seippsd

Suggestions please! My husband and I (30 years old Americans) are planning a trip to Spain in April and trying to figure out best places to go for 10 days. I saw there was the Spring Fair in Seville the same time we will be there so that could be really fun - I would love the music and flamenco dancing. We are also futbol fans so would like to catch a game and looks like there are some options for Real Madrid, Athletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. There's a game in Magala which seems like pretty place to visit but probably least exciting game.

My husband is a foodie (likes cooking classes and wine tours) and I'm an adventure and outdoor enthusiast so every trip we do we combine our passions. We both love experiencing different cultures, meeting people, and seeing interesting and historic architecture but are not really into museums when we travel.

I would love to add in an amazing and fairly challenging hike to our trip and I saw that if we are in Seville we will be near the El Caminito del Rey. That looks cool but from what I've read it's short and not very exciting now that it's been renovated (I'm a bit of a thrill seeker) so if we are in area go for it but don't plan trip around that. I definitely don't want to spend all of our time in major cities - I want get out to country and mountains as well. Any suggestions for outdoor adventure?

I was thinking we could fly into Barcelona, train to Madrid, train to Seville, maybe Granada (or other way around) and make day trips outside of those major locations but I'm not sure where yet. Any suggestions for itinerary? Spain has so much to offer and we just have 10 days!

Southam

You could set up your itinerary so that you fly into Madrid and home from Barcelona (or vice versa). If priced through a multi-destination search function, the price won't be much more than a simple round trip and you can save time. Several smaller Spanish cities also have airports with international connections.

PalenQ

Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Granada would be a lot for 10 days - forget many day trips except maybe fantastic Toledo from Madrid. - I'd cut one city like Barcelona and land in Madrid, blast by train to Granada - take train to Cordoba and end in Seville - that is even tight. Codoba however thrills everyone here it seems (and me too).

Anyway book AVE (high-speed trains) ASAP to nab limited number of discounted tickets - both in 1st and 2nd class. Book your own on www.renfe.comn; for lots on Spanish trains check www.seat61.com - erudite tips on booking your own trains online and alternate sites to do so if Renfe flummoxes you as it has many here; general info like 1st v 2nd class - www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com. If doing Barcelona drop Granada IMO but then you miss one of Europe's most exquisite edifices in the Alhambra.

BigRuss

I'd try to go see Atletico or Barcelona.

Real Madrid fans are not happy this year.

cdnyul

There are some great via ferratas near Ronda.
https://www.spain-holiday.com/Gaucin...s-in-andalucia

Lots of bouldering and rock climbing opportunities in the Teruel/Albarracin area.
https://27crags.com/crags/albarracin

It would be much easier to experience the outdoors with a car.

kja

Are you sure that you can see and experience what you want with this plan in this time frame? This plan sounds unpleasantly ambitious to me – too much time in transit for far too little time to actually see or do anything while in any of these fascinating places. (For example, Andalusia alone easily takes 10 days; Barcelona and surrounds can easily take 10 days, etc.) If you haven’t already done so, I strongly recommend that you plot your trip – and the places you hope to visit – on a calendar.

Wherever you end up going, I agree with Southam – fly “open jaw”(into one city, out of another); you find such flights by searching for “multi-city”options.

Hope that helps!

natylou

Given your short visit, and your lack of interest in museums, you might consider dropping Madrid. Fly into Barcelona then fly south to Seville to save some travelling time.

TravelThoughts

Yes, skip Madrid. It's a nice place, but as you realistically need to drop something and do not wish to visit museums, it doesn't seem to be the right place for you

KarenWoo

I agree that you should skip Madrid if you don't like museums. And I agree with kja that Andalucia alone takes 10 days. I don't know anything about futbol but if it's better in Barcelona, fly there first, and then fly to Seville or Granada to see some of Andalucia. The Alhambra is magnificent. You should purchase your tickets as soon as they go on sale, about 3 months before your visit.

A possible itinerary could be 4 nights in Barcelona, 4 nights in Seville, and 2 nights in Granada.

As kja and southam suggest, fly open-jaw to avoid backtracking. it saves you time and money. This is called multi-city on the online sites.