ajmarton

For better or worse I plan to start our family trip to Spain in Madrid and end in Barcelona. Although I can probably start in Barcelona and hit Madrid later - it's easier for me to fly into / out of those 2 cities. Anyway, I plan to spend 4 days in both cities (and take day trips) as I can use SPG points and spend no cash on hotels in these 2 cities. I would like to go down to Seville but also visit Bilbao (for my daughter). Any suggestions on how to accomplish all this? I have 7 days between the 2 cities (starting 7/1/11). Can I take the train from Madird to Seville and then back from Granada to (I don't know where). Any suggestions appreciated. Andrew

ajmarton

P.S. I have a total of 16 nights / 17 days for this trip.

Aduchamp1

You can take the high speed train from Madrid to Sevilla,

You can fly from either Madrid or Barcelona to Bilbao.

And Vueling flies-Bilbao to Sevilla and I assume Iberia would also.

weber6560

Aduchamp has good advice. AVE to Sevilla and then fly to Bilbao. Madrid-Sevilla is such a short train ride you could also go back to Madrid and fly out of there to Bilbao. Bilbao airport has good service. I've flown MAD-Bilbao and Bilbao-BCN on Spanair. Each flight was about an hour and very reasonably priced. Also, good airport-town bus service in Bilbao. Same in in BCN, but Bilbao is a bit less frenetic!

CathyM

16-17 days for all this will be covering alot of geography but it is possible. I'd budget 4 days/nights for Seville which would give you time for a daytrip to Cordoba. I wouldn't try to squeeze in Granada if you are set on Madrid, Barcelona, Seville & Bibao in this time frame.

I'd also consider the heat in July when you head to Andalucia. Unless you can handle heat very well, I'd consider skipping Sevilla (which is one of my favorite cities in Spain). Then you'd have 7 days in the Basque country and return in the future for a trip to Andalucia.

weber6560

CathyM: You are a wise woman.

ajmarton

Thanks to all. CathyM - how hot will it be? We live in Los Angeles and are comfortable with temperatures in the 80s. Humidity is another thing. I can pass on Granada but would like to see Sevilla.

What do you think of starting in Barcelona and working down the country? I'm lining up hotel rooms first and airfare last as I'm hoping prices will drop when we're within 90 days of the trip. Andrew

CathyM

I'm hoping others may be able to post on their personal experiences. I've not visited Andalucia in July as I know it's extremely hot. I don't know about humidity but for heat think in terms of Hemet or Palm Springs (I'm also from the LA area).

If you have your heart set on Sevilla & Granada and don't think you'll ever get an opportunity to return then maybe you go and just use the afternoons for a siesta. But the Basque country, where the weather will be more moderate, is a remarkable alternative. It's just totally different from what most people envision when they think of Spain (as it is truly the Basque country).

ajmarton

What would be your recommendations to see if Basque country if someone was visiting for the first time and had around 16 days? Andrew

CathyM

Andrew-
I'd probably start a new post as you'll get more answers that way. Will you have a car? It's hard to say exactly what to do with 16 days in the Basque country without knowing your interests and the time of year for your visit. For example if you were interested in wine a trip to La Rioja for a few days combines well with the Basque Country. I'd definately spend 4 days or so in San Sebastian and a couple of nights in a smaller coaster village (ie. Lekeitio or Getaria are my favorites). I'd spend at least 2 nights in Bilbao (more if you can). Vittoria and Pamplona (in Navarra) are also great cities to visit and often overlooked. Maribel's guides are great for this area:

maribelsguides.com

ajmarton

Thanks. I'll look at that site. I also got the Cadogan guide on Northern Spain. I'll start a new post once I figure it out.