HNS

My husband and I are spending 2 full weeks in Madrid and Andalucia. We planned the following tentative itinerary:

Flying into Madrid - staying 4.5 days

Morning of 5th day, taking the AVE to Cordoba and staying 2 days.

Morning of 7th day, taking the AVE to Seville and staying 2 days.

Morning of 9th day, taking the train or bus to Granada and staying 2 days.

Morning of 11th day, taking the bus to Malaga and staying roughly 3 days.

Morning of 14th day: bus back to Madrid and flying home in the evening

Is this way too ambitious? I am torn between not wanting to overwhelm us and wanting to see as much as possible. I'm not sure when and if we'll be able to come back to the area. A lot of people suggested day trips but I honestly think staying at least a night or two in each place is less stressful than a bunch of day trips. We lose time traveling in the mornings changing towns, but since most places are within 2.5 hours of each other (or less), I'm hoping it won't feel too arduous.

Any advice on tweaks or changes (or whether I could possibly part with any of these cities) would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

iris1745

You could consider staying four nights in Seville with a day trip to Cordoba. www.maribelsguides.com for info.

excited_confused

Hi, I am planning a trip to Spain as well so have been doing a lot of research though I have never been. I wish I had 2 weeks! If I did, after 4.5 days in Madrid, I would do one night in Cordoba en route to Seville, 3 nights in Seville, maybe add one night in Ronda & 2 nights in Malaga.
I too much prefer staying in a place rather than doing a day trip since you get a feel for a town if you stay there. I usually like 2 nights at least but since so many people have suggested Cordoba as a day trip, I think one night would be OK on the way to Sevilla. Just my two cents.
I am known to be an aggressive planner but it has worked fine for us so far & I don't think an overnight stay is necessarily a bad idea. Out overnight stop in Sienna on the way from Rome to Venice remains a highlight of our Italy trip.
When are you planning to go? The trip sounds wonderful!

CathyM

I don't think it's too ambitious but I would make one change - more time in Sevilla.

I'd find a way to spend 4 nights so you can enjoy Sevilla and even perhaps do a daytrip to a smaller city. All of the places you've listed are larger cities so a daytrip to Carmona, Osuna, Sanlucar, or Arcos etc...may be a nice change of pace.

If you absolutely can't add any days to the trip then I'd take 1 day from Malaga (2 nights is plenty to see the city) and 1 from Madrid or 2 nights from Malaga (but I personally hate 1-nighters). Currently you have 3 nights in Malaga and there's much more in Sevilla where you only have 2 nights. If you could add a night in total to your trip then I'd take a night from Malaga and add the additional day to Sevilla for a total of 4 nights in Sevilla and 2 in Malaga.

I'd definately do a daytrip to Toledo from Madrid and if you have time also Segovia.

I'd also train from Malaga to Madrid. No way would I do the bus when the train is so much quicker and frequent.

One question - when is this trip?

kja

My perspective -- and it is obviously a very subjective matter -- is that you are being too ambitious, in large part because you what you seem to be skipping.

- For Andalusia, I love that you are spending 2 nights in Cordoba, but I don't think you really have 2 days there, do you? It looks like you'll lose parts of that time to transit. I know that many people recommend visiting Cordoba as a day trip from Sevilla, or as a stop from Sevilla to elsewhere; I'm a fan of Cordoba and was glad to actually have nearly two full days (not just 2 nights) there. I found more than enough to keep me fully occupied during that time.

I definitely think that you are short-changing Sevilla. Again, you won't really have 2 days because of time lost to transit. And IMHO, Sevilla definitely deserves at least 3 full days.

For Granada, depending on your interests, 2 nights might be sufficient. I was glad to have 2 full days in the city. Whether you decide to give Granada 2 nights or more, do consider reserving time at the Alhambra for both the day and the night, preferrably in that order. Search this board for further information about visiting the Alhambra -- there are LOTS of relevant threads.

I didn't visit Malaga, so have no comments about that part of your plan.

I did spend a night in Rhonda, enjoyed it, and thought 1 night sufficient. You'll see lots of other opinions on this board.

Turning to the area around Madrid, I think 4.5 days is quite reasonable for Madrid itself, perhaps with one day trip, particularly if you are likely to experience jet lag. But 4.5 days is not, IMHO, sufficient for the area: If you have an interest in art, Madrid itself can easily take 3 or 4 days just for its museums. (Actually, those museums easily warrant much MUCH longer, but I don't think many people would try to spend all day, every day, in even these magnificent museums.) I thought that Toledo deserved at least 2 full days; Sevilla at least 1 day if not more; Avila at least a half day, if perhaps less than a full day. (And Salamanca, which is further afield, deserves at least 2 full days IMO.)

Like you, I don't like day trips unless they are really and truly are such time savers that there really is no question.

So - are you fully committed to flying into and out of Madrid? If not, you might consider an open jaw option so you don't have to backtrack.

If you do have to fly out of Madrid, you might want to put any time you spend there at the end of your trip so you don't have to either (a) add an extra hotel stay to your itinerary or (b) count on getting to Madrid for your flight on the day you are scheduled to leave. But I live in the US and would consider missing a flight from Madrid to be a very costly problem for me; maybe it wouldn't be such a problem for you. You should also consider when you plan to go: Andalusia is extremely hot during the summer.

And definitely plot out which days you will be where against what you hope to see. Many things in Spain are closed on Mondays or for VERY long siestas.

One last thing to consider: if you do decide to reallocate your time, you might want to consider which cities/towns will be easiest to re-visit. For example, Madrid is a major transportation hub, so it is likely to be easier to re-visit than, say, Granada. So you might shift most/much of your time to Andalusia, holding Madrid for another visit. Just something to keep in mind!

Whatever you decide, you'll see some wonderful places. Enjoy!

HNS

All,

Thank you so much for all of the advice - really appreciate it! KJA, yes, we do lose some time to traveling in the mornings between cities, which was my concern. Luckily, most of these places are 2.5 hours or less apart and appear to have early trains.

After thinking about things, I agree about Sevilla. I decided to add a day there so as not to "short change it." If I had my way, I would stay in each city for 2 weeks, but alas, I do not have that kind of time off from work! We are both art lovers and could probably visit the Prado for 4 days and not get bored.

Also, re: Mondays, I planned better than I even knew at the time - both coming and going to Spain, our flights our on Mondays so we won't be seeing any sites on two of the three Mondays.

We are going in the first two weeks of October - I hear the weather is great then. We are so excited for this trip!

Thanks again!

kja

> We are both art lovers

Oh, you are in for such a treat! In Madrid, it isn't just the "Big 3" -- consider making time for the Monasterios de las Descalzas Reales and the Museo Arqueológico Nacional. And while the art museums in Cordoba and Sevilla pale in comparison to those in Madrid, each has some gems and each was almost empty when I visited (in early Oct), making it especially pleasant to visit.

HNS

Thanks for the tips, kja! We may still hit up the art museums in Cordoba and Sevilla as well because even if the collection is not as extensive, it is SO refreshing to be in a nearly empty musuem!

BigAleinstein

I suggest that when you are in Madrid, visit a museum one day, a non-museum activity the next, museum day, etc.

One of my favroite places in Madrid is the Royal Tapestry Factory, where they still make tapestries and rugs by hand and use orignal Goya designs for tapestreies.

http://www.realfabricadetapices.com/

A trip to Toledo is always recommended and when you do your homework you can see a number of El Grecos.

There is a quirky moden art museum in Cuenca. The museum and many homes overlook a gorge and the town is now much easier to reach becaue of the AVE.

Personally I think you are moving too much, you are forgetting packing, unpacking, checking in and out, getting to and from the stations and waiting time, etc.

Sevilla is worth more time and the Alhambra is one of those tourist attractions that is worth every moment.

Unfortunately I think you have cut Cordoba or Malaga and if it were me, I would eliminate Cordoba. Not that Cordoba is not interesting, it is just a practical decision.

BigAleinstein

Here is an excerpt from my trip report from last time in Madrid when I visited the Prado.

For those unfamiliar with the Prado, it is in the top 5 general art museums. When we first visited the Prado in 1972 we were told the collection consisted of either Spanairds or artists from lands that were once under Spanish domain. Since they had Botticellis and Caravaggios, it raised some questions. But Franco had a moveable concept of the truth. Of course, he is dead for over thirty years.
The permanent collection includes Zubaran whose colors make his work appear three dimensional. Bosch's Garden of Early Delights and Breughel's Hay Wagon are almost hallucinogenic in their whimsy and imagination. But Velazquez and Goya are the stars of the Prado. To see how crazed Goya became one only need to compare the tranquility of hunting paintings to the insanity that is his Black Pictures. The Black pictures include a Colossus stealing humans and his famous Second Of May where faceless French soldiers are executing terrified Spaniards.
Velazquez's Las Meninas, is considered one of art's greatest works. It is exceptional combination of bent reality and reality. He portrays himself as painting the picture but he also simultaneously exiting. He is supposedly creating a portrait of the Infanta Margarita but she is facing away from the painter. And the walls are covered with paintings but they are too dark to discern their subject matter. It is more than a painting but a reflection of artist's intellect and creativity.
In another room is his depiction of Aesop. His world weariness is seen in his eyes, a covered hand, and his shoes. It is extraordinary.
One painting that caught my attention was the Ages and Death by Hans Balding Grien. (1484-1548). It depicts a woman in various stages of her life in very bleak terms. It is in sharp contrast to the other works in the museum.
Try going when it opens to avoid the tour buses and the scads of school children.

kja

> it is SO refreshing to be in a nearly empty musuem!

Exactly! And IMO, each of those museums had some pieces that were well worth savoring.

kimhe

As art lovers, I will also recommend you to see the Hospital de la Caridad, it might give you the ultimate Sevilla experience.

The 17th century repenting benefactor/co-founder Miguel de Mañara was - according to himself - previous to his 'awakening' "the most evil man that ever lived". All the paintings he commisioned from some of the most famous golden-age arists (Murillo, Valdés Leal, Zurbarán etc.) 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 close to the Maestranza theater and the Torre del Oro.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/seville/sights/411842

Among many other paintings you'll find Valdés Leal's famous In Ictu Oculi and Finis Gloariae Mundi here (1671-1672):
In ictu oculi (in the blink of an eye): http://www.artehistoria.jcyl.es/v2/obras/10662.htm
Finis Gloriae Mundi: http://www.artehistoria.jcyl.es/v2/obras/10663.htm

HNS

Thanks for the additional art info, Big Al and kimhe!