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9 Day Spain Itinerary (Barcelona - Seville - Madrid)

9 Day Spain Itinerary (Barcelona - Seville - Madrid)

Old Aug 28th, 2014, 11:35 AM
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9 Day Spain Itinerary (Barcelona - Seville - Madrid)

Hi folks,

My friend and I are arriving in Barcelona on Friday (different times) at the end of September, and flying out the following Sunday evening out of Madrid. Here's our preliminary Itinerary, and it would be great if we could get feedback on whether it makes sense to include either Cordoba/Grenada/day-trip to Toledo within it.

Friday: Arrive in Barcelona (Booked)
Saturday-Monday: Explore Barcelona
Tuesday: Take a morning flight to Seville (Booked)
Tuesday-Wednesday: Explore Seville
Thursday: Take a day trip to Cordoba or go to Grenada for overnight visit (so we can do the Allahambra)
Friday: Take an evening train to Madrid (or take a morning train, and spend the day in Toledo, with 2 full days remaining to spend in Madrid)
Saturday: Take a day trip to Toledo, and spend the night in Madrid
Sunday: Explore & leave in the evening back to States (Booked)

We are comfortable with our itinerary up until Wednesday, and have designed in a way that doesn't involve too much traveling time. However, we are wondering whether it makes sense to day trips to Cordoba or overnight visit to Grenada, with an evening train in Madrid. We have allocated ~2 days to Madrid, in which we plan to take a day trip to Toledo. Also, it would be great to have feedback if it makes sense to visit Toledo.

Our overarching goal has been to minimize travel time, and see the cities/sights rather than rushing.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 12:41 PM
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Toledo to me is one of the most fantastic cities in Europe - largely untouched ancient town and an ABC town - another bloody church on each block - and lovely churches decked out in the famed Mudejar style plus Franco's old bastion up top - even the train station in Toledo - well at least the old one just below town - is a sight to behold for its azueloj tiles - churches are carpeted with these too - usually a neat aqua blue hue - I liked Toledo so so much - can't say the same for a Madrid with some neat things but a really modern city with really loud bustling traffic - just not fulfilling old-world dreams (plus one of Europe's worst cities for street crime against tourists - be on your guard at all times!)
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 01:34 PM
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You should try to get to both Granada and Cordoba. And, be careful everywhere, just as you would at home!
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 04:07 PM
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You're in Sevilla during the final days of the most prestigious flamenco festival in the world, La Bienal de Flamenco. For "deep song", see Jose Valencia on Tuesday or perhaps the old masters on Wednesday, both nights in old world Teatro Lope de Vega. http://www.labienal.com/en/

Valencia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkjyZpcaqlM
70+ living legend El Carrete: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYYLS2SDwE0
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 04:17 PM
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This trip sounds WAY too rushed to me. I recommend that you 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, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from the train/bus station or whatever, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together. You might end up deciding to cut a destination or two....
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 05:38 PM
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Agree that you are trying to cover a huge amount in limited time. If possible I would remove Madrid - which I don't enjoy (feel like I'm in Chicago) - to spend more time in the south.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 05:48 PM
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I loved Madrid, I adore Chicago, and I don't think they are at all similar.

That said, I agree that it makes sense to drop Madrid and surrounds from this trip since (a) it is easy to get to Madrid, so you can pick it up on a different trip and (b) your trip is at a time when visiting Andalusia makes sense.

Actually, I would also drop Barcelona from this trip for the same reasons.

If you do that, you have a chance of seeing at least some of the highlights of Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada -- which your current plan doesn't allow IMO.

But again, you need to do some research and make a decision that works for your interests.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 06:50 PM
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Madrid became the capital of Spain in the 1561. At that time the population of the city was already 30.000.
It is as similar to Chicago as Stockholm is to Fargo.

Squeezing Granada of Cordoba into a tight itinerary seems too rushed.
You do't need a whole dat to see highlights of Toledo.
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 07:39 PM
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Agreed, a bit rushed!
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Old Aug 28th, 2014, 10:30 PM
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Hmm ... I didn't see everything that I would have liked to see in magnificent Toledo, and I spent nearly two full days there.

(And even though irrelevant, Chicago is a beautiful lake-front city that is deserving of its reputation for world-class architecture, museums, performing arts, etc. I don't know why people are choosing this thread to bash it, quite unjustifiably IMO.)
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Old Aug 29th, 2014, 05:35 AM
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I said " the highlights" ,,
If one wanted to see EVERYTHING in various cities , it would take weeks or months. Not too many travellers have that option.

I am not " bashing" Chicago, just pointing out how strange it is to compare it to an old European city.
America was discovered 70 years before Madrid became the capital of Spain ...( after Tolido)
The history, architecture, indigenous artists, geographical setting etc . could not be more different.
The newer, business area in the north
of Madrid is modern , but so is La Defense in Paris.
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Old Aug 29th, 2014, 06:01 AM
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I think the itinerary is O.K. It is rushed, but the OP can see the highlights. As Danon says, every trip is in some sense rushed because you never have time to see everything you want to see.

Toledo is a "don't miss" IMO and there is enough there for several days. Pity there isn't a way to spend the nite there--may the OP could go there upon arrival in Madrid, spend the nite, then return to Madrid the next AN.

If I had to choose between Granada and Cordoba, I'd choose Granada.
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Old Aug 29th, 2014, 06:48 AM
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We thought a week in Sevilla was just right this spring. Longer would have been good too.
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Old Sep 23rd, 2014, 06:39 AM
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Seville also offers many day trips - easy ones like to Jerez-de-la-Frontera, home of Sherry (a British corruption of the word 'Jerez') with nice Sherry Houses to tour and is home to the famous Andalusian Riding School with the behemoth horses that you can see going thru practice sessions in the horse arena - otherwise a kind of gritty town known for its poverty rates but a few interesting things.
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Old Sep 23rd, 2014, 06:47 AM
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Whenever we are in Madrid we try to a Los Osos game, better known as Da Osos.
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Old Sep 24th, 2014, 11:51 AM
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You're trying to cram way too much into too little time. I would skip Barcelona this time.
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