Sassafrass

You have nature, culture and food as priorities and you also want beaches. Skip Valencia and spend three days in San Sebastian where there are beautiful beaches and fabulous food. Google images of San Sebastian to see pictures of the bay.

Really look at how much time travel will take!

Night bus from Malaga to Valencia or from Valencia to Barcelona is a very, very bad idea!

You might not be able to, but, if possible, when landing in Barcelona, go on to your next stop and put all time in Barcelona at the end of the trip, so you are there already for the flight home.

Trying to do far North, South and East, plus Madrid is, IMHO, just too much in your time frame, but you seem set on it. So, since San Sebastian gives you a lot of what you want:

June 4: arrive Barcelona, fly to San Sebastian (4 nts)),
June 5, 6 & 7: SS
June 8: fly to Malaga (3 nts),
June 9 & 10: Malaga (day for touring, day for the beach)
June 11: train to Seville ( 3 nts),
June 12 & 13 Seville
June 14: train to Madrid ( 3 nts), possibly stop on the way and tour Cordoba
June 15 & 16: Madrid with one day trip to Toledo
June 17: fast train to Barcelona ( 4 nts),
June 18, 19 & 20: Barcelona - gives you another beach day
June 21: fly home

This is absolutely all you have time for. You can take a day from one place and add it to another, etc. but if you add a whole new place, you have to take something else away.

This would give you a fast paced trip, but most of what you seem to want.

You could substitute Granada for Malaga. You could give up a beach day in Malaga and go to Granada for a long day.

JFYI, I put SS first because it will be the most relaxing place to start after such long flights. Other places are more intense sight seeing. The bit of extra time in Barcelona is so you do not feel terribly rushed right at the end.

saaku

Hi Sassafrass, I think we'll finally go ahead with the itinerary suggested by you. Gives a perfect balance of what we intend to do.

Thanks a million.

Sassafrass

Saaku,

You are welcome. I really gave thought to what you wanted and how to make it work for you.

This would be a fast trip for me, but I think it is doable for you. You start and finish with extra nights at beginning and end, and all stays in between are three nights, so no rushed one nighters.

Now, you just have to get flights and train tickets arranged, and hotels, and you are set. My only concern is flights from Barcelona to S.S. and from S.S. To Malaga. You will have to check on those. There are several posters who can help with trains and others can give you hotel advice.

I hope you have a fabulous time.

You might want to start a new thread with the set itinerary and ask for train and hotel advice.

saaku

Hi Sassafrass
That sound like a plan. I'll start a new thread.
Thanks a lot once again!

Cheers!
S