We are going to Spain in June. It is our first European trip. We are flying in to Madrid, staying a couple of nights and then going to Granada, also for 2 nights and then to Seville. We go back to Madrid for the flight home. We have been trying to arrange transportation from City to City and find it very confusing especially since we do not speak Spanish. Does anyone have advice about the best way to go about this. Getting from Granada to Seville is the biggest question mark. Thanks
Betty
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16242 posts
You can do all of this travel by train if you wish. The Spanish train system is very good, particularly the high-speed AVE trains, and the website is available in English. www.renfe.com It is a bit quirky but generally it works just fine for finding fares and schedules. From Granada to Sevilla there are several trains a day, taking just over 3 hours. Specifically in June, there are 4 trains a day. There is also a bus which some people recommend. I believe it is a bit less expensive than the 29 euro fare for the train, but I don't know for sure as we went by train. From Sevilla back to Madrid you take the high-speed AVE train, which covers the distance in 2.5 hours. There are still Promo fares as low as 34,75 available for the dates I checked in June, but these must be purchased on the website or through the agen Petrabax (which is more likely to accept your credit card than Renfe is).
Posted by
Whittington
984 posts
Not a great deal more to add to Lola's reply. Madrid to Granada to Seville and return to Madrid (or reverse) is an easy and regularly well traveled 'triangle' by train, for many tourists.
Granada to Seville is simple by train, city centre to near centre (or bus www.alsa.es - more journeys per day).
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
712 posts
I can vouch for Alsa (www.alsa.es) if you choose to take the bus route. We rode it from Lisbon to Madrid and it was the best coach bus ride I have ever taken. Also, they offer fantastic deals if you book in advance, even up to 50% off. It's worth looking into especially if you are on a budget.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
The buses are nice and always cheap (don't need to book ahead). The bus stations have help kiosks to help you find the bus you need and get your ticket. I don't think Spanish rail is great, but for Madrid/Cordoba/Seville there is high speed rail service that is really nice. It's also affordable if you purchase ahead. To avoid confusion I ended up buying Cordoba-Madrid AVE (high speed rail) tickets through Rail Europe. It was about $50 dollars each. If you buy 62 days early and figure out the Renfe website, you can probably get that down to close to 30 euro each for each leg. Of the three places we stayed. The only hotel I'd readily recommend is the one in Cordoba: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187430-d229662-Reviews-Hesperia_Cordoba-Cordoba_Province_of_Cordoba_Andalucia.html This one is a nice newer hotel that is a little ways from the train station but very convenient to the Mesquita and Jewish quarter (walk directly across the Roman Bridge). We took some great night pics of the bridge and Mesquita from the roof terrace.
Posted by
OP
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
2 posts
Thanks to all who replied. Your information helps a lot and makes me feel more confident about making some choices. We are both excited and a little nervous about our first trip to Europe. Betty