My husband and I and 16 year old son are going to Spain/Portugal this summer for 9 days. The only thing I've done is purchased tickets- into Madrid, out of Lisbon and are planning on taking trains to get around. We have not done Spain/ Portugal so am looking for help.

1. Where to stay in Madrid. We don't like touristy kitsch and but don't want to be far from everything. We are walkers, and don't mind hustling around the city on foot/ bus. As long as its safe, middle of the road pricing ( Not the Ritz, but not a hostel- somewhere in the middle).

2. Top sights in Madrid to see? We like to see architecture, a museum or two, parks, some shopping, and don't mind moving fast

3. Would appreciate suggestions as to what to see in this amount of time. From my start of research, Im thinking: Please add/subtract anything and change order...

Madrid
Toledo
Cordoba
Grenada
Ronda
Tarifa (is Tangiers worth a day trip?0
Seville

Lisbon

4. Should we buy a train pass like "4 days travel in a month" or do destination-to-destination tickets?

Thanks in advance!

No train pass for sure for those places. Just buy long-distance tickets well in advance at Renfe - Spanish Railways site and book as early as possible for nice discounts. www.seat61.com has loads on booking own tickets - general info trains BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Seville to Lisbon fly or take direct bus but long bus ride.

9 destinations (10 if you count Tangiers - which is a bad idea so we'll use 9) in nine days? That is too much in too little time. And if the 9 days include your arrival and departure days -- then it is really only 7.5 usable days.

No its not including travel days. So 9 days. These are the locations that have I've read are worth seeing- so whats your suggestion as to what to cut? Looking for recommendations. Since trips to Europe are not a monthly thing for our family, we tend to try and squeeze in as much as possible, thank you.

I'm a fast traveler, I think, and I am planning a trip with nine nights just in Portugal: Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. I considered doing Spain instead but decided there is just too much to choose from in the time I have; I feel like I can get a better grasp on Portugal's obviously highlights in the short time I have. You could do the same if you want: just fly from Madrid directly to Porto the same day. Flights between those two cities are cheap and numerous. I am planning to fly in and out of Madrid also.

I recommend watching the Rick Steves videos on Spain (there are quite a few) and Portugal (only two I think) - free to watch on YouTube. See what interests you. Then propose an itinerary and see what people think about it. I believe a few people would suggest doing only Madrid and Lisbon with the short time you have, with day trips here and there.

>>No its not including travel days. So 9 days<<

So you have 11 total days on the ground? Even if so -- that list is about twice as long as the time you have for doing it.

>>so whats your suggestion as to what to cut? <<

Assuming Madrid and Lisbon are musts because of your flights in and out, maybe one other city (two max). Which one or two you choose is up to you. If it was my trip and I had booked flights in to Madrid and out of Lisbon -- I'd probably do Madrid, Coimbra, Porto and Lisbon . . . But two of those aren't on your list.

And Ronda- nice to see for a few minutes but not much there and takes a day to get to and to go to Seville - do Cordoba as a day trip from Seville or a quick stop en route Granada to Seville.

And Tangiers - takes a day to get to Tarifa and much of a day from there to Seville.

9 Days
Madrid - 3 nights
Toledo
Train to Granada - 2 nights
Train to Seville stopping off at
Cordoba
Seville- 2 nights
Fly to Lisbon - 2 nights

That is about as quick as feasible.

I can’t imagine providing advice about how to manage this itinerary within the stated time frame – it depends WAY too much on what the travelers want to see and experience, what they are willing to forego, their preferred pace of travel, etc.

What I can do is tell you what times worked for me, as I solo traveler who packs every single moment of every single day I have on the road. Turning to the places you mention in Spain (I haven’t been to Portugal yet) in alphabetical order:
· Cordoba: 2 full days
· Granada: 2.5 days. Note that seeing only the Alhambra requires a full day, and 2 nights, for most people.
· Madrid: 4 full days, not counting day trips
· Ronda: 1 day – but truly, it is NOT in the same league as any other place you are considering.
· Sevilla: 3 full days, not counting day trips
· Tarifa: I skipped it.
· Toledo: more than 2 full days were not enough for me

Understood! But FWIW, my reaction to the realization that I might never return to an area seems quite different than yours: Rather than trying to cram it all in (my take on your itinerary), that realization makes me want to maximize the time I have to actually see and experience the places that I choose to see, while minimizing the time spent traveling between places. Rather than skimming the surface and spending time getting from place to place, I choose to skip some places entirely, even if I am sure I would enjoy them. JMO.

Too, if I decide that I can’t see / do everything I want, then I give thought to limiting my time in the cities with international airports – the ones that are most easily included in another, later itinerary. Again, just something to consider.

Good luck!

You should travel in whatever way makes you happy, but as I am learning since beginning to travel internationally, I often over book the itinerary which makes for cranky travelers and regrets about not getting to see or do something somewhere we’ve been. We don’t travel every year either and I fully understand the desire to see it all because we’ll probably never be back, but I’m beginning to see that maybe enjoying it is better than seeing it.
My husband and I just took a trip to Andalucia in mid March. We had six nights there.
We spent 4 nights/ 3 full days in Seville including a day trip to Córdoba and 2 nights in Granada. It wasn’t enough. I would have loved to more fully explore both places.Since you have already purchased airfare and with the amount of time you have, I’d recommend skipping southern Spain this trip. Janisj is offering sound advice. We haven’t made it to Madrid or Lisbon yet so I can’t even begin to offer recommendations for lodging. I am sure whatever you decide to do it will be a wonderful trip.