits of Madrid, isn't there. But I guess there is only one way for me to find out. Nonetheless, with your help, I think I have a game plan. Happy holidays to all.

We were in Spain this April and beat the heat, it was freezing (including snow between Jaen and Granada). The best weather we had was in Seville, one day high 70's. We were the opposite of Nancy. We loved Seville, particularly during April Fair and didn't think much of Madrid (just doesn't have the history of virtually any other Spanish city or town). I love the Prado and Temple Debod in Madrid, but the Cathedral and Palace are skippable IMO. Madrid has some great green spaces (part of being a new city) that we couldn't enjoy because it hadn't warmed up from a really cold winter. You don't say how much time you have. Toledo is a great day trip from Madrid and Cordoba is a natural day stop on the way to Seville (outstanding Mesquite and surrounding quarter). There are tons of other places around Madrid I'd highly recommend (Avila, Segovia are fairly close. Aranjuez is the opposite direction but a smaller version of El Escorial). In Seville, in addition to making time for the fair (be sure to visit at least once during the day and once at night), see the Cathedral and Alcazar as well as the surrounding quarter. If you're interested, there will be a bullfight nightly in Seville. Seeing a flamenco performance is another good evening activity (before heading back out to the fair). We felt underdressed at the fair. Most men are in suits and women are in traditional dresses. This would be a good place to wear your nice cruise clothing. Another day trip that I think is worthwhile, from Seville, is Jerez. In most of Spain, visiting a Bodega (winery) requires a reservation. Jerez has a number of Sherry Bodegas that have regularly scheduled tours. Tio Peppe and Osbourne are both walking distance from the TI and make a nice day.

Toledo is an amazing city to wander around. I thought the Museo de Santa Cruz was the most memorable visit there, because there were a few good examples of everything from pre-history to ElGreco, a wonderful ceramics exhibit, ancient grave markers in the beautiful courtyard, a beautiful building and setting. The tapestry itself would be a worth a visit in my book. I didn't feel I needed to spend the night in Toledo; it an easy day trip from Madrid (but do get a return ticket before you leave the station; last train out was full!). For me (just me, right?) Madrid is a high-energy BIG CITY. I felt jangled by the crowds, traffic, noise, pollution, Starbucks-and-McDonald's-ness of it. But I wouldn't trade anything for the 5 hours I spent wandering slowly in the Prado. So.... Seville is great; I really enjoyed the Arab Baths experience (book ahead), the Flamenco Museum and the rest of the Santa Cruz area. Have a great trip.
Phyllis