Andalucia trip
 

My wife and I have booked hotels for a week trip to Andalucia/South Spain. I am not sure, what is the best way to travel between cities. I will prefer train or bus rather than car rental. I'll appreciate your recommendations:
1) best way to reach Granada from Malaga Airport
2) what transport to take from Granada ( leave early am) to Cordoba ( spend 4-5 hrs, see Cordoba mosque ) to Seville ( reach in evening)
3) what transport to take from Seville to Marbella. I have a plan for Ronda but willing to drop if its too much hassle.

Day 1

Arrive Malaga Airport 12:30 pm straight to Granada ( 2nights)

Day 2

Granada

Day 3

Granada – Cordoba – Seville ( 2nights)

Day 4

Seville

Day 5

Seville – Ronda – Marbella ( 2nights)

Days 6 & 7

Marbella

1. Bus or train from the airport to Malaga bus station (train station adjacent)-
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?La...gename=subHome
Bus to Granada - www.alsa.es

2. Bus - www.alsa.es or train - http://www.renfe.com/ to Cordoba and train to Seville.

3. Bus Seville to Marbella with http://www.ctsa-portillo.es/ima/pdf/marbella.pdf

And sorry, forgot two journeys a day Malaga airport direct to Granada with http://www.alsa.es/

Málaga city itself is wonderful, stay there at least one night before going to Granada. Genuine Andalusian atmosphere, lots of sights (within 300 metres in the centre you find a quite recently excavated Roman theater, the 8th century Moorish Alcazaba/fortress, the grand 16th century Cathedral, Picasso's birthplace and the new Picasso museum), great tapas bars, cafés etc:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ci...-treasure.html

The Alcazaba of Málaga: http://www.google.no/search?q=Alcaza...w=1379&bih=802

WomBatt and kimhe, thanks for the response.
I am trying to find out, what is the best way to travel, if I am covering Cordoba en route while travling Granada to Seville on day 3. As suggested, I can take a bus or train to Cordoba and take a train to Seville same day. I beleive, I can put luggage in bus station locker. Is their any limitation to the size of luggage? Is it safe? thanks.

MondayCG - See replies #1 and #11, for most up to date, for as much as I know on the luggage in Cordoba bus station - http://tiny.cc/wiap2

'I am trying to find out, what is the best way to travel, if I am covering Cordoba en route while travling Granada to Seville on day 3' - I cannot see what the query is here when I have given you your alternatives.

Thanks WomBatt..My query was mostly regarding locker size. Your response helps.
I didnt ask but from Marbella to Malaga Airport, the best option is Bus, right?

There is a bus several times a day from Marbella bus station direct to the airport run by Portillo, however I am unable to bring up the website or timetable detail on any browser, for some reason.
www.ctsa-portillo.es/

I have a large 26" suitcase and it fit into the luggage lockers in Cordoba.

Regarding your itinerary, with only 6 nights and depending on public transportation I'd seriously consider dropping Marbella and just spending 2 nights in Granada and 4 in Sevilla (or 3 in Sevilla and 1 in Malaga). You're covering alot of ground in a short time and it will be quite busy.

MONDAYCG - I do not comment(anymore)on the pace of someone's trip, but transport efficiency is key for your short trip. You may also want to get a handle on arriving and departing from your accommodation and to and from 'sites' in these cities.

I was going to say it but Cathy already did.

do you think, it make sense to rent a car at any place?

No sense whatsoever in renting a car for any of your cities or if you only want to travel directly between them. You will expend valuable time, pay extra parking fees and waste hire fees.
Yes, perhaps if you go to Ronda and spend a day looking at the white villages.

Agree with Wombatt.

Thanks for response. I am seeing Alhambra Tickets through Servicaixa online is sold out for 5/28 (Sat). Do you recommend any guided tour that will include Alahambra tickets?

I checked the Servicaixa site just now and they show 119 tickets still remaining for 7pm entrance to Nazrid palaces on 28 May. You could enter the Alhambra several hours earlier and visit the Generalife and other parts before arriving at the palace, which is at the far end from the entrance gates.

If you don't care about the Nazrid palaces, you can book entrance to the site with the Generalife and Alcazaba. Servicaixa show 127 tickets remaining for morning entrance (8:30-2) and 167 tickets remaining for afternoon/evening entrance (2-8).

The main attraction of the Nazrid in my opinion, the Court of the Lions, was still under renovation/repair when I was there several weeks ago and I doubt very much it will be reassembled by the time of your visit. It was very beautiful and well worth planning a visit around when I was there a few years ago, but now ... I'm not so sure. It's a building site.

The Court of the Myrtles is still very beautiful and of course there are still the wonderful decorative tile work and carved stone details throughout the Nazrid. But in my opinion the greatest attractions at this time lie outside the Nazrid, particularly in the Generalife and around the Partal Palace.

If Servicaixa is sold out, you can usually still get tickets through Bono Turistico with their sightseeing pass, which includes free entrance to a range of monuments and museums in Granada over three days as well as 9 trips on any municipal buses and minibuses and 1 day's free travel on the City Sightseeing tourist bus.

https://caja.caja-granada.es/seg/bon.../solicitud.asp

If you purchase the pass online you will be asked to choose three entrance times for the Nazrid palaces. You will probably have best luck getting an entrance time on a Saturday in May if your three choices are later in the afternoon, such as 3:30, 4, 4:30, etc.

You will then receive an email within 24-48 hours giving you your assigned visit time, which means you must enter the palaces within the half-hour slot specified. If you miss your slot, you're out of luck. You will also receive a code which you must present to collect your Bono pass.

There are a number of outlets for collecting the Bono pass Mondays through Fridays. The Audioguide kiosk opposite Plaza Nueva is also open Saturdays and Sundays and you can get the pass there also. You must have the Bono pass in hand to collect your tickets at the Alhambra.

Meant also to give you this link for good info about getting to Granada: http://granadainfo.com/granadatravel.htm

Meant also to add that an entrance time to Nasrid palaces also includes entrance to the entire Alhambra site itself. You will have either a morning entrance to the Alhambra (from 8:30) or an afternoon entrance (from 2 on), depending upon your Nasrid visit time. It takes about an hour to walk to the palaces from the entrance.

Julia. thanks for detailed message. If I buy 7pm entrance to Nazrid palaces, can we enter the Alhambra 5- 6 hrs earlier?

If your entrance to the palaces is at 7, you can enter anytime after 2.

Here are some recent photos, if you're interested: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=14ea52f5aa