vic_jola

After not being in Spain since my university days DH and I are going for close to a month at the beginning of April. We don't particularly want to drive and dislike rushing around only staying a couple of nights but realize to see some places we will have to move around somewhat. We have narrowed the itinerary to Madrid with visits to Toledo and perhaps Segovia and to Andalucia. We are planning to fly into Madrid, overnighting somewhere near Atocha Station (to be determined) and then take the train next day to Seville where we have booked a week at Las Casas de El Arenal (can be cancelled). We end up in Madrid where we have rented a two bedroom apartment for a week (Spain Select- Leon). Reason we are not staying for a week in Madrid on arrival is that already the apartments of our choice through Spain Select were already totally booked! So, in between Seville booking and Madrid apartment the accommodation in the middle of the trip is still not booked. We thought we would also like to include Cordoba, Cadiz, and Granada (where in my youth I stayed at the Parador for about $5. -sigh!). If its feasible we might also try to go to Ronda but it seems a bit out of the way. Reading the great posts on this forum was helpful but we need some advice, particularly how to structure the itinerary in terms of traveling around either by bus or train and not duplicating routes. Thank you all for assisting.

Christina

I'd rather stay in Madrid before going home, anyway, I like being in my city of departure.

So if I understand, you have two weeks in the middle to play with? That's not a real problem if you just want to do those places in the South, you could add in Malaga easily since you have 2 weeks. It's easy to get the train between Cordoba and Malaga and Sevilla and Cordoba, of course. Granada isn't on that line and I thought they were having some train issues a while ago with them, so you had to take the bus. I don't know, you'd have to look that up on Renfe or somewhere. I haven't been to Cadiz and it's not the same direction, so can't advise the best way to do that. I know it's on a train line from Sevilla but then to get over to Ronda, etc., not sure that's very direct without a car. There might be buses, of course.

You could, of course, take the bus from Malaga to Granada easily enough, and then the bus back over to Cordoba or somewhere, I suppose.

CGS

We really enjoyed staying overnight in Ronda. I suggest at least one night in Cordoba, and at least two in Granada. You have plenty of time for all of that and more. We had a car in Andalucia - I also think to get to Granada you may need to take a bus if you don't want to drive. A benefit of driving is you could go through the Pueblos Blancos, which are quite beautiful.

vic_jola

Thanks to both of you, Cordoba and Granada are on our list but my dilemma is how to organize the travel logically without having to backtrack. Right now I am thinking to go from Seville to Cadiz by train.

CGS: If I can talk DH into renting a car in Cadiz we could drive to Ronda through the Pueblos Blancos. Where did you stay in Ronda? What kind and from whom did you rent car? How was the drive to Ronda? Then maybe drop the car off somewhere in outskirts of Malaga. From Malaga get to Granada via bus or train?

From Granada to Cordoba (train or bus?) From Cordoba we would then take train to Madrid.

kja

FWIW, I was glad I had at least 2 full days in Cordoba and 2 full days in Granada. My route was Madrid to Cordoba to Granada to Ronda, all by train, and from Ronda to Sevilla by bus. Of course, you can reverse that route -- and you can add in Nerja or Malaga or.... There is so much to see in glorious Andalusia, and much of it can be seen quite conveniently without a car.

I was also glad to have two full days in Toledo and a full day in Segovia. So rather than spend just 1 night in Madrid upon arrival, you could (depending on the time of your flight) consider going straight on to one of these cities. I believe there are frequent options through the day and the transportation time should not be prohibitive. Just a thought.

IME, the Rough Guide provides excellent coverage of public transportation options, including the duration of the trip and the frequency of departures. Of course, you would want to confirm the information before firming up your plan, but I've always found it to be the best of the guidebooks for that type of info, with the Lonely Planet as a close second.

Hope that helps!

kimhe

Malaga to Granada by ALSA bus in 90 minutes, very frequent departures (some 20/day). https://www.alsa.es/en/

And have at least a lunch or an evening in genuine Malaga city itself: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html

You could for example have lunch in one or more of the tapas bars inside the fabulous Atarazanas food market, I highly recommend Cafe Bar Atarazanas and El Yerno. Conchas finas, oysters, razor clams, prawn skewers etc. etc, much fish and seafood, but also great vegetable and meat tapas. Full of groups of friends and families, loud, crowded, but still very laid-back, and the people running the bars are in full control. And Saturday lunch is more crowded than usual and a very special experience, the best atmosphere and many GTs around...
http://eastofmalaga.net/2014/07/25/w...ry-perception/

vic_jola

kja: great suggestion for doing bus/train and we could do it in reverse order to what you did. I am trying to get something other than the Keywitness Travel Guide to Seville and Andalusia so thanks for guide book recommendation. May have to order Rough Guide. Where did you stay in Ronda? Your suggestion to do Toledo or Segovia on arrival makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

kimhe: Great info on the bus. Where would you recommend to stay in Malaga for a few nights in relatively quiet hotel? My mouth started watering responding to your food description in Malaga!

kja

"I am trying to get something other than the [DK eyewitness] Travel Guide to Seville and Andalusia"

The guidebooks I found most useful when planning my two trips to Spain are the Rough Guide and the Michelin Green Guide (which is not just for those who plan to drive).

"Where did you stay in Ronda?"

My stay was LONG ago and was dictated by budgetary considerations. If I could, I would aim for a room overlooking the gorge. Have you checked booking.com and tripadvisor?

kimhe

<Where would you recommend to stay in Malaga for a few nights in relatively quiet hotel?>

I can recommend great value Don Curro, very central but on a quiet side street to the main and pedestrian Marques de Larios street. Stayed here last time a few months ago. Several hotels around here: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/hote...rro.en-gb.html

kimhe

... and other great options around here would be: http://www.hotelmolinalario.com/en
http://larios.room-matehotels.com/index.php/en
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/acma...cio.en-gb.html

progol

In Ronda, we stayed in the classy Hotel Montelirio and loved it - beautifully sited over the gorge. It also has a good restaurant, though we didn't eat there. And, for an extra fee, they will park your car in their private garage.

Getting there took some effort with GPS (we were there during a festival, adding to the challenge!), but it wasn't nearly as difficult as we anticipated. Recommend highly! Just get a room with a view -- it's worth it!

http://www.hotelmontelirio.com/en/

We also stayed in Don Curro hotel in Malaga -- a good, business-style hotel, in a great location. It's a great value hotel, and provides good amenities and an excellent breakfast, though not a luxury-style hotel.

CGS

We also stayed in Hotel Montelirio. Highly recommend. I wrote about some of the places you are visiting in this trip report, as well as about driving through the Pueblos Blancos:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-peninsula.cfm

We rented and returned our car in Lisbon, so that won't help you. Our route in Spain was Cordoba-Granada-Ronda-Seville.

kimhe

And regarding restaurants in Malaga, I will recommend:

El Botijo for fabulous steaks and roast lamb, as genuine as it gets. Five mins and 7€ taxi drive from the heart of town/Plaza la Marina/Hotel Don Curro. http://www.restauranteelbotijo.com/Malaga/Carta_ma.html http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

Cutting edge Dom Vinos, great tapas and serious about their wines: http://azahar-spain.com/azahartapas/dom-vinos/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

And I have a very soft spot for central and very traditional El Cortijo de Pepe, both tapas and sit down meals: http://www.cortijodepepe.com/

"The emerging fine food scene in Malaga and around"; http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...taurants-tapas

vic_jola

My travel agent was able to book flights into Seville and out of Madrid via Amsterdam. Still need to book accommodation in some places but with the helpful hints on this forum my itinerary is starting to take shape. I need to take a break for a few days as I have been neglecting Xmas preparations while engrossed in travel planning
So far itinerary is:
Seville 6nights
Cadiz 3 nights
Ronda 2 nights
Malaga 3 nights
Granada 3 nights
Cordoba 3 nights
Madrid 7 nights

We were going to do Toledo as a day trip but reading comments on this forum I think we need to stay at least overnight. Can't really take a day from Madrid as its a weekly rental so need to consider where to shorten one day - Granada? or Cordoba?

kja

"where to shorten one day"

With this plan, I'd take it fromSevilla (even though it would be lovely to have the time there).

And actually, if you can swing 2 nights in Toledo, I don't think you'd regret it. In that case, I'd take the "extra" night from either Ronda (1 night really is enough there, IMO), or Cordoba (but timing transportation to give you as close to 2 days there as possible). And of course, even if your rental in Madrid is for a week, doesn't mean you need to stay there 7 nights!

But again, it really depends on what YOU want to see and experience.

danon

Since you have long tame in Seville, you might take a bus to Italica
Only about1/2 hour from Seville, it is a beautiful park with Roman Aphitheatre
and a number. of beautiful mosaics.

kja

BTW, if you haven't already done so, be sure to pay attention to the specific days when you would be in various places. Many things (but NOT all) are closed all day on Mondays, and most or all of Sundays. And many places are closed for very long lunch breaks.

vic_jola

Have now decided that Toledo warrants at least an overnighter. Any tips on hotels?

Will check out Italica, thanks.

kja: I was so focussed on getting the routing/itinerary etc. organized I had not given any thought to closures. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

kja

"Toledo warrants at least an overnighter. Any tips on hotels?"

When I was there, many moons ago, I stayed at what was then called the Hostal del Cardinal. It's name has changed a bit, but it still gets decent reviews; I can't comment on it's current worthiness. If it matters, my recollection is that one needed to climb some stairs to reach the entryway, but I could be wrong.
http://www.haciendadelcardenal.com/en/