Hi All This is a follow-up question to one that I had asked before. My family and I have decided to do our 2-week tour of Spain by train and bus, rather than renting a car. So here are a few questions: 1) Do train/bus stations in Madrid, Granada, Cordoba and Seville still have left luggage offices or lockers where one could leave roller luggage for a few hours? In some cases, we may want to leave the luggage in the station in the morning and pick it up in the evening when we check into our hotel for the night. 2) Any suggestions for hotels in Madrid, Granada and Seville? My sisters and I are taking our Mom to Spain for her birthday, so we would prefer a hotel that is easy to get to (either by walk or by taxi) from the train/bus station. 3) Which ticket should I get for the Alhambra in Granada? We want to see everything there, but because the website is in Spanish, I'm afraid I'm going to reserve tickets for the wrong thing! Is "Visita General Diurna" the tickets I should be getting to see the Four Parts of the Palace that Rick describes in his guidebook? 4) What is the best way to get from Seville to Gibralter and how long will it take each way? Thanks for your help. I may have more follow-up questions later! Penn
Posted by
partout
71 posts
I did the same trip (Madrid, southern Spain) last year, and had a great time. To answer some of your questions: 1-I don't remember seeing any left luggage places, but the train stations in Granada and Seville are not by the city center (where you want your hotel to be), so I would just leave your luggage at your hotel. 99% of hotels are happy to store your luggage if you are checking in/out. 2-We stayed at the Room Mate Shalma in Granada and the Alminar Hotel in Sevilla; both were excellent and well located. Both are easiest reached by taxi from the train station. There are a ton of hotels in Madrid; I would check tripadvisor.com 3-Are you using the ServiCaixa website for your tickets? This is what we used, and had no problem, the website is in English. I just did a google search for the page and it came up in English. I hope this helps, I have never been to Gibralter so can't help you there. We tried to squeeze it into our southern Spain trip, but we didn't have enough time.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
If your mother is over 60 get the Senior card at the first train station you see. Was 5E a couple of years ago. It was get her a 40% discount for weekday travel and 25% on the weekend. Some bus stations will have left luggage areas but it is best to go directly to your hotel, often you can checkin early or leave your luggage in a storage area. Very common with all hotels.
Posted by
OP
Clarksburg, MD, USA
92 posts
Thanks Christine and Frank. I agree that it may be best to leave the luggage in the hotel in the morning and go back later to check in. It appears that the first page in ServiCaixa site is in Spanish, but the subsequent pages are in English. So I think that I should be in good shape now. Thanks again for all the advice. Penn
Posted by
OP
Clarksburg, MD, USA
92 posts
I forgot to thank Frank for his advice about the Senior Pass. It is a great tip. We'll definitely get the Senior Pass for Mom! Penn
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
Penn - I recommend a morning entry for Alhambra. Then plan to spend the day. You can eat lunch at one of several restaurants there. Don't forget that your time for the palace entry is a 30 minute window and no exceptions are allowed if you miss it. Plan on 20-30 minutes to leisurely walk from the entry gate to the palace entrance. There is an easy bus from the center of Granada to the gates. Almost everyone raves about the Hotel Anacapri in Granada (easy central location) and I also liked the Hotel Europa in Madrid (also well located off Plaza del Sol). As several have mentioned, any hotel will keep your bags prior to check in and after you check out. I don't even recall luggage lockers at Granada and Sevilla's station is quite remote from the center.
Posted by
OP
Clarksburg, MD, USA
92 posts
Hi Douglas Thanks for your advice on visiting the Alhambra Palace. We definitely plan on visiting it in the morning, so I'm glad that you have confirmed that we are on the right track. Penn