steve2100

HI, We just booked our plane tickets from US to Madrid arriving on 12Dec and returning to US from Madrid on 27Dec. Our early intention is to spend 5 days in Madrid then travel by train to Malaga for 2 days then by train to Valencia for 2 days then by train to Barcelona for 5 days then return to Madrid. We are hoping to see a Real Madrid soccer game in Madrid but need to wait for schedule to come out later this summer so that may effect our schedule. Any help in fine tuning this itinerary or advice on alternative cities would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

ribeirasacra

Christmas day everything will be closed, maybe form the PM of the 24th. the 26th in BCN will also be a public holiday.....Plan accordingly.

Bedar

Have you been to Spain before ? If not, I would skip Malaga and go to Granada and Cordoba instead. BTW, you know that there is no direct train from Malaga to Valencia. You'd have to go to Madrid to get there.

IMDonehere

The bigger day in Spain is Jan 6 The Epiphany.

danon

the connection to Valencia is AVE from/ or via Madrid ..1:45 min.
From Valencia to Barcelona...about 3 hours.

kimhe

Christmas preparations in Malaga by the Med is something special, and only 2h 30 mins from Madrid with the high speed AVE train: http://www.spainforpleasure.com/2014...ime-in-malaga/

The Atarazanas food market in the heart of town is a must, and lunch in here on Saturday 17th will be huge with the locals (every Saturday is great, but the last before Christmas will be something special). Fabulous food and fabulous atmosphere:
https://eastofmalaga.net/2014/07/25/...ry-perception/
http://spanishsabores.com/2013/08/26...entral-market/

Plenty of museums and sights in the center of 3000 year old and genuinely Andalucian feel Malaga city, and excellent tapas bars, cafés, restaurants, cultural scene and nightlife: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html

kimhe

And it seems now that the Atarazanas food market in Málaga gets comeptition from the new gourmet oriented Mercado Merced, also in the heart of town and next door to where Picasso was born and grew up. Opened just after my last visit here last fall, and can't wait to try it in a couple of months: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...odie-traveller
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...Andalucia.html

Egbert

For a first trip to Spain I would rather do Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Madrid.

Mimar

You would have been better off flying home from Barcelona, with open jaws tickets. But it may not be possible to change your tickets. The alternative is moving on from Madrid upon arrival (good use of jet lag day) and returning there for a few days just before your departure. But all that depends on your soccer game.

It's winter. Don't expect Spain to be all hot and sunny. Should be pretty dry. Madrid can be cold and very windy. Malaga and Valencia will be warmer.

ribeirasacra

"to where Picasso was born and grew up" Little known fact. At the age of 10 he moved to Galicia. Here the family lived for another 4 years.
There is also a small museum in A Coruña dedicated to this part of his life.

steve2100

Thanks for all your responses! Will be back when tickets are released for soccer game. Thanks again !

steve2100

Well a few changes have occurred to our December trip to Spain and here they are. Flying into Barcelona on Dec1. We love being near the ocean and are staying in the Barceloneta area til Dec 7. We will be in town for the Barcelona- Real Madrid game on Dec 4th. Couldn't get tix(too $$$ ) but hope to find a safe place in town where a Real Madrid fan can watch the game in Barcelona. The rest of our time there I was thinking of tour of Barcelona(las ramblas, museums, etc) while also looking for day trips possibly Monteserrat and Girona. Flying to Madrid on the 7th and will be there til the 12th. Going to Real Madrid game on the 11th but look forward to tour of city and possible day trips( Toledo, Avila&Segovia). We then are flying to Malaga on the 12th and will be there to the 19th. Staying in Fuengirola and plan to just base from here with possible day trips to Gibraltar, Granada, Seville. Pictures of Ronda are intriguing to me and am thinking of a trip there. Flying back to Barcelona on the 19th and back home on the 20th. Any thoughts on itinerary or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

Egbert

I would much rather stay in Seville and Granada than Fuengirola. A daytrip to Seville and Granada doesn't make much sense to me. Ronda is picturesque.

kja

I agree with Egbert. And I would add that to see the Alhambra at its best can take two nights so you can get there as early as possible on a morning and visit it during the evening as well.