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Can't choose between Seville and Granada!

Can't choose between Seville and Granada!

Old Feb 25th, 2014, 07:23 PM
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Can't choose between Seville and Granada!

Hi,

We are a couple travelling from India to Spain for the first time on a 2-week trip in early June or late May. Heeding to so many experienced travelers' advice on not being too ambitious, we are looking at covering only three areas/cities in 2 weeks. The tentative plan is as below:

1) 5 nights in Madrid
2) 2 nights in Granada
3) 5 nights in Barcelona (excluding the overnight travel from Granada to Barcelona)

We wanted to touch Andalucia in the trip and Granada was chosen as Alhambra set against the Sierra Nevada sounded really tantalizing. However, over the past couple of days, reading several other posts, Seville seems to be a highly recommended stop as well. Am kind of lost between these two - Granada or Seville? I am sure many will say that 2 nights is not doing justice for Seville. I am open to cutting one night from Madrid or Barcelona to add to this. But need advice on choosing between Granada and Seville. Just to add, we are not art buffs and while architecture is something that we definitely enjoy, natural landscapes would attract us more.

I have few other questions regarding accommodation and inland travel as well, but will fire them once this conundrum is sorted Any advice (not just on the question but on the itinerary) will be highly appreciated!
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Old Feb 25th, 2014, 08:05 PM
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Madrid and Barcelona are big cities especially interesting for art and architecture lovers.
Since neither is your priority,
you can safely cut a few days there and spend time in
Seville.
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Old Feb 25th, 2014, 09:13 PM
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danon makes a good point. FWIW, I loved Madrid for its art, less so for its architecture. I haven't been to Barcelona yet, and am looking forward to its architecture and also its art.

That said, if you are going to Andalucia, it is IMO worth finding a way to make time for Sevilla AND Granada AND Cordoba and maybe Ronda or ....

OR there are plenty of worthy day trips from Madrid and from Barcelona, so you could skim Andalucia and skim ONE other area (Madrid OR Barcelona).

Of the half-dozen guide books I used when planning my time in central and southern Spain, I found the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet most useful.

Happy planning!
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Old Feb 25th, 2014, 10:15 PM
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Thank you both for your responses!

Since I don't want to miss Alhambra, the only option is to shave 1 day from Madrid and 1 from Barcelona and maybe extend the trip by one more day to add 3 days to Seville. Will have to check the train timings and travel options and come back here for more queries.
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Old Feb 25th, 2014, 10:26 PM
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Keep in mind that both Madrid and Barcelona have international airports, and so might be places into which, or from which, you might again have reason to fly. Andalucia is, IME, harder to reach, so it might be worth adding to your time there even if it means cutting your time in either Madrid or Barcelona short. Just a thought....
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Old Feb 25th, 2014, 10:40 PM
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I have never visited Seville city but I enjoyed staying in Grenada: heritage, architecture whose Moorish monuments, university city, good tapas etc
2 days is enough for visiting Grenada.
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Old Feb 26th, 2014, 01:04 AM
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A lot of sense being spoken here!

Just a thought - if it is natural landscapes that attract you most then I wonder why you are proposing to spend 10 of your 14 days in two of Europe's biggest cities.

Have you anything booked yet? If not I would suggest spending more time around the white villages of Andalucia.

Fly in and out of Madrid spending two or three nights there (maybe before you go back home). Then you could split your remaining time as follows:

- Seville (5 nights), incl. day trip to Cordoba and Arcos de la Frontera (if you have the time)
- Zahara de la Sierra (3 nights)
- Granada (3 nights)

You could rent a car leaving Seville and drop back in Granada, thereby giving you the freedom to explore the white villages (Grazalema, Ronda etc)

Back to Madrid from Granada.

Just a suggestion.
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Old Feb 26th, 2014, 02:16 AM
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skip Ronda idea.. not enough time. do as you have planned.. take a day from Madrid and Barcelona and add to Sevilla.
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Old Feb 26th, 2014, 05:09 AM
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Of all the cities you have mentioned, Seville was our favorite. Three or four days in Madrid was plenty for us even though we love art and Madrid is a wonderful place to enjoy art. Same with Barcelona. You will need at least one day in Granada for the Alhambra and you should try to see the Nasrid Palice at night. Three days in Seville is not too long. We enjoyed Ronda but I wouldn't take time for anywhere else to see it.

Enjoy Spain.
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Old Feb 26th, 2014, 06:17 AM
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The Sierra Nevada is gorgeous, so good choice of Granada for scenery.

Kja made a good point about it being more difficult to get back to Seville, and IMHO, you could easily take a day each from Madrid and from Barcelona and give them to Seville. Based on your interests, that is what I would suggest.

Can you fly from Granada to Barcelona and save a little time?
You might consider train to Seville from Madrid, rent a car and drive to Granada for the scenery.
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Old Feb 26th, 2014, 06:25 AM
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But the white cities have the natural landscape they seek, fodorites. You can easily skim one day off both Barcelona and Madrid. Found Barcelona more interesting due to the glorious Gaudi architecture. That said, you can grab a train from Madrid to Seville; spend 2-3 nights; two nights in Granada will be plenty; Granada did not appeal to us outside of the Alhambra which is outstanding. There are buses I believe from Seville-Granada, not sure about trains; we drove then went to Marbella last. Ronda's natural landscape was a 'top 3' highlight of the country for us. (Other 2 being Sagrada Familia, Alhambra)
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Old Feb 27th, 2014, 09:37 AM
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Thanks everyone for the responses!

But there's a small twist in the tale. A friend who is going to put us up while in Madrid suggested North Spain as an trip option. He strongly suggests that area (Galicia and Asturias for example) over the 'too touristy' Barcelona. But I don't want to leave Spain without seeing Barcelona. So, I am kinda looking at swapping Andalucia with North Spain. Don't know if that makes sense. What are your views?
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Old Feb 27th, 2014, 09:54 AM
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@pgriffin - No, we haven't booked anything yet. Though tracking air fares and doing research on accommodation/travel almost on a daily basis. And thanks for the suggestions. But I really want to include Barcelona in the trip so maybe Seville+Granada and then onto Barcelona seems possible.

@Sassafrass - The idea of flying from Granada to Barcelona seems sensible. Will definitely check that option.

@aliced - Yeah, have renfe website but there's no train listed between Seville and Granada for the date I searched for. May be bus is the best option. Will check that. Thanks.
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Old Feb 27th, 2014, 09:57 AM
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Can you cut your time in Barcelona even further and go north instead? Your friend didn't say to cut Andalusia, and I wouldn't.

Haven't been to the north, but have been to Andalusia and it was one of our favorite areas in Europe.
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Old Feb 27th, 2014, 04:00 PM
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With the time you have, I think you would think you can sample Madrid, Barcelona, and the north, or you can sample Madrid and Andalucia. I don't think you can see the north, south, and center with less than 5 or 6 weeks. Just my opinion. Good luck!
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Old Feb 27th, 2014, 04:44 PM
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Agree that with only 2 weeks you are limited in what you can see or do.

But I don;t see it as a choice between Seville or Granada - I see it as a choice between Andalusia and Madrid. If it were me I would drop Madrid (meh as far as I'm concerned) and focus on Andalusia, which if ind to be the most fascinating part of Spain.
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Old Mar 4th, 2014, 01:44 AM
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Oh, please notice that you will maybe travel during the holy week (catholic party in April). Seville is very famous with some processions stretched for several hundred meters. You should check accommodations because it seems a very big party. Anyone knows about it ?
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Old Mar 4th, 2014, 05:00 AM
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1) 5 nights in Madrid
2) 2 nights in Granada
3) 5 nights in Barcelona

This is a dreadful itinerary:

1. Madrid is a bore. It's worth 2 days at most. And one of those should be spend in Toledo. Don't miss Toledo.

2. Take the AVE to Sevilla for the other other 3 days. But get off in Cordoba. Store you luggage at the station, see the Mezquita and get back on the train to Seville. A couple days in Seville is far better than extra time in Madrid. And it is even close.

3. Granada is not a great place. See the Alhambra and leave.

4. Barcelona is OK for 5 nights, but one of those days could be used for better effect in Ronda or Nerja.
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Old Mar 4th, 2014, 06:36 AM
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Mostly agree with Popov on 1, except Madrid needs two days on its own, plus the daytrip to Toledo

2. One of the best restaurants in Spain is (or was--see below)in Cordoba--El Caballo Rojo, just across the street from the Mezquita. So take time to have a nice lunch there. [Looked on Tripadvisor and reviews were mixed--at least take a look at the menu. If they're snobby, leave. However, we had a great wait person who helped us have one of the best meals we've had in our travels.]

3. Granada has the Capilla Real (burial place of Isabel and Ferdinand and several other Spanish monarchs, and as I recall a very nice exhibit of art that Isabel owned.
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Old Mar 4th, 2014, 07:40 AM
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We are a couple travelling from India to Spain for the first time on a 2-week trip in early June or late May.>>

don't worry, this isn't holy Week - as Parkwas says that's at Easter which is in April this year.

as your itinerary stands, you're going a very long way just to spend 2 nights in Granada. It would actually help us to know a little bit more about the bones of your trip - where do you fly into and out of, for example. for example, if you are flying out of Madrid, it makes sense to put your stay there at the end of your trip, so as to be in the "right" place to fly home; use your arrival day when you may be suffering from jetlag to travel to your first destination - you can have a nice snooze on the train!
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