amusesbouche

I'm planning a last-minute trip to Spain from 5/7-5/19 + have nothing booked but the roundtrip tix in and out of Barcelona. Would like to visit Granada as well, but open to other stops. Where would you go and how many days would you spend? Was thinking Granada 2 nights, Sevilla 2 nights, Madrid 2 nights and Barcelona 5 nights, but would love any feedback. I'm freaking out because I need to book hotels STAT!

kja

While I can understand your desire to see these places, this plan would be WAY too rushed for me. Are you sure you can see and experience what you want with this plan? Here's what I recommend: Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together. When doing so, note that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

Good luck!

Robert2016

Barcelona - 3 nights
Train to Madrid - 3 nights
Train to Sevilla - 3 nights
Bus to Granada - 2 nights
Fly to Barcelona- 1 night

If you have to cut something, then drop 1 night in Sevilla, or skip Granada altogether and add one night to Sevilla or Madrid.

kimhe

Good idea from Robert, the high speed AVE train takes you between Barcelona, Madrid and Sevilla in no time, city center to city center. Granada is the outlier here. Perhaps rather visit Córdoba with the world famous Mezquita, 45 mins from Sevilla with the high speed AVE train: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/c...1189075/360732

Córdoba is fantastic, and May in Córdoba is something completely different. The whole month is celebration. In mid May you have the patio contest: patios, flowers and music, song, dance, food and wine in the streets, and open air concerts at night. Córdoba is only 1h 40 mins from Madrid with the AVE train: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/festivals.htm
The patio festival: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/patios.htm

kja

if you are to fly into and out of Barcelona, try to find a way to put all of your time there at the end of your trip.

I thought Barcelona deserved at least 4 or 5 days, not counting any day trips. I thought Madrid deserved at least 4 days, not counting day trips. To visit the Alhambra and even a few of Granada's other delights can easily require 3 nights. And I don't see any time in Robert's plan for Cordoba -- its Mesquita is, IMO, one of the WORLD's gems, and while Cordoba can be visited as a day trip from Sevilla, I thought it easily merited 2 full days. I don't see any time in Robert's plan for Toledo -- also easily worth 2 full days, IMO. Or.... well, honestly, I'm very glad that I planned my trip without reference to this particular suggestion.

Again, I urge you to get a guidebook or two and decide what YOU want to see and do.

lindygirl

I went to Spain solo and I allocated almost the same number of days you did except I went to San Sebastian instead of Madrid.

I started in San Sebastian (2 nights)
Train to Barcelona (5 nights)
Flew to Granada (3 nights)
Bus to Seville (4 nights)

If possible, try to spend a little more time in Granada - 3 nights was perfect. I didn't need so much time in Seville - 3 nights would've been fine and would allow for a day trip. I would've taken that extra day and stayed in San Sebastian for another day.

Not sure what you're looking for but like kja said, it would be a good idea to pinpoint a few sites that you want to see and work around that due to closures and operating hours.

Here's my trip report with pics, itinerary, and recommendations:
https://fanofblank.blogspot.com/2014...-in-spain.html

Happy trip planning and travels!

danon

kja made a good suggestion regarding leaving time in Barcelona for the end.
- take a train right away to Madrid...( a number of trains per day )
3 or 4 nights in Madrid, train to Seville 3 nights , bus to Granada ,2 nights,
fly Vueling to Barcelona for 3 or 4 nights.
One could spend much more times in each place , but with the time you have
you can see quite a bit.

amusesbouche

Thanks everyone for all the awesome suggestions and advice!

I'm admittedly still in planning mode when I should probably be booking, but getting closer to nailing down some details.

lindygirl, your trip is actually my IDEAL trip as those are my top 4 cities to visit, but with only 12 days and the mistake of the roundtrip ticket out of BCN, I won't be able to replicate it. Definitely going to heed kja and danon's advice to put in time at BCN at the END of the trip (nothing worse than scrambling to catch a regional flight to the airport so you can catch another flight). Just think it will make things less stressful to avoid doing that.

Here's what I'm tentatively thinking at the moment...flights to Seville were all either too close to my arrival flight into the country, or much later in the day, so Jerez (XRY) seems like another viable option...

5/8 - arrive BCN at 9 am. Flight around lunchtime to XRY (Jerez). Rest of day/night in Jerez.
5/9 - Jerez/train to Sevilla
5/10 - Sevilla
5/11 - Sevilla/bus to Granada (alternatively: Córdoba day trip?)
5/12 - Granada
5/13 - Granada
5/14 - Granada
5/15 - Barcelona
5/16 - Barcelona
5/17 - Barcelona
5/18 - Barcelona
5/19 - Barcelona (depart lunchtime)

Wondering if it's going to be too cramped/busy, but it's pretty hard to cut out anything! Granada is MUST.

kja

I'm glad you are looking at ways to put all your time in Barcelona at the end of your trip.

That said, IMO, Jerez simply does not compare with the other options you are considering. If that's what works, go for it, but if you can find a way to move on to Sevilla, I don't think you'll regret it. Personally, I'd wait a bit for a flight to Sevilla, but that's just me.

I found 2 full days in Granada sufficient -- one day for the Alhambra, one day for the rest. YMMV.

Cordoba's Mezquita is, IMO, one of the WORLD's gems. Whether you give the rest of Cordoba time or not, I would encourage you to find time to visit the Mezquita. You can do that as a day trip or en route....

One full day is SOOooooo little for Sevilla!

Here's a thought: As you are learning, getting to Andalusia is trickier than getting to Barcelona. So, if you are going to shortchange anything -- and IMO, you don't have enough time for it all! -- then consider shortchanging Barcelona, as you can return there most easily. And note that I say that even though I thoroughly enjoyed Barcelona! Consider adding some time to glorious Sevilla and intriguing Cordoba, even if it means that you end up with only a taste of Barcelona.

Hope that helps!

kimhe

As said, you should definitely give time to Córdoba, you'll be there during the patio festival, a fabulous opportunity to get under the skin if things and experience the Andalucian fiesta culture and spirit.

"The Fiesta of the Patios in Cordoba was the most recent Spanish addition added to UNESCO’s list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage sites in 2012 [...] Most of the displays are accompanied by music, with traditional folk and flamenco performances, as well as a variety of wines and tapas for visitors to enjoy. Cordoba in May acts as a magnet to some of the biggest names in flamenco with impromptu concerts and street parties on almost every corner." https://www.spain-holiday.com/Cordob...-de-los-patios

danon

I would give more time to Seville .
( 2 nights in Granada max .)

lindygirl

Great idea to end in Barcelona. I agree with everyone ^ that you should lengthen your time in Seville and reduce Granada. If you buy your tickets ahead of time for the Alhambra then you should be good with just 2 nights in Granada. I wish I had taken a day trip to Cordoba when I was in Seville but it was pouring so I just stayed in for a day. I didn't mind having some down time since I had been on the go non-stop for almost 2 weeks. But you'll be at the beginning of your trip so please go! Cordoba is just a 45 min train ride from Seville and it looks beautiful! And entirely walkable. Less than 2 km from the bus station to The Mezquita and Cathedral.

This looks like an excellent guide:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...o.Cordoba.html

And, if you get to Cordoba by 10:30am, you could take a free walking tour!

okoshi2002

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