Spain (Seville, Granada, Madrid) Trip Report - October 2016

We flew AA from Wichita to Chicago, then our connecting flight was Iberian to Madrid. This was a really nice plane and had several empty seats. The lucky ones stretched out in the middle seats to lay down for a good long nap.

Day 1 Seville: Arrived Madrid airport without train tickets pre-booked. Went to the ticket desk and the earliest tickets we could get were first class for the noonish timeslot. We opted for those. We did arrive with enough time we could have hopped on an earlier train had tickets been available, but one never knows if you'll have delays so it was a gamble we weren't willing to take. In hindsight, I would gamble on it and buy tickets. Maybe since it was a Friday with more people traveling there were fewer tickets, I don't know. We did enjoy the lounge at the train station while we waited for our train to arrive, a good perk to having to pay more for seats. Eventually we got on our train to Seville. We took a taxi upon arrival to our AirBNB flat. After chatting with our host and settling in, we hit the down for some walking and exploration. We checked out the Torre del Oro, neat little place. Walked over to Triana area for some ceramics shopping. I was worried about seeing the shops since I had read that several places close on Saturday for the siesta and don't reopen. I found out later that this is not the case - they were open. I just didn't feel ready to buy anything since we had only just arrived so we enjoyed browsing but no buying. Went back to our BNB area and ate dinner at a place that had probably my favorite sangria of our trip. Had pretty evening views of the Giralda bell tower. And then we called it a night.

Day 2 Seville: The next morning, we got up to visit the Alcazar. We didn't have any tickets pre-bought, so we stood in line for probably about 20 minutes before getting in. Only disappointment was not being able to buy the tickets to the Royal Apartments - those were sold out. So, you may want to pre-buy those if you really want to go. I had been trying to not over plan this trip and it backfired for me a few times...We rented an audioguide which was informative but a little annoying when you are trying to juggle it and a camera. Anyways, the Alcazar was gorgeous and our first taste of Moorish architecture. Loved the first white room to the left when you walked in. Also loved the baths below...it was a real treat to have the place to ourselves for a few minutes! I was a little disappointed with the gardens, not too many flowers this time of year. The dirt had been disturbed so it looked like they had just been working the grounds. We ate a lunch in the cafe in the grounds and enjoyed the gorgeous weather at a table outside. We spent probably about 4-5 hours or so at the Alcazar? We then made our way up via some shopping streets to the Metropol Parasol. Started with a visit to the museum below, then went upstairs for a drink and an exploration of the structure. Great views and interesting architecture. Good place to unwind with a beverage, didn't try the food. We then made our way to the Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija. We found it just ok - neat but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you have limited time. We went back to Triana where we picked up a small serving bowl for ourselves and a few gifts for some friends/family and then walked down to the river boat cruise station. The views were good but the seating was not fixed so people were up and about moving constantly and standing in the front of the boat where our seats were so it ended up being difficult to see around them. Again, not something I would necessarily recommend unless you are really interested in the different bridges and newer architecture in Seville as the audio portion covers those things. IMO, your time and money would be better spent on Flamenco! :)

Day 3 Seville:

This day we did have penciled in to explore the Sunday art market but we had found gorgeous watercolors by an artist the day before outside the exit of the Alcazar. So, we decided we did not need any more art to commemorate the trip and we skipped it and go for pretty early morning views of the Plaza de Espana instead. So, we decided to hop in a taxi to the Plaza de Espana, got there around 9am I think. There were others exploring but the crowds were slim at that time compared to when we left. This place is now one of my favorite spots in Spain. Just loved it. We putted around the Plaza and then the park a bit. The other plans for the day was a tour to Italica with Paul McGrath. He is a Seville taxi driver and offers trips to Italica or trips to the white villages at a reasonable price. I called him to see if we could change our meeting point to close to the Plaza since we were already there and he was totally flexible so it worked out well. At 11am, he picked us up and off we went to Italica. We found Paul very friendly and interesting to chat with. We had a 2.5 hour tour with him which was about right - I think we could have spent a little more time putting around the ruins if we were by ourselves but it was so convenient not having to rent a car or go by public transportation, it was very much worth the 75 euros for the tour. Italica itself was GREAT! If you like Roman ruins, I totally would recommend going. There were gorgeous mosaics and the ruins, including the colosseum, were very interesting. Loved being able to walk in the side "tunnels" there. Paul also swung us by the amphitheater in town and that was a wow too, just wish we could have gotten inside it to explore more. Paul dropped us back off by the cathedral, which we decided to go into at that time. Probably should have gone and bought tickets at the other church, but we decided to just stand in line which was probably about a 30 minute queue. The mid afternoon sun was quite hot so I covered up a bit with my light scarf so I didn't burn. Once we got inside, we found it quite stunning! What an altar area and scene of Jesus' life! We walked the ramp up the bell tower (which is a little steep in case you were curious) and loved the little views out of the windows on the way up. Also really enjoyed the inner courtyard area once we got back down. Since we enjoyed the Plaza de Espana so much, we decided we would taxi back for some evening light (I had rolled my ankle a few months previously and it still hasn't healed properly, so it was good to give it a break from all the walking here and there). The Plaza was great to see in the evening, different than the morning, and very busy with people. We tossed around the idea of taking a carriage ride but Paul had told us some not great stories when I asked him about the rides so we decided to pass on that. We decided to end our day and our time in Seville with a flamenco show. Taxied back up to the area of Casa de la Memoria and bought tickets to a flamenco show, which was exciting and electrifying and one of my favorite Spanish experiences! The dancers were great, the musicians were great, just a wonderful experience! I wasn't sure what to expect and they totally blew my mind. We got there about 30 minutes ahead of time and a line had already formed. We still got front row seats though, and that was a great spot to be! There was a separate line for the actual show, you do have to go to the desk inside to buy tickets, so DH stood in line while I bought the tickets. I believe this is the night that we stopped at another good tapas place - I ordered a pork chop with a mojo picon sauce - I enjoyed it so much that I had to google it to see what it was. Turns out it originates from the Canary Islands! I'm going to try to recreate the sauce here at home based off online recipes. It was so darn good!

Day 4 Granada: We had decided while in Seville to book the early morning 6:35 train to Granada. I did this via my phone, no app, since the app wanted additional information from me that I didn't want to take the time to set up. It was an early morning when the day came around, but we were both glad we did this method versus waiting for the 10am bus. In hindsight, we found Granada to be our favorite city that we visited in Spain and we were glad to have the extra time there. We taxied to the train station in Seville, and what a crazy ride it was, even though no one was out and about he drove a little wild, banging some the car mirror on side buildings and hitting the accelerator with some gusto! That will wake you up...Upon arrival in Granada, we taxied to our hotel. Loved its location with a low view of the Alhambra and found it nicely appointed. We ate breakfast at a little cafe close to our hotel...delicious orange juice! And then showered and hit the streets to do some exploring. We also picked up our Alhambra tickets at the Corral del Carbon. We were standing in line when after a few minutes someone asked if anyone was there for Alhambra tickets. There was a machine inside to the side of the line (that you couldn't see) that was for the tickets. Evidently we were in queue for the site itself? We picked up our tickets, which was easy, and then left to do some exploring of Granada. We putted around town, lots of lovely little shops, walked by the cathedral, and made our way up into the Albayzin. Where we then parked our butts in some comfy seats with an absolutely stellar view of the Alhambra at El Huerto de Juan Ranas for a pasta dish and some cervezas and sangria. We spent a few hours there just soaking up the views and relaxing and chatted with another couple from the States for a while. It was great! We had dinner reservations at Estrellas de San Nicolas. The food was actually really good, barring the lobster paella. It was not very good at all, especially considering the price. Our salads were delicious and DH's oxtail was very, very good. The view was incredible. We had wanted to eat at another restaurant, but it was not open on Monday nights. I would recommend trying Estrellas. Do book ahead and ask for a front table on the terrace. You'll have wonderfully romantic views of the Alhambra. :)

Day 5 Granada:

We had booked 10am Nasrid Palaces entry time. We made it to the Alhambra complex a little after 9am, via the Justice Gate. Grabbed some breakfast at a little stand close to the queue for the Nasrid and took in some views of Granada from the area by the Alcazaba behind the stand. We then got in queue for our entry and waited. We used an audioguide on our phone for the Alhambra and Nasrid which was engaging and informative. We found the Alhambra and the Nasrid palaces absolutely wonderful, despite the crowds. We loved it. I want to do more reading about it, starting with Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra! It really is a spectacular place. After our Nasrid palace tour, we made our way to the Generalife gardens and toured that area. We then made our way to the Parador and had a lovely lunch on the outside terrace. We then hit up the gift shop at the main entry and got some good souvenirs. We then walked back through the complex and down to the Charles V palace. I missed that the Alhambra museum does NOT reopen on Tuesdays...much sadness ensued for me! But, such is life, can't let it ruin the day so I got over it and we went on the Alcazaba. By this time, it was past 2 in the afternoon. I was glad to have bought the extra Alhambra ticket (not the one with the Nasrid, just an afternoon ticket), because we had to use it to get into the Alcazaba. After touring it, we then left the complex and putted around town for a bit and ate some tapas and relaxed. We had night tour tickets of the Alhambra at 10, so we made our way back up to the Justice Gate for our night tour. It is a slightly abbreviated visit, they route you through the Nasrid a little differently than you go through during the day. Fewer people, which helped the experience. Very interesting and contrasting from the day visit. Would absolutely recommend doing both. If we had more time in Granada, I think I would have opted for the Nasrid for the earliest time slot in the morning so you have fewer people with you. I would have done the same for the Generalife. There is so much to see in the complex, I could easily see slowing down and really taking your time at the place. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that kind of time luxury, and I found a full day very wonderful and rewarding. Just would have timed our visit a little differently to have seen the museum too!

Day 6 Granada/Madrid:

We pre-booked olive oil tasting tour with Olive Oil Tour for the morning timeslot this day. They picked us up from a pre-arranged point in Granada, with our luggage. This was convenient because this allowed us to walk directly to the train station with our luggage when we were dropped off to catch the afternoon train, I think it was a 2:30 time? Actually, it was a bus, since the work was still being done on the line. We had the whole bus/train switch on the way from Seville to Granada and then Granada/Madrid. They made it super easy, nothing to it. We took the bus to the switch point, I think that was Antequera Santa Ana or something like that. Sidetracked here though...the olive oil tour...this was a fun way to spend a few hours. We started with a stop with some fields of olive trees. Some were very old but this did not affect the quality of olives the tree produced. It was also interesting to see their methods of irrigation using the ditches and sluices. Each farmer is allowed so much water at designated times, from my understanding. We tried an olive that was ripening to purple, very very strong taste that I don't think I'll try again but it was fun :) Then we drove on to a 15th century olive oil mill in a white hill town which was again very interesting to see how they used to process everything before the industrial revolution. After seeing that, we went into a tasting room / store to taste 5 different oils. We opted in for a wine tasting after, which was also good. We tried sherry for the first time, which actually grew on me but I don't think I'd seek it out versus a regular wine. The oil tasting was great, we tried "regular" olive oil from different olives from different regions and also tasted a few flavored oils (basil and orange). So much fun and so eye-opening to the world of olive oil! They were very laid-back and not pushy for anyone to purchase items, totally your choice but we chose to buy a few different oils for ourselves and then some for our friends. We drove back into town, walked to the train station, and waited for our bus to show up, maybe a 40 minute wait or so. This was a holiday day in Spain, October 12, and we did not notice any disturbances in normal activity. Eventually we got on and made it to Madrid. Upon arrival in Madrid, we taxied to our hotel. We found Hotel Preciados to be in a good spot for exploring Madrid. We walked down to the Mercado San Miguel. What a busy place and a feast for the senses...noise, smells, tastes, and never-ending sights to take in! We tried things in and out of our comfort zone and had a lot of fun while at it. My favorite thing to try was the olive stand with lots of different accompanying items. Super crowded with people on the Wednesday evening we visited. Called it an early evening at the hotel, super comfortable bed and a good night's sleep.

Day 7 Madrid:

This was an overcast day, the rain and clouds from day before hung around for most of the day. We headed towards the Royal Palace and stopped for breakfast at the Hotel Opera's cafe on the way. It was delicious and had a great menu for the price! Good find. We made it to the Palace which had quite the queue, had to wait probably 30 minutes or more to get in. And we got there around 10:30 I think? We used a downloaded audio app, however, I would probably just get the guide if revisiting. They had tablets for rent and they looked really good. I was really impressed with the palace itself. It had a gorgeous variety of design and decor in the different rooms. After our tour, we walked around Madrid and explored the different plazas, Plaza Santa Ana and Plaza Mayor and other streets. Stopped for chocolate con churros, yum! Also went to El Corte Ingles for some shopping and drinks with a view off the top. We ended our day with dinner at La Mi Venta. Had a good meal and really good wine here, but would recommend skipping the lamb chops - they were tiny for the price. The atmosphere was very romantic and it was a nice meal. The steak ordered by the table over looked fabulous. Would have ordered that instead in hindsight.

Julie, I am leaving for Spain in a week and half! Enjoyed reading your trip report and thanks for the information about Verizon!

Day 8 Madrid/Segovia:

We woke up without an alarm this morning, which was on purpose, and made our way to the La Sepulvedana bus station. We lucked out on timing and got some of the last few seats on the bus with only about 10 minutes to spare. The bus was completely full, might be a good thing to get there a little earlier to guarantee a seat? We hopped on the bus and made our way to Segovia. The bus stop was conveniently located within walking distance of everything we wanted to see. I was surprised by all the small beautiful churches, I think they were Romanesque style? I thought they were very lovely. The aqueduct was fabulous (I'm running out of adjectives for all the great things we saw!) and we climbed up towards the top. Great picture spot. We then made our way to the Alcazar. It was cloudy and sprinkling so we thought we'd start there to beat the crowds and the rain. We rented the audio guide which was informative. I really enjoyed the history of the castle and seeing the old furnishings and architecture. We also went up to the top of the castle and enjoyed the views. Then we walked back down into town and the sun started to pop out. The cathedral was gorgeous. We tried Ponche Segoviana at Limon y Menta - it was delicious! Wish I could have packed that up and taken it home with us. Yum yum yum. Walked around the aqueduct some more - it actually turns the corner and keeps going. So impressive. Grabbed a quick snack and then headed back to the bus station, I think it was around 4 in the afternoon. Tip here if you travel to Segovia by bus: your return ticket has to be exchanged at the bus station for a specific timeslot. Luckily at our window of time, there were two buses running. We were in line for the bus and the driver turned us away and said we had to get it changed out. So make sure to do that before you get in line. We got back to Madrid and hopped on the metro back to our hotel to freshen up. Taking the bus to Segovia was really easy. Perks were that it was a short metro ride away from our hotel and then you get dropped off in town instead of outside of town. I would recommend it. After freshening up, we hit the streets again and decided to go check out the Templo de Debod. The sun was lower in the sky and it really was a pretty sight. Unfortunately, it was closed and we couldn't go in. It seemed to be a popular place for young and old to hang out and had nice views of Madrid from the point as well. After hanging out there we made our way to El Escaldon. I had found it when looking for Canary Island cuisine in Madrid. It was absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend! We finished our evening with a stop at the famous San Gines Chocolateria. It was yummy. This was the third place and IMO the best place that we had churros at on our trip. Very good!

Day 9 Madrid:

Our last day! We wanted to see the Crystal Palace in the morning light so we hit the ground running (or sitting) on the metro stop close to Retiro Park. What a lovely, and big, place! So many were out exercising taking advantage of the gorgeous morning. We found our way to the palace inside the park and it was absolutely stunning with the morning light shining it. Unfortunately found that it was closed for the day for the changing of an exhibition. That was a bummer but we enjoyed it from the outside. We strolled around the park for a while and then made our way to the Thyssen Bornemisza museum, where we spent several hours enjoying the art. It was a great collection over a wide range. A few of their impressionist pieces were on loan while we were there (noticed they were gone because of the audio guide). My favorite was the John Singer Sargent's Millicent. What a gorgeous painting! We had decided one art museum was enough for us this trip, so the other ones will have to wait for a return trip to Madrid. After our museum time, we walked over to the other side of Retiro Park to go to a tapas place that was supposed to be the bees-knees. Got there...and found that everyone else thought it was the bees-knees too. It was crazy busy and loud so we decided to move on and go elsewhere. Metro'd back to the other side of the park and explored that area instead. We enjoyed strolling down Calle de las Huertas, that was a nice street full of cute shops. We had a good late lunch at La Mucca, walked back through Plaza de Santa Ana. Made it back to the hotel, freshened up and packed our bags completely so we would not worry about it the next morning. Our flight was at 11 and we left around 7:30 for the airport via taxi, if I remember correctly. We ended the night by going back out for a few drinks and tapas and strolling around Madrid. Good way to end a good trip.

Our take-away? Spain was a lovely country full of wonderful and mind-blowing sights. I guess I had read too many opinions about Seville and Granada, respectively. We enjoyed them both but we far preferred Granada to Seville. Maybe Seville had been hyped up too much, but I did not find it as pretty as I had been expecting. I found Granada far prettier than I had expected. We both could have easily enjoyed an extra night there, minimum. Madrid we found to be very busy and very full of people. The architecture reminded me of Paris, but the vibe of the city is completely different. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the city with just the few days that we had there. I am glad that we did not stay in a hotel in the Gran Via. I do not know what area I'd want to stay in on a return trip. I didn't love Madrid but I can't say that I don't like it either (so many people seem to not care for it on the different forums). We did love Segovia. We both tend to like the smaller places with old charm. We didn't have time for Toledo on this trip, but I'd definitely recommend Segovia if you want to see an impressive Roman aqueduct, a great castle, and a gorgeous cathedral. So many times I've seen people ask which one to go to, and it's hard to decide (we had a hard time deciding) but I'm thinking you can't go wrong either way.

Thanks again to all those who helped me with my questions. We had a great trip and can't wait to make it back! :)

Ang84335, thanks and glad you enjoyed! Hope you have a wonderful trip yourself! :)

Julie, thanks so much for sharing your detailed trip report! We haven't been to Spain, yet, and have been considering it as a place possibly for next year.

I was impressed by the price you got with Verizon until I realized that $5/day would be $75 for my 15-day trips - too much for me. And don't you have to pay for a whole month? That's what I was told last May. Either way, I hope Verizon improves their plans before my next trip to Spain in May.

EDIT: I was checking out Verizon's international plans and I saw the $5/day price, but that looks like all it does is allow you to use your regular plan while you are abroad, and is on top of whatever you usually pay for your plan. I don't see anything anywhere that gives you unlimited talk/text/data. Do you have a link for what you used? Even their regular domestic plans don't offer unlimited data, as far as I can see.

Thanks for posting this great report. Did I miss it, or did you not go to the Prado? If you didn't see it, you have a reason to return to Madrid ASAP!

Julie,
Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
It sounds like you had a nice trip.

Regarding this comment:

We both tend to like the smaller places with old charm. We didn't have time for Toledo on this trip, but I'd definitely recommend Segovia if you want to see an impressive Roman.

You may want to consider visiting Córdoba, as well as Toledo, the next time you go to Spain ;-)

I'm leaving for Italy this week, was just reading Rome info but got sidetracked on this post because I love Spain. I need to go back again now! What a great trip report!
Granada is my favorite as well. I enjoy Seville as well, but I can't quite put my finger on why it's Granada I love. Glad to see someone else really enjoy it.

Toledo is nice but I prefer Segovia. Again, can't quite tell you why but there it is.

Jean, glad you enjoyed it, hope you make it to Spain! We always have a hard time deciding where to go next, positive thing is, you can't really lose out no matter what you decide on. :)

Nancy, it very well could be that it was just access to your current plan for $5 a day - I could have said that wrong. I do know that these "plans" vary country to country. Italy is evidently $10 a day, at least right now. I think they are trying to get more competitive on the international market. They also send you a text notification when your day is about to run out and start a new one. I'll of course be curious to double-check the bill when we get it - the new cycle isn't posted up for me to check yet.

*edit: TravelPass is the plan. https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/travelpass-countries/ Evidently Spain is the only cheap one on the list!

Harold, we did miss the Prado. We decided to go to the Thyssen instead...we will have to go to the Prado on our next visit!

Priscilla, yes, I would love to see Toledo and Cordoba. Sounds like they would have fit the bill for us too. So many choices, so little time!

Mira, yes, isn't it funny how a place can strike you? We definitely preferred Granada. And, my suspicion was that we'd prefer Segovia, at least for a day trip. I'll be curious to go back to see what we think of Toledo. Hope you have a great time in Italy! We will be returning there for our 5-year anniversary trip next year and I'm excited!

Julie, thanks for a detailed report. It will be helpful for my upcoming trip. A couple of questions.

We used an audioguide on our phone for the Alhambra and Nasrid which was engaging and informative.

There were reports that the Alhambra had discontinued the audio guides, and would be replaced by a new system. Is your audio guide provided by the Alhambra, or something else?

We had night tour tickets of the Alhambra at 10, so we made our way back up to the Justice Gate for our night tour. It is a slightly abbreviated visit, they route you through the Nasrid a little differently than you go through during the day.

What is the closing time for the night tour?

Hi staynsavor, there is an app available for downloading onto your phone. Named Alhambra & Generalife. It may have a minimal charge, I don't remember. It was engaging and informative.

I am not sure what time it closes. We spent about an hour there.

Julie, did you get that app at the Alhambra, or elsewhere?

The app is available from the iPhone App Store and Android Google Play. Here's their page about it: http://www.musmon.com/en/audioguide/alhambra-generalife-granada/iphone/es

It's $2.61 on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.musmon.Alhambra and $2.99 on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/alhambra-generalife-granada/id687383627?mt=8

Thanks. Good to know that there will be at least one audio guide available.

Staynsavor,

What is the closing time for the night tour?

You don't mention when your trip will take place, but keep in mind that the night visit is only available on Friday & Saturday at 8pm - 9:30pm (from October 15-- March 14th)

You may check here for more information: http://www.alhambra-patronato.es/index.php/Schedules/195+M5d637b1e38d/0/

Edit to add:

You may want to refer to this thread regarding the availability of audio guides at the Alhambra (daytime only):https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/granada-questions

Priscilla, thanks for the links. Seems like the audio guides are now available at the Alhambra.

It was after I had firmed up my itinerary for November that I noticed the limited days for the night tours. Luckily I will be in Granada for a weekend. Booked both the day and night tours.

Information about using your phone in Europe - See if your phone is unlocked or can be unlocked (ATT provided info on how to unlock my old iPhone 4S) and buy a SIM card when you arrive. We did that in France and had 1 gb of data and could call anywhere in France (used it to make restaurant reservations, call our B&B hosts) and it worked perfectly. It cost about $30 for a month. We use Skype or FaceTime for video phone calls and that's free.

Enjoyed your report. I'll save it to use when planning our own trip to Spain.

Thanks for the great report about your trip. We are planning a trip to Madrid and Granada in March 2017. My son will be studying in Granada from Jan.-March, and the rest of the family will be traveling to see him. We only have one week. We will fly into Madrid, arriving early Saturday morning, and will need to be in Granada Monday thru Thursday afternoon (so he can finish classes), then fly out of Madrid on the next Saturday morning. Do you recommend traveling by train or bus? Any thoughts on renting a car? There will be 6 of us! I'm just now beginning to do some research on what activities we should try to accomplish in our very short stay. I know we want to go to the Alhambra and such, but that's kind of the extent of my ideas right now. Your concise report helps me! Thanks!

Sorry, just getting back to this.

Staynsavor, hope you enjoyed both tours!

Swolfrum, I don't see any reason to rent a car unless you want to take some trips out of Granada. But, Córdoba and Seville are both connected to Granada by public transportation. Depends on where you're trying to get to. I would think you'd want to travel via train/bus to Granada from Madrid...

I took both the Alhambra night and day tours. The large tour groups put a damper on the experience.

This update on the audio guide is quite accurate.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187441-d191078-r439401777-The_Alhambra-Granada_Province_of_Granada_Andalucia.html