Madrid and Andalusia

I suggest that you stay in the Plaza Santa Ana area. It's within walking distance of the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, and the Prado. There are great day trips out of Madrid, like Toledo, El Escorial, and Segovia. But if you are not careful you can miss Madrid by focusing only on day trips. I would spend 5-3-2 nights in Madrid (with day trips to Toledo and El Escorial), Sevilla, and Granada. Segovia is a great day trip too, but farther away and you do not want to shortchange Madrid. On the way to Seville, maybe stop part way in Cordoba and see the Mezquita. Back in 2005 they had luggage check at the train station there.

There's a broad swath of the city between the Royal Palace to the west and the Prado to the east that is the best place to stay. It's all a walkable area in terms of distance and safety (for the most part. There are some areas to the north and south that RS advises against visiting.) We spent two nights in Seville and wished we had stayed a third. We spent two nights in Granada and found that to be enough. That gave us a day for the Alhambra and a day for the Albaicyn and the center of town. We took trains so I can't speak to the benefits of renting a car. Enjoy your trip.

You'll get some disagreement on how long to stay in Madrid. For me, 3 nights is more than enough depending on how many day trips you might want to take. I'd spend a night in Toledo which is often just a day trip for many. Segovia and Escorial are other popular daytrips. Then I'd spend most of my time in Andalucia. Two nights in Grenada is plenty and the minimum. Three nights in Sevilla is a minimum and could be more depending on daytrips. Definitely do Cordoba at least as a daytrip and its worth an overnight. The only reason to drive is to see the hill towns south of Sevilla. Take the AVE from Madrid to Sevilla. You could drive from Sevilla to Grenada but don't have a car in Sevilla.

We stayed right in the Kilometre Zero area of Madrid - and found it to be a fun, central (if not a bit noisy) place to be. The energy was amazing. We rented an apartment through Spain , and it was a pretty decent experience. If you're doing any day trips from Madrid (we saw Toledo and Segovia), give it at least 4 days...minimum.

My personal choice, somewhere along Gran Via - Usually at Hostal Montecarlo...great location, nice people. The Hotel Senator (?) is near by, as well as other hotels. Walk from there to the Prado and enjoy the architecture, walk the other way to Puerto de Sol, and on to Plaza Mayor, and the Palace Lots of great architecture, history, and wonderful people. Also, there are good aparrtments - I have stayed at one at Plaza Espana, very nice. check out www.madridman.com for more information.

We stayed at Hotel Preciados - very nice. Good location, especially for the Palace which is a 'must see.' Seville, Granada, and then, in my order of importance, is Toledo. With ten nights on the ground I would do Madrid 3, Granada 2, Seville 3, and Toledo 2. As mentioned, I would avoid driving in Seville. Prebook your admission for the Alhambra.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions!