memejs

Thanks to some good feedback on this forum I've pretty much got my itinerary for a May trip to Spain nailed down. My flights into Madrid and out of Barcelona are booked, but pretty much everything else is flexible at this point. My one remaining itinerary question is is three days too many for Granada? Should I take a day away from Granada and use it for a side trip from Madrid (Toledo?) or Barcelona. In the past I've been a full-steam-ahead traveler, but the past couple of trips I've really loved having an extra day or two in a place when don't feel pressured to do anything in particular, so I'm a little hesitant about taking a day away from Granada in order to do a day trip.

My other question is what should I do and where should I eat in each city? I've already done some research and will list below the things I have on my list. I just want to know what YOU consider a do-not-miss. I'm into photography and love walking and people-watching. It looks like there are free walking tours in each city, so I plan to do those. My educational background is in history and art history, but even I can only take so many of Europe's numerous museums and churches, so just tell me what I absolutely can't miss.

Also, in terms of attractions and sites I'd love advice on whether or not I need to buy tickets in advance, if it would be worth spending money on a tour or audio guide, if there's a specific time of day that's best to visit. I'd love recommendations of neighborhoods or streets to explore and bookshops to visit (I love bookshops; I probably won't buy any books in Spanish, but I just love experiencing unique bookshops).

If there is anything particular I should know about getting around within and between cities, please let me know.

As for eating, I'm a budget traveler, so my price point is probably lower than many Fodorites. I'll want to spend about $20 or less for each meal (I don't drink alcohol and don't like seafood, so that helps keeps costs down), but I'm willing to spend more for the occasional exceptional meal and great ambiance.

Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive in Madrid, evening
Day 2 - Madrid
Day 3 - Madrid
Day 4 - Madrid, evening train to Cordoba
Day 5 - Cordoba
Day 5 - Cordoba, evening train to Seville
Day 6 - Seville
Day 7 - Seville
Day 8 - Seville, evening bus to Granada
Day 9 - Granada
Day 10 - Granada, morning tickets to Alhambra already purchased
Day 11 - Granada, evening flight to Barcelona
Day 12 - Barcelona
Day 13 - Barcelona
Day 14 - Barcelona
Day 15 - Barcelona
Day 16 - Morning flight home to US

Madrid
Free walking tour with Ogo Tours (how much should I tip?)
Plaza Mayor
Almudena Cathedral
Parque de Buen Retiro
View from Circulo de Bellas Artes
Plaza Espana
Plaza de Oriente
Museo de Prado
Mercado de San Miguel
Museo Reina Sofia
Royal Palace (thinking of skipping this)

Cordoba
Festival of patios/Calleja de las flores - I'm so excited for this!
Jewish Quarter
Mezquita
Palacio de Viana
Alcazar de los reyes cristianos
Capilla Mudejar de San Bartolomeo
Roman Bridge - sunset

Seville
Alcazar
Plaza de Espana
Parque de Maria Luisa
Cathedral and Giralda tower
Metropol Parasol at sunset
Plaza Nueva
Casa de Pilatos or Palacio de las Duenas
Barrio Santa Cruz
Plaza de Toros

Granada
Alhambra - tickets for 8:30am entrance already purchased; will be purchasing Nasrid Palace at night tickets
Mirador de San Nicolas - watch sunset from here
El Albayzin
Basilica de San Juan de Dios
Carmen de los Martires
Hammam al Aldalus (maybe)
Sacromonte caves

Barcelona
Sagrada Familia
Parque Guell
Montjuic Castle
La Boqueria
Gothic Quarter
Citadel Park
La Rambla
Passeig de Gracia - Gaudi works
Sagrat Cor - sunset
Santa Maria del Mar
Bunker de Carmel - views of the city
Palau de la Música Catalana
Casa Mila
Hospital de Sant Pau
Carrer de Valencia, Mercat de Conceptio
Placa Reial

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

kja

IMO, three days is NOT too much for Granada – except that you don’t have enough time for a number of your other locations, so YOU need to decide what to skip or limit.

Toledo is, IMO, one of the 3 or 4 most unskippable places in all of Spain (along with Granada’s Alhambra, Cordoba’s Mezquita, Madrid’s triad of museums), and I thought Toledo deserved at least 48 hours, although many people visit it as a day trip.

As for what to see / do – NONE of use can tell you what will match your interests! Please get / consult at least a few good guidebooks – the cost will be nugatory in comparison to the cost of your trip, you will learn all sorts of things that you never even knew to ask, and you might even learn some money-saving tips. For the places you are visiting, I strongly recommend the Michelin Green Guide and the Rough Guide.

There are dozens of threads on this board about which sites require advance reservations and whether to use audio guides, person guides, or neither. Please do some searches.

Note that many entrees in Spain that involve meat do not come with vegetables, and if they do, those vegetables will rarely be fresh. You might want to focus on tapas bars (they aren’t like bars in the US – alcohol consumption is not required) so that you can order several different small dishes.

Good luck!

IMDonehere

One of my favorite ways to save money in cities like Madrid and Barcelona is to carry a backpack and as you walk around the city buy cheese, bread, fruit, meat, etc. put in your backpack and have a feast in the hotel room at night. If you are checking in luggage pack some utensils.

La Boqueria in Barcelona is one of the best markets in Europe and is historic dating from the 13th cent.

If you go to tapas bar, you do not have to buy wine but can get a soda. Depending on where you do they can be cheap.

In Madrid, Mercado de San Miguel and San Anton and sparkly and new they are expensive. But there are a few Cortes Ingles, department stores with very nice markets.

I also think the pace of your trip is just fine.

memejs

@kja Thanks for your response, especially your thoughts on Granada and Toledo. I do realize that what I decide to do is really up to me and that no one can plan the perfect trip for me. I usually plan my trips by reading dozens of trip reports, and I've already read quite a few on Spain. So I'm not asking people what to do in order to avoid doing research on my own, I just want to ask anyone who cares to answer what they enjoyed most and what they found skipable. I'm not going to find those opinions on official websites, so I like collecting a number of opinions and taking those into account.

@IMDonehere I'm putting utensils on my packing list!

memejs

@kja Thanks for your response, especially your thoughts on Granada and Toledo. I do realize that what I decide to do is really up to me and that no one can plan the perfect trip for me. I usually plan my trips by reading dozens of trip reports, and I've already read quite a few on Spain. So I'm not asking people what to do in order to avoid doing research on my own, I just want to ask anyone who cares to answer what they enjoyed most and what they found skipable. I'm not going to find those opinions on official websites, so I like collecting a number of opinions and taking those into account.

@IMDonehere I'm putting utensils on my packing list!

kja

FWIW, I would strongly encourage you to consult guidebooks, not just trip reports. IME, the sites covered in trip reports become fewer and fewer over time, as people drop more and more things based on the reported disappointments, or less than wholehearted endorsements, of others. And in the meantime, all sorts of things that are absolute treasures get skipped, just because no one mentioned them. Just something to consider.

kja

PS. And there's a TON of information in most planning threads that never makes it into a trip report....

Diamantina

Because of your art history background, I would add Picasso Museum (in La Ribera or El Born) and Fundació Joan Miró (Miro Museum in Monjuic) to your Barcelona list. You noted you didn't want to visit too many museums, but I wouldn't miss the above two.
http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/
http://www.fmirobcn.org/fundacio/en_index/

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is "notable for its outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, Catalan art and design from the late-19th and early 20th centuries, including modernisme." Given your interest in history, it sounds like you might enjoy this museum as well. It has a striking location in Montjuic.
http://www.museunacional.cat/en

We visited more than a half dozen art museums/galleries in Barcelona, so found it advantageous to buy an Art Ticket.

Hospital San Pau/Recinte Modernista (Modernist Complex) , is an easy, 10-minute walk from Sagrada Familia. I'd highly recommend a guided tour of the hospital. I don't think we would have gotten as much out of our visit hadn't we taken the guided tour. It's said to be the world's largest Art Nouveau complex. We were free to wander around on our own afterwards.
https://www.santpaubarcelona.org/en/visits

I don't know if it's considered a great bookstore, but we spent a while in Librería Casa del Libro Passeig de Gràcia, 62. It's close to Casa Batlló. Even if you're not intending to visit Casa Batlló, you'll want to look at the exterior. It's one of the three Modernist buildings, the others being Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera, that constitute the "Illa de la Discòrdia."

We did a lot of walking in Barcelona.

The tapas bars of Seville were my favourites. I liked Eslava, La Azotea, and La Brunilda. I think they'll be within your budget.

kimhe

Diamantina has given you excellent advice on museums etc in Barcelona´.

And when it comes to keeping costs down, do as the Spanish and have your main meal at lunchtime (from about 2pm to 4pm), then most local restaurants serve up a bargain three course Menu del Día (Today's menu) for some 8-13€ with drinks included. You usually choose between three starters, three mains and a couple of desserts. http://www.nakedmadrid.com/2015/10/2...dia-in-madrid/

kimhe

Apart from all the "normal" sights in Sevilla, I will also suggest you go and see the Hospital de la Caridad, it might give you the ultimate Sevilla experience. The 17th century repenting founder Miguel Mañara was - according to himself - "the most evil man that ever lived". All the paintings he commisioned from some of the most famous golden-age arists for the hospital and it's adjoining church dealt with the theme of death and redemption. The hospital, the church, the paintings and Mañara's grave are all in Calle Temprado, 3. http://www.santa-caridad.es/en/
http://www.seville-traveller.com/charity-hospital/