danon

"Stay night 7 in Madrid. See Prado for a couple fo hours and whizz off to airport in taxi."

Prado opens at 9:00.
Also taking a train from Teledo in the morning before you flight may be a bit tight .
We visited Toledo just a few weeks ago. it is a lovely spot but half a day is more than enough ( I would not spend a night there).
If you plan it well, one night in Granada should be enough - 1 1/2 day ( make sure you get a hotel with parking). We had 2 1/2 days and 3 nights - too long.

kja

Hi, LeslieC -

I think your revised plan sounds much better, and I also think that chimani's Option One suggestion might make more efficient use of your time. Check it out!

I must respectfully disagree with danon: I loved Toledo in the evening, after the crowds leave for the day, and I didn't see everything I wanted to see there even with nearly 2 full days. Likewise, I loved Granada and didn't see everything I wanted to see there with more than 2 days. It all depends on what you want to see and experience!

Hope that helps.

basingstoke2

Toledo takes on an entirely different character at night. It would be a shame not to overnight there if you can.

CathyM

I don't mean to pick on Danon but also have to disagree about spending the evening in Toledo. It is a totally different city when the hordes of tourist buses leave. I absolutely loved having the streets to myself in the early morning and evening hours.

I still don't know if it's worth it to rent a car in Granada for only 1 day. During that day you'll be driving to Cordoba for a daytrip then on to Sevilla. I'd think it would be just as easy to take a bus from Granada to Cordoba, then the train from Cordoba to Sevilla. The connections are frequent and it will take time to drive into the cities, find parking, pick up and return the car, etc.... I don't see the time to visit any villages along the way. But if your heart's set on renting a car, this would be the place in your itinerary to do it!

Regarding the feria, if your trip dates are April 10-16 it will be during the feria. The feria in 2008 is April 7-13 and your Sevilla visit would be during this time.

danon

I am sure Toledo is much nicer at night but they have only 7 nights. Madrid is also lovely at night - the area around the Palace
or Plaza Mayor (very late) is hard to beat.
Alhanmbra is also very different at night ( much nicer IMO)
Again, nothing wrong with Granada, but with only 7 nights - not a place to linger.

LeslieC

I can't thank you all enough for this kind of help. Where else could someone get such insiders information! Well, I changed our reservation after reading your reactions, so we are now on the London to Malaga flight.

Tried to add an extra day, but alas, no frequent flyer seats to home (Los Angeles, CA) on the 18th.

Going from Granada to Cordoba, why didn't I think of that? Brilliant. When I began thinking about a trip to Spain some years ago, I had read that one could leave luggage at the train station for a half day visit there. But I now read there are no lockers in train or bus stations due to security. So maybe best to have the car for that part of the journey.

I do understand that having a car in Granada or Sevilla is to be avoided.

Cathy - you're right about Febria. Don't know what I was thinking except that I might have dismissed it when we thought this to be a March trip at one point. Will it be terribly crowded in Sevilla?

Re: Toledo, yes. I had heard it is quite different at night so that's why I wanted to stay over.

CathyM

Leslie-
Too bad you couldn't book an additional day but at least you were able to use FF miles...hopefully you're flying business class! I tried using my FF miles from LAX for my Semana Santa trip in 2008 and didn't have any luck.

I'm actually the one that posted about the lockers being closed in Spain. I experienced this personally in Girona in September. The TI booth in Girona told me it was effective across Spain but larger cities that could afford additional security still were operating. I'd guess Cordoba lockers are operating as it's a very popular daytrip. And who knows they all may be reopened next spring - you never know!

As far as the feria being crowded, I can't say for sure. I'd guess that it will be crowded but since the fairgrounds are not actually in the center of Sevilla you wouldn't experience crowds like during Semana Santa. I've visited Sevilla for Semana Santa the last 5 years (started out as a "once in a lifetime trip"!) and it is packed full of people. A little too crowded for me but well worth it (IMO). I'd definately be excited if I were you to have the opportunity to visit during the feria. You can do a search and find several interesting threads on the feria. I think the big negative will be the hotel prices - they are at premium prices.

ezflier

we were going to do that same trip. We decided to do Barcelona for 6 nights. Will go back to Spain for the other cities in one trip. If you do all those cities in one trip, you're going to miss out on a lot and be exhausted