andalucian itinery
 

i want to spend about 3 weeks in spain.i'm thinking of arriving into madrid,catching a train to toledo and then renting a car to go to cordoba,seville and granada.i want to go back to madrid then to leave.i want to spend about 4 days in each city,preferably staying in an apartment.not quite sure the best way back to madrid from granada?does this itinary sond ok???

We went for 2wks to Cordoba, Seville and Granada; and another time just to Toledo and Seville. Both trips started with an overnight train from Paris to Madrid. Not sure you can rent an apartment for 4 days but I have not tried.

There are trains from Madrid to Toledo but we rented a car in Madrid and drove since we were staying at the parador in Toledo which is out of town and we arrived on a Sunday and there was not a convenient train. IMHO Toledo is overrated and I would not return. Nothing bad about the place, it is just not as wonderful as the other cities you have listed; one full day is enough here.

Cordoba was ok, the Mezquita is wonderful and we had a lovely meal. We stayed for 24 hours and it was perfect.

Granada is a great city. The alambra is gorgeous. Our reservation at the Alambra determined the rest of our Andalucian intinery. We stayed here 4 days: 2 in town: Hotel Cristina - very nice with wonderful homemade cinnamon cake for breakfast and 2 at the Parador. Tapas are free in town so we only had one dinner at the parador.

Seville we adored; the first trip - 3 days was not enough so we went back for a week. We hope to return again next year for a week.

If I had 3 weeks like you I'd do the following (but I always get bashed on this sight for trying to do too much):
Madrid 1 day to recover train
Toledo: 1 day (rent car)
Granada: 3 days
Gibraltor: stop along the way
White villages: 1-2 days
Jerez: 1 day (day trip or dinner at san lucar de Bara.
OR
Carmona: 1 day wonderful parador and the views from the old city walls are great.
Seville: 4 days - turn in your car (plan so you are not there on Sun or Mon or plan sightseeing carefully)
Cordoba: 1 day train
Madrid: leave

We just were there so TRUST ME ON THIS:

Take a bus to Toledo. It takes about 1.5 hours and there are lots of departures. Take the bus back and take the AVE train to Seville. It will get you there in 2.5 hours. You will not need a car in Seville. We rented a car to go to Granada and stopped in Cordoba on the way. Cordoba is not worth a night. You can see what you need to see in a few hours. I would spend 2-3 nights in Seville, no more than 2 nights in Granada...and then maybe take a train or fly to Barcelona for 3-5 nights.

Have fun.

hi thanks for the reply.i like the idea of taking the ave train to seville and driving from there.what's it like catching the train with luggage?i don't want to go to barcelona though but prefer spending more time in andalucia.i like taking it slow and wandering around cities, i like finding flea markets and prefer a place with a small kitchen.any suggestions??
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Luggage wasn't a problem on the train. There is a separate area next to the compartment where everyone leaves their luggage...or you can keep it above you. The train only stops once between Madrid and Seville, so you don't have to worry about theft...

why does no-oen mention Jaen city, ok its not as well-known and it doesn't have the huge pull of the Cordoba and Granada. It does have a great Parador at the top of a hill with fantastic views around the city. It has also some of the best preserved arab baths in
Spain, which were free to enter with an eu passport. Also boasts a really impressive Vandelvira cathedral. Nice non-touristy city.

I just got back from 3 weeks in Spain, including 2 weeks done by road trip and most of that in Southern Spain.

Personally, I wouldn't miss Toledo. I could have spent 2 days there, easily. Once the daytrippers leave, the city turns into something completely different.

Seville? Eh, overrated entirely. 2 nights, maybe 3. Totally touristy. But if you like that kind of thing, go for it.

We much more preferred the smaller towns and out of the way places, which you could only do with a car. However, one of our personal favorites that can be done either way was Ronda. Could have stayed there for days. Also, Cazorla at the far eastern part of Andalucia. Jaén is also very nice and never receives the attention deserved.

There are lots of interesting little places, but if you want to stay in one place for several days then you are rather limited to the "big three" (Seville, Cordoba, Granada).