Madrid, Spain and to the South

Have you booked your flights, yet?? If not, I would suggest a one way trip. Over New Years we flew into Madrid (2 nights), train to Cordoba (1), Seville (3) and Granada (3) and home from Malaga. We were in Madrid Sat and Sun and everything was open. Bit of a problem in Cordoba on Monday since many of the tourist site were closed that day. Departed late Tuesday PM so we could catch the things closed on Monday. The Rick Steve's Spain book is very helpful for this area. Fly from Malaga to Italy so that you do not waste time back tracking.

The Prado is a must-see in Madrid, but it is closed on Mondays, so visiting the Prado on Sunday would be a good option for you. The Royal Palace is also open on Sundays. I would actually say most of the big sights in Madrid would be accessible to you on a Sunday. Try checking websites for specific hours, since Sunday hours may be limited (some close by 4pm, etc).
For your hotel, I agree to get Rick Steves' book, but here are a couple email addresses to some cheaper, yet decent, places to stay in Madrid that Rick recommends in his book.

Hostal Acapulco: hostal_acapulco@yahoo.es
or Hostal Triana: triana@hostaltriana.com (website www.hostaltriana.com)

Have a fantastic time!

The Prado has free admission on Sundays, from 5-8 PM

Virginia, here are some ideas to consider. I second Jessica's suggestion of Hostal Acapulco in Madrid. It is centrally located and moderately priced. We had a triple room that was clean and comfortable and the desk staff were very helpful. While in Madrid visit El Escorial. We took public buses and had no trouble getting there. In fact, I have never rented a car in Europe and rely on public transportation with no problem. In Sevilla we stayed at Hostal Río Grande. It was cheap and not much to look at but very close to the cathedral in a great location. The room was small but had it's own bathroom and a great air conditioner. In Cordoba we liked Hostal Maestre. It was typical cordobese style and very attractive. The prices are very reasonable. I think we paid about 55 euros for a triple that actually had a kitchenette and sitting area. One night in Cordoba was enough but we spent several days in Sevilla. In Sevilla, I recommend the guided city walk with Concepcion Delgado. (See Rick's Spain book for her contact info.) I like Málaga. It is on the coast. If possible, fly into Málaga and start your journey in the south and work your way northward to Madrid. It will save you time and money.

Virginia...you have some excellent suggestions that have been offered. I would just make a few additional points. Firstly, you may have noticed the word "Hostal" in the suggested accommodations. In case you're wondering, these are not "hostels" but nice, two-star hotels, usually family-run, that are a great bargain across Spain. Any time you do a search on hostel or hotel websites, look for the title, "Hostal" to differentiate them. Secondly, if you can't find "hostals" to your satisfaction, consider the Ibis and Etap hotel chains (www.accor.com), reasonably-priced modern hotel accomodations. There's a very nice one a couple of blocks from the historic section of Malaga (Centro) that goes for 49 Euro/night in September. Thirdly, consider bus travel in some spots, like Granada-Malaga (where there is no good train service). Intercity buses in Spain are modern, fast, and inexpensive. You can find most schedules at www.movelia.es and even purchase tickets ahead of time if you wish. They only book about a month out, but it's useful to check schedules and prices. Malaga-Granada, for example, is 2 hours at 9.68 Euro, with at least one bus/hour from 7 am to 8 pm.Fourthly, use discount airline websites like whichbudget.com, flylc.com, and skyscanner.net to check out airline connections to Italy....but after you find the airlines making the runs you want, go directly to their websites to book. At a quick glance, Malaga seems like your best takeoff point, with Vueling and Air Europa flying from there to Rome.

We decided not to stay here, because my husband wants the anonymity of a hotel (or hostel), but I think that it looks great. And you said that you might like a B&B. I wrote an e-mail inquiring and received a very nice reply. Good luck!

www.abracadabrabandb.com/index?l=en

Abracadabra B&B

Hi Virgina, I am a 55 yr old female and am writing this from Sevilla, Spain. I am staying at a hostel in Sevilla that has been fine for me. I have been in female rooms that are shared. On the whole, things have been fine. I would recommend that you think about single rooms for weekends because lots of kids travel on the weekends and they tend to be loud and stay up till all hours of the night. Ronda was awesome, absolutely beautiful. You can get there by bus from Sevilla, about three hours away. There are lots of places to stay at all different price ranges. Ronda is small so most are close to where the sights are. I spent hours online checking out hostels and hotels. I always booked directly with the hostel and or small hotel. Keep in mind that if you book a hostel and want a room for yourself that if it has two beds, you pay for two beds.

Virgina,

Hello from Ross in Denver. I lived in Madrid last Spring (2008). It's a great city! Definitely get the Rick Steves Spain book. The Prado and the Royal Palace are both must sees. Spend some time in the main plaza as well. The train station in Madrid is beautiful, and the high-speed trains will whisk you to Sevilla in a few days. Have a drink in the outdoor restaurant in the "House of the Jews" hotel in Sevilla and see the intimate Flamenco show mentioned in Rick's book. I would also highly recommend going to Granada, at least to see the amazing Alhambra.

Finally, you got some good advice here. I would also second the notion of flying "open-jaw" to Italy, and not backtracking (if you haven't bought tickets yet). You can have your travel agent book a multi-city route, or you do it yourself (just look for the multi-city option on most travel web sites)

Have a great trip!

Ross
ross@bluemusemusic.com

I want to Thank everyone who helped me with such good advise. I want you all to know I have finally booked my plane tickets. I didn't want to make a lot of changes where I would be running from one part of the airport to another, I decided to do it this way. I live in Maine and have to fly out of Boston. I shall leave on Sept 5 to arrive in Madrid on Sunday early morning. To keep the prices down, I had to do it this way. Boston on Sept 5 to Madrid on early morning on Sept 6th. Stay in Madrid to recoup my sleep until Monday morning. Then train to Granada, stay there ? ON to Cordoba and to Sevilla? days. Then back to Madrid. I don't have to fly out of Madrid until Sunday, Sept. 13th. Fly out on Sept 13 mid day to Rome. Leave Rome on Sept 25 to fly to Madrid. (then cancelled the flight from Rome to Madrid and on to Boston same day so I had to fly from Rome back to Madrid on Saturday on the 25 and stay overnight in Madrid. Then mid-day flight to Boston to arrive at 3 ish on Sunday the 26. This Will multi flight cost 1,156.75. I can only fly on a Sat or Sun to Boston as this is the least disruption to my friend in Perugia. I can't expect anyone to take a work day to drive me 2 hrs away to the airport. Now that this ticked business is done with I can concentrate on the rest of the planning. I just am not sure of how much time to allow in the places in Spain I would dearly love to see. What do you all think. Would there be any time for a beach day? Extra help would be much appreciated.