saqibakhtar5747

Hey folks! We are a family of 3 (2 adults and 1 eight year old boy) planning a trip to Spain later this month from US. Yes, it's the only time we can travel given school holidays etc. My current plan is as follows but would love feedback. Thanks in advance!

Day 1 (Seattle to Madrid): Flight from Seattle to Madrid arriving on August 21st by 9am and then bus from Madrid to Granada at 11:30am arriving in Granada by 4pm. Check-in at the hotel and then head out to Albaicin area for some good food and roam around the Catedral / Gran Via area
Day 2 (Granada): Breakfast at hotel then head to Alhambra with a timed entrance of 12:30pm (I'm assuming we can go there earlier to see other parts but not the Palaces until 12:30pm??)
Day 3 (Granada to Seville): Breakfast at hotel then bus to Cordoba to see the Mezquita and then onwards to Seville arriving by 4pm. Check-in at the hotel and then stroll around the city center area
Day 4 (Seville): Breakfast at hotel then Alcazar and Catedral and be done by 2-3pm
Day 5 (Seville): Breakfast at hotel then Plaza de Espana then checkout the other districts in Seville
Day 6 (Seville to Madrid): Breakfast at hotel and then take a 10am AVE train to Madrid arriving by 12:30pm. Check-in at the hotel and then go do the art museums (Prado and Sofia primarily).
Day 7 (Madrid and Toledo): Breakfast at hotel and then a short day trip to Toledo back by 4pm and then stroll around Gran Via etc.
Day 8 (Madrid to Barcelona): Breakfast at hotel then AVE train to Barcelona arriving by 2:30pm. Check-in at the hotel and then go to the Gothic quarters and beach
Day 9 (Barcelona): Breakfast at hotel then Sagrada Familia and Park Güell
Day 10 (Barcelona): Breakfast at hotel then Casa Batllo and Las Ramblas
Day 11 (Barcelona): Breakfast at hotel then Eixample areas and Palace of Catalan
Day 12 (Barcelona to Seattle): Breakfast at hotel and then flight back to Seattle at 11am

Planning on staying at the following hotels (feedback highly appreciated!):
Granada: Aurea Catedral but still considering whether we might be better off at the Aurea Washington Irving
Seville: Hotel Bequer
Madrid: Atocha Hotel Madrid, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (we are Hilton Gold status so I'm guessing breakfast is free)
Barcelona: Radisson Blu or Hotel Condes de Barcelona

I know it's rushed, but we wanted to get in as much as we could. Couple of questions:
1. Should we reduce our time in Granada and spend more Seville? I.e. take the bus to Seville evening of Day 2 instead?
2. Traveling on Alsa bus and Iryo train, any concerns with either?
3. Weather wise, does it start to get better towards the end of August in Seville and Granada?
4. Any other feedback?

danon

The temps are usually 90 + degrees in the southern Spain well into September.
Number of establishments are closed in the afternoon.

KTtravel

I would not reduce your time in Granada as you likely will still be recovering from your long flight and bus ride. Your schedule is very busy and you will want a bit of time to settle in to the new time zone.

SusanP

Sounds like a lot of museums and other sites great for you, maybe not so much for an 8-year-old boy. Nothing in your itinerary that he might enjoy!

mjs

I would have done your itinerary different with visiting Madrid first, than AVE train to Seville, train to Granada, train to Barcelona than home.
no need to backtrack.

saqibakhtar5747

Yeah, we thought about doing that but then we are spending more time in the Granada to Barcelona train. We thought breaking it like this would give us more time to explore things...

Maribel

I assume your itinerary at this date, is set and can't be changed. So just some candid thoughts...

Your first day will be very challenging, this coming from a person who for the past 16 years has done to Seattle to Madrid and points beyond journey often 4 times a year. It's exhausting.
(We now live in Spain).
If you're departing SEA-TAC at 7:30 am through Dallas, you'll have a door to door 24 hour journey.from your home to your Granada hotel. Your family will need to rest.
Just a bit of a reality check for Spain in August, when the temps are soaring.

Day 1--You may find you don't have the stamina to do the steep uphill Albaicín walk after arrival in the August heat. This summer is breaking records, heat wise.
Day 2--Yes, you may go earlier to the Alhambra and see the other sections at your leisure (Alcazaba fortress, Generalife Gardens, Charles V Palace, etc.) until you timed entrance to the Nasrid Palace. You will be much better at the Aurea Washington Irving in your case, as you can just walk easily to the Justice Gate entrance to the Alhambra and get more sleep.
Day 3--extremely rushed. in your case, I might skip Córdoba and take the bus or train directly to Seville. Why? Because it will give you very little time for Cõrdoba, which is more than the Mezquita, it will be extremely hot in Córdoba (it's really a frying pan), and you will still be tired (maybe very tired) from your Seattle to Granada journey. But... you may feel that it's worth the detour, but again... your child may not appreciate the Mosque.
Day 4-with the extreme Sevilla August heat, you'll want an early start with pre-purchase tickets in hand to both the Cathedral and the Alcázar to avoid very long lines (remember that many Spaniards are on holiday in August). You'll need to take shelter back at your hotel, with its pool, after lunch. The max temps next week in Seville will range from 42-44C. You won't feel comfortable going out until much later in the evening. I would take full advantage of your hotel's rooftop pool and the A/C and get some rest.
Day 5-remember to get the earliest start possible and after an early lunch, take refuge in your hotel until the late evening. No kidding. This summer's heat is dangerous.
Day 6-The Prado is, I'm sure you know, enormous and tiring. Please pre- purchase your tickets, as the lines can be long and there is NO shade. I wouldn't attempt the Prado and Reina Sofía afterwards. Again, your boy may not enjoy an intensive art museum morning.
Day 7-Remember that Toledo will be every bit as hot as Madrid, and touring the sites makes for a very tiring day with lots of climbing up and down. It´s hilly. I would skip Toledo entirely in August and try to enjoy Madrid in the brief time you have there.
Day 8- You really need to purchase those Madrid-Barcelona rail tickets in advance, which I think you might have purchased already, I'm assuming. The lines for the ticket booths at Atocha will be huge.
Day 9-I'm also going to assume you have pre-purchased tickets to both???
Day 10-The Casa Batlló will be handy to you staying at the Condes de Barcelona on the Passeig de Gràcia.
Day 11-I'm not sure what you referring to by the Palace Catalán?
Day 12-For your 11 am flight to the US, you'll need to be at the airport 3 hours in advance.

1. No, I wouldn't reduce the time in Granada for the reasons that KTtravel has mentioned. You'll be dealing with major jet lag and will be very tired, at least I am, when traveling from SEA to Granada in one day. Whew!
2. I take Alsa buses regularly. They're comfortable, clean and efficient.
Iryo is, ime, the best, as in most comfortable, of the 4 train line competitors to date. I would splurge for the Tarifa Infinta fare with meal. Given your very long and tiring travel day, I would splurge for comfort and relaxation.
3. I have no crystal ball, but I don't expect the extreme heat to mitigate the last week of August in Seville or Granada, even Madrid. It's been extremely, unpleasantly hot all summer.

Hotels:
Granada-- for your short stay I would book the Aurea Eurostars Washington Irving (I know it) for quick access to the Alhambra and the POOL!!!!!
Sevilla--Hotel Bécquer, thankfully has a pool.
Madrid--I've stayed at this Hilton Tapestry Collection on Calle Atocha. Lovely hotel, no pool. It has nice courtyard dining and is close to Atocha rail.
Barcelona--I prefer the very nice location of the Condes de Barcelona directly on the Passeig de Gràcia (I've stayed there). The Condes de Barcelona has a pool. But the Radisson Blue, also in the tony Eixample also has a small pool, Either would be fine but the location of the Condes de Barcelona seems a bit better to me for your short stay. You´ll enjoy the small pool, as in Barcelona it can be extremely humid, muggy in August.

Just some thoughts...

saqibakhtar5747

Thank you Maribel!!! As always, wowed by your wealth of knowledge.

While we have everything pre-booked, it's all cancelable/changeable if required (except the airline tickets from Seattle to Spain). Would you recommend a different course of action than what we have planned? We'll cut Cordoba and Toledo but do you suggest something totally different?

As for the hotels, we'll go with Aurea Eurostars Washington Irving in Granada. What do you think of Hotel Becquer in Sevilla? Any other suggestions? Similarly, we are also looking at Hotel Alexandra Hilton Curio Collection in Barcelona and Derby Grandados 83 (they seem to be cheaper). Any input on these?

Most of the hotel bookings are done through corporate travel agency, and their systems only allow 2 adults entry. I'm noticing that a lot of the hotels in Spain list max occupancy, do you think they'll object or charge higher if we select a normal room and bring our son along who'll share the same bed (of course we'll pay for his breakfast)?

danon

I stayed at Granados several times including in May this year.
The location is great, the staff very nice.
I always stayed in the back ( rooms with the balcony)…the pool is small.

My first visit to Spain was many years ago ..in the last week of August !
Like you, I had no other options. It was hot and tiering, but I fell in love with the country
Still visit every year. Hope you enjoy the trip…sun and all !😎

shelemm

"I know it's rushed, but we wanted to get in as much as we could."

I think this is a fallacy. You are not seeing more because you switch from one city to another. Arguably you see less because of time spent in transit. In Cordoba, for example, if you only see the Mezquita, you will miss everything else.

The good news about the weather is that Granada is at a higher elevation and the sun is not as punishing. But Cordoba and Seville will be liking walking on the sun. Things will shut down for siesta midday, and you will need to as well if you spend any time outside.

KTtravel

I do think the hotels will object if you have not booked a room for the three of you. Your son is not an infant and beds in Europe are often smaller than you might expect for two people (think double bed size rather than a Queen or King.) Is there a reason you are booking your hotels through an agency? If the rooms need to be booked through the travel agency, be certain to send the hotels an email notifying them your son will be with you. You can request a larger room and ask if they can provide an extra bed or cot for your son. Breakfast is also often included and the hotel will likely charge an extra fee since you will be a party of three and not two.

Maribel

Hi saqibakhtar5747,
I just sent you a PM response, but I'll repost most of it here-

"Hi,
I'm happy that you have all your bookings, bus, train, hotel.

I forgot to ask you how much connection time you have between landing at Madrid airport and your bus ride down to Granada. Because this is European's busiest travel month, it may take you 40 minutes to get through the passport control lines at the airport, then take the underground train connecting T4S to T4, the long walk to the baggage area, another 30 minute wait to collect your bags. Baggage handling at Barajas is often quite slow. And Terminal 4 is huge. Just allow yourselves enough cushion. It may take 30+ minutes to connect from the airport to the bus station by taxi. (flat rate of 30 euros)

Since you'll arrive at Barajas at 9:05 (is it the flight from Dallas?) had you. considered taking the 12:00 pm flight from Barajas, T4 down to Granada? It arrives at 1:10. That would get you in earlier, and would give you time to access a lounge in T4 to freshen up and get some food, although I don't know if you have a Priority Pass for lounge access or if you're flying business class that gives you lounge access in T4.

Just a thought....wondering about your airport to bus station connection time. When we have flown into Barajas and connected to another Spanish city, we try to do this with a connecting Iberia flight if possible. If not, we allow 3 hours to get through immigration, collect luggage, taxi to (in our case), Atocha rail station.

I realize that you are committed to these August dates (I'm a former educator and understand working around school and summer camp schedules), so I don't think I would change the order of your trip. Your trip is fast paced as you know, but I think you're probably much younger than I am and can handle this pace much better.

Just keep cool when you can with a/c, wear lots of sunscreen, get an early a start as possible for your sightseeing, take a break after lunch for pool and rest time, carry bottled water, move always when walking to the shady side and enjoy some refreshing Spanish drinks, like horchata, granizado de limón (a kind of slurpy or lemon slush), leche merengada.

In Granada the Washington Irving is located up on the Alhambra hill, as you know, which is cooler in summer than downtown. Your hotel selection is very nice. I would stick with the Condes de Barcelona in Madrid, as it has a beautiful location right on the Passeig de Gràcia. (I've also stayed at the Granados on Enric Granados with tiny pool.)

Just some more thoughts.

Maybe, let's hope, by the end of August it will cool off just a tiny bit, but who knows?"

Maribel

I just noticed your note here about hotel bookings.

"Most of the hotel bookings are done through corporate travel agency, and their systems only allow 2 adults entry. I'm noticing that a lot of the hotels in Spain list max occupancy, do you think they'll object or charge higher if we select a normal room and bring our son along who'll share the same bed (of course we'll pay for his breakfast)?

Yes, if you've booked only a double room, you will be charged extra for a supplementary bed for your son. Some hotels will not allow triple occupancy, so you will need to check every hotel booking to make sure this will be allowed and what the extra, supplementary bed charge will be.
Yes, you will be charged extra for your son's breakfast.

Or in other words, exactly what KTtravel said.

Maribel

I was just reading about the hottest cities (not towns) in Spain during the summer.

According to the Aemet statistics, here are the top 5, taken from this article:

Córdoba takes the top spot for highest maximum average temperature in Spain, averaging a staggering 36.5C throughout the month of August.

Seville makes it an Andalusian top two, averaging 35.5C in August.

Badajoz, also in the south-west of Spain but in the region of Extremadura, averages 34.5C during August.

Murcia. it’s hot - with a maximum average temperature of 34.2C throughout the month of August.

Granada fills out the top 5 and makes it three Andalusian cities in the top 5. Granada, like Murcia, enjoys maximum average temperatures of 34.2C in August.

I was surprised, actually, about Granada. But the Alhambra hill with its greenery will be cooler than downtown.

danon

On my August visit to southernSpain I was stunned by how hot it was ( it was before google)
Being young made all the difference…I was fine.
If you don’t mind my inserting a question, Maribel
..is Icon Casona 1900 a good hotel ? I love the location.

Maribel

Hi danon,
We do have the same taste in Madrid hotels!

Yes, we stayed for 4 nights last July at the Icon Casona 1900 because we LOVE the location in Salamanca. Because the rates dropped in late July, we splurged for the suite with sit-out, outdoor terrace, where we had wine, cheese, charcuterie on our last night. We "thought" we had an early plane departure the next morning so didn't go out to La Catapa, which is usually our last dinner. But Iberia canceled our flight, we had to stay an extra night, but alas, our (and all) Icon Casona 1900 rooms were fully booked, so we switched to The Pavilions.

I do recommend it. Our room did have that necessary Nespresso machine, plus bathrobes, slippers. And we enjoyed the Icon's Tripster Club when booking online for a discount and late check out.

danon

thx very much..I stayed at Pavilions in May ( and in 2022) ) , the rate at Casona was a bit lower for my dates.
. Mid October in Madrid seems very busy this year.

Maribel

Yes, it's very busy. We stayed at the Icon Casona specifically because we snagged an even better rate than the special business rate our friends give us at The Pavilions.

Madam397

Personally I think the plan to fly from Seattle into Madrid and then make a bus connection to Granada is problematic. Your flight can easily be delayed and then you would be cutting it very close. Plus Barajas Airport is indeed huge and getting through customs and passport control can be quite slow. I've changed planes there several times and while I enjoy the airport itself, you do need time to navigate the airport. Plus Granada offers much to see beyond the Alhambra which is of course amazing. Both times that I was there going back some 50 years it was not during the summer and so very enjoyable to spend time. In fact the first time that I was there was December 1970 and there was virtually no other people there, just my friend and I.

Madam397

I think a lot of your daily agenda is very ambitious as you have packed it quite a lot at a busy and hot time of year. There is more to see and do in Cordoba than just the Mezquita. There is much to see and do in Toledo and although we also did a day trip from Madrid, it wasn't enough time. Don't forget that if you are driving from Madrid to Toledo and then back, there is traffic. We had a late start when my husband and i did this years ago as we had spent several days in Madrid and were picking up our rental car to begin our driving trip of Spain for another two weeks or so. There were issues at the car rental place and that took time.

Are you traveling exclusively by train from place to place? In Barcelona, you might want to spend time at the beach or even just walking along the promenade by the beach. I was there once at the very end of August for a few days on a return trip from Israel and it was very hot in Barcelona.