7 days Spain & Portugal
 

Hello.

This is a pretty last minute trip for me! I plan to leave towards the end of May for a 7-day trip to Spain and Portugal. I am planning to fly into Madrid and out of Lisbon. From Madrid, I will take the AVE train to Seville.

I am only interested in seeing small towns with that European charm, cobble stoned streets, cafes, beaches/nature. Mostly walking around different neighbourhoods and exploring, and relaxing. Maybe a couple of small museums and tourist sites.

I don't have a formal itinerary as of yet. So far I plan to go to Seville, take a bus to some of the neighbouring white washed towns and perhaps stay in some of those areas.
And then head off to Portugal and Lisbon.

Any suggestions of small towns or villages to explore that are accessible by bus or train? I will not have a car.

Also, any suggestions of how many days to spend in Seville, its nearby villages/towns, and then Lisbon and its nearby towns? I was also interested in Salema or Tarifa for a beach visit. I love fishing villages!

I have 6 nights and 7 days in total.

Thanks,

gtrekker2003

Your plan is very ambitious: 7-days, including travel time is just enough to scratch the surface of those 3-cities, without the White villages or the "small towns with European charm" you mention. You'll probably spend a full day going from Sevilla to Lisbon.

My suggestion would be that you scale back your itinerary to either Spain or Portugal. Check with local Tour bus Compaanies in Madrid, for example, for tours to Toledo, Avila or Segovia. You can do walkabout tours in Madrid de los Austrias (Old Madrid).

Just don't try to cram too much in 7-days!

By any standard Sevilla is not a small town. Additionally I am not sure what the definition of European charm may be. I have a freind who says Madrid is a Spanish city but Barcelona is an international city. Neither accorsing to him are European in charm.

I also agree for a week that it is far too ambitous.

If you wanr to aee smaller towns, rent a car from Madrid and visit Segovia, Salamanca, Cuenca, and Toledo.

At least this person is getting some constant answers
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...6&tstart=0

I highly recommend a visit to the town of Monchique in Portugal. It's a beautiful little town situated in Portugal's highest mountain range. Very quaint and unspoiled.

How about just Madrid for a couple of days, and then Seville with the White Washed towns, and a day trip to a nearby town in Portugal? Is that more realistic?

Any towns in Portugal that are closeby to Seville just to get a flavour of Portugal?

Closeby ? Seville is about 3 hours by car from Portugal. Significantly more by public transport. Not for a day trip, I think.

Good intention to visit two countries in seven days however in your shoes, I would visit small towns near Madrid/Seville or Lisbon/Something else nearby. You simply don't have the time specially given your interest in small towns.

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. Sounds like I should definitely just stick to Seville and Madrid. Maybe Portugal will be for another holiday. :)

Cheers!

gtrekker2003

You can come to Lisbon , visit it and tyhen there are a few fishing villages closer to Lisbon than salema. Salema is nothing special and too far, in the Algarve.

Closer to Lisbon you have : Peniche, Ericeira, Sesimbra and Nazaré. Nazaré is probably the more interesting and typical. You can visit in on a day trip and the otheres in half a day.

Sorry, some typing errors:then and others: --)

I totally understand your concept of visiting quainter areas, as that was my concept, too on my recent trip to Spain. I recommend completely skipping Madrid, to that note, and just taking the AVE to Seville, or go to Toledo immediately and don't stay in Madrid unless you want to see museums and bigger city rush and noise. If you stay in the Barrio Santa Cruz in Seville, you will get the charm you are looking for, and there is no traffic in there...even pedestrian-only by the cathedral. We loved our trip (about 2 hours) to Ronda from Seville, where we stayed at Hotel San Gabriel--exactly that kind of intimate, relaxing, poking-down-lovely- winding old streets experience that you may be looking for. My daughter took a trip to Lagos, Portugal(the Algarve area)--renting a car, which was maybe 3 hour drive (??not positive) from SEville, and there were so lovely, private coves that they found by driving down the roads toward "The end of the world" (so conceived when they thought the world was flat). But definitely don't try to put too much activity and travel in, esp. if you value relaxation. Lisbon, i believe, is a 6 hour bus ride from Seville, and is another big city.