Where to go in Spain?

We did a similar trip last spring and started in Lisbon. To save time and it was very cheap , we flew Easy Jet to Madrid. From Madrid we used the train to get to Toledo, Granada, and Sevilla. The trains were excellent and efficient. You will need more time to include Barcelona which we loved but enjoyed it on a previous trip. It would be a shame to not include Granada and miss out on seeing the Alhambra. Granada is an interesting city and has a relaxed atmosphere. Each of these cities is unique and Sevilla was probably our favorite.

If you want to see la alhambra, do not forget to buy the tickets in advance. Cheers

Make your beginning point in Madrid. From there it is 25 minutes via the AVE train to Toledo. It is 2hours 30 minutes via the AVE train to Seville. Both are excellent places to visit. I am now in Madrid, having been three days in Seville. Going to Cantabria for a week to teach English in the Vaughantown Program. Will then spend two days in Toledo (my third trip there.) In Seville, look for accommondations in the Santa Cruz area. Central to the sites. Great tour: Really Discover. Two 1/2 hours walking, small group. In Toledo I like the Posada De Manolo, hostal near the Cathederal - easy to see the towers of the Cathederal when you loose your bearings! I would omit Barcelona and concentrate on the other two. Seville is fairly close to the Portugal border, but I have not traveled between the two.

spent two weeks in march in madrid, barcelona, granada and toledo. you can save time from barcelona to granada by taking the night train. was exceptionally appointed, left barcelona at 9:00 pm arrived granada around 8:00 am. the ave trains make it all very quick. madrid-barcelona about 3 hours, granada-madrid maybe 3-4 hours and toledo-madrid 30 minutes. don't miss granada unless you know you are coming back. have fun, be safe.

How much have you looked into your travel options? A train from Italy to Spain would be a long trip, but Barcelona would be a natural first stop. Barcelona is not authentic "Spain," it is Catalonia which is a whole different feel but one of the best cities in Europe. Madrid is a few hours away by train and offers a cosmopolitan view of Spain. Toledo is an easy day trip and is the old capital with lots of muli-cultural/religious history. Sevilla is also an easy few hour train ride from Madrid and offers a different experience altogether. And northern Spain is yet another experience. You'll really need to decide which "Spain" it is that you want to see. Granada is harder to get to/from by train and so is Lisbon. Will you be driving? Or consider flying.

Where ever you decide to go in Spain, don't rule out flying a regional airline like Vueling. We did on our visit to Spain last week. The prices are cheaper than the train, but only if you're a light packer, otherwise, the luggage fees will eat out the savings.

The idea of a 'true feeling of Spain' is problematic. Catalonia, Andalucia, the Basque provinces, the Celtic areas, etc, are all different. Spain is an almagamation of a whole bunch of cultures I've spent years there and there is no one place I could even come close to calling 'typical'. You're going to have to pick and choose. I'd leave Barcleona out of the mix this time since it's probably the most atypical and a good hike from anyplace else. Maybe hit Maddrid, Toledo, Avila, and Segovia. Granada is great, but there's only one thing there. My pick for the southern area would be Seville.

We found Cordoa to be a real gem. Don't miss the exquisite gardens of the Alcazar there, or the beauty of the Mezquita.