Spain in April- where to go?

If you only have 7 or 8 days Granada and Gibraltar are out. Too far too much travel. A couple/three days in Madrid, a day to Toledo, a couple/three days in and around Avila, El Escorial, and Segovi and your time is gone. Seville, Granada, Malaga, and the coast is another whole week.

I tend to agree with Frank....you're quite a distance from anywhere else when in Madrid. Granada, the closest of the two destinations, is still 4.5 hrs away by car, even longer by train. You could rent a vehicle and do it as an overnight trip, if you're willing to put up with the drive. Spanair does fly Madrid-Granada, and you could get tickets out April 1st and return April 2nd for 118 euro pp, but with 5 in the family, that might be getting pricey. Sevilla might be a better bet for time, since it's only 2.5 hours away by AVE high speed train...but tickets are 155 euro pp and up. Maybe plan to go back and do a swing through Andalucia.

Hmmm. Ok. I should have been more detailed.

To be honest, this is our first trip to Spain, I know very little about the country, and I am not sure when or if we'll be able to make it back so we obviously want to maximize our time but more so, our experience.

The family consensus has put Alhambra on the list of things we want to see. Should we fly into somewhere else other than Madrid? We will be flying in from Frankfurt, (we live in Germany so there is no down time from jet lag).

Would you recommend renting a car as opposed to a train (we'll be traveling light) as a cheaper option for a family of 5?

Our best trips are usually the ones where we can see a few museums, walk in a few parks and eat the local fare. We love the outdoors (hiking espcially), not intersted in nightlife (kids) but would love to see some flamenco dancing. Are there places you can go with kids that are not tourist shows?

We really want to avoid the areas that are high tourist magnets, and I realize that may not be 100% possible, esp since we are going during Holy Week?

I understand that means there will be crowds, and prices will be higher-- but does anyone know if that means alot of shop, restaurant, and sights of interest closures?

Finally, we will be flying out on Good Friday. whew! Thanks in advance for the input!

Whoops, I had understood that you would be here the week before Easter, not Easter week. That changes things radically. If you want to see Spain, rather than see the Holy Week, forget about traveling through the South altogether. If, on the other hand, you are looking to participate in Holy Week, you are starting your planning very, very late in the game. Holy Week in Andalusia is a unique, unforgettable thing, but during that week, locals don't do much of anything other than Holy Week stuff. Prices triple, waiters are short-tempered, hotels are (over)booked and museums are an iffy proposition.

Personally, in your situation, I would forget about southern and central Spain, and visit Catalonia. The Catalonians, in their ongoing effort to ignore history and popular culture, observe virtually no traditional celebration of Holy Week. This means that things are business as usual until Good Friday, when everybody who can heads for either the beach or the mountains. In the meantime, there is plenty to see here, there is good hiking nearby, museums and parks are plentiful, and the local food is reasonably good. (Very good if one gets out of the big city.)

If you do decide to stay in the North, a car is a very good option, and will allow you to visit the countryside, small towns, beaches, etc.

Should you go south, do not rent a car! During Holy Week streets can (and do) become tow-away zones arbitrarily, according to the schedules of the processions. You, as a tourist, are unlikely to be aware of these schedules, and may well receive an unpleasant and expensive surprise.

Plane fare is so inexpensive from Germany, that you can save southern Spain for some other time. Holy Week is high tourist season, and as such all bars and restaurants are open. In Andalusia, many shops close during the week.

Have a great trip.

Agree completely with adynata...if it's easter week, forget Andalucia now....altho a wonderful experience, it's too late now to plan for the crowds and the crush. I would suggest Madrid for a few days, a car up to San Sebastian in the Basque country for a couple of days, then drive to Barcelona for a couple of days, then fly home from there. And adynata's right...you will want to come back. Next time, fly into/out of Malaga (lowest car rentals in Spain, by far!) and do a circuit thru Ronda, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada.