My husband and I are arriving in Barcelona off a cruise in early May and have 11 days to visit Seville and Madrid, including the attractions near those 2 cities (Toledo, Segovia, Cordoba, etc.)before flying home out of Madrid. We only need 1 day in Barcelona since we have been there before. Obviously we want to maximize our sight-seeing time and minimize our travel time. Since we are unfamiliar with the train schedules in Spain, I was wondering if anyone knew what the most efficient route would be time-wise? Barcelona to Seville to Madrid? OR Barcelona to Madrid to Seville and back to Madrid?
Also, besides Toledo, Segovia, and Cordoba, are there any other must-see places around Madrid and Seville that would fit into our time frame?
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
The AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid takes about three hours. El Escorial palace/monastery is a very easy daytrip from Madrid's Atocha station…unbelievable history, art, and architecture. Other ideas might include Avila or Salamanca, but Toledo really should be at the top of your list for Madrid-area daytrips/sidetrips. If you're tight on time, stick with Toledo. I couldn't fit it in on my last visit, but I'll catch it later this year.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
It doesn't really matter, since you have to go thru Madrid to get to Sevilla on the AVE. If you do want to go to Sevilla first direct from Barcelona, you will have to book your tickets Barcelona-Madrid and Madrid-Sevilla. You can get excellent discount fares by booking up to 62 days in advance at the RENFE site.
If you want, you can visit Cordoba as a day trip...either leaving Madrid early in the morning and stopping in Cordoba before going on to Sevilla, or the reverse. In that case, you will have to book two separate tickets for that run, since your tickets are for a specific train...no hopping off at stops along the way, then jumping on a later train.
Posted by
OP
Clovis, CA, USA
80 posts
Thanks so much. This has helped.