Can someone take a look at my prelim itin for Feb'08 Spain trip?
 

Inspired by Comfyshoes recent Spain report, I thought I would post my prelim itinerary for Feb'08. Any comments, feedback, advice would be most welcome!
2 adults, 3 kids 11-16. (The kids have been to Italy and Paris before)
total trip length 8 nights

Start in Seville- 2 or 3 nights? Or longer, and do white villages and Grenada as day trips (too far)?
Comments on any of these apartments?
http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/seville/22848 on Calle Virgen de la Luz (how is this location?)
http://sevilla5.com/apartments/seville.html Plaza Santa Cruz 2 bedroom apt or Guichot apt.


White villages or Jaen/Ubeda- 1 night-suggestions for places to stay?


Grenada- 1 night (or as a day trip from Seville?)


Barcelona- 3 nights
Comments on these apartments?
http://www.way2stay.com/Barcelona-ap...en-52-1094.htm El Borne
http://www.habitatapartments.com/tessa.htm (Missypie stayed here recently) Eixample

Cooking class in Barcelona- http://www.coquus.es/ or another suggestion?

We live in Sevilla and you probably only need 2 days to see the city. The cathedral is great to see and the old city (surrounding the Cathedral) is also very nice. Go to exploreseville.com for more information. Either apartment looks nice. Make sure you stay in an area semi-near the cathedral. The white villages (Grazalema, Zahara) are easy to do as a day trip if you know how to get there. It takes about an hour to get to them from Sevilla. Definitely check out Ronda, it's right near there too and it's an amazing city built on a gorge. If you want to spend a night in the area, the Parador in Ronda is very nice as well as Don Miguel (both on the gorge). We've also stayed in a "Casa Rual" (see toprural.com) in Molino del Santo which is right in that same area. It was a beautiful little place with a pool and a restaurant overlooking a creek with waterfalls. Many Americans and Brits stay there. I definitely reccomend it! Granada is pretty far away to do as a day trip from Sevilla. If you want to go to the Alambra, make sure you get tickets way in advance online, they sell out 1-2 months in advance.

Thank you dejah6-

I am leaning towards the Plaza Santa Cruz apartment as the location looks great.

It's good to hear the the white villages can be done as a day trip. I think we'll stay 3 nights in Seville, but do a day trip (rental car) for the 3rd day.

Thanks again

ttt

the El Borne is much more convenient to everything in the city centre than the eixample one. the latter is actually not very centrally located. In El Borne you'll be close to things like the Palau de la Musica, gothic catherdral and the picasso museum (which is good for getting there early morning to beat the queue). you'll be close to the yellow line metro whihc goes directly to the beach one way or up towards sagrada familia (station verdaguer 5 mins walk from the cathedral) or parc güell slightly further up. from el borne walking, apart from being surrounded by old architecture, cafes bars etc. you are in gotico in a couple of minutes, Las ramblas in 10, the beach in 20, its in the city centre. the other apartment is in a pretty, but sterile part of eixample, not that close to amenities.

Thanks travel_buzzing-

Would you consider the location of the El Borne apt to be safe?
Here is an apx. map from the apartment website.
http://www.way2stay.com/viewonmap.as...amp;pr_id=1094

Hi cruisinred-
Yeah that is the street of the Palau de la musica! It is a very quiet, very old and very local area with little bars and cafes. you are extremely close to els quatre gats cafe/restaurant, which everyone on fodors always buzzes about (picasso used to frequent it) and a short walk from just about everything central. i envy that location haha.

cruisinred, Very happy that my report inspired someone with as hip a fodor name as cruisinred!:) I think the rest of your questions are answered. My only suggestion is for your Jaen overnight stay request. Check out Parador de Cazorla and see if it makes sense for you guys.

travel_buz---thanks for the info regarding the apt's location. Sounds perfect.

Comfyshoes- thanks again for your great report. We may actually be following in jgg's footsteps and combining BCN with Marrakech (just can't beat those 20 euro fares)....and save Andalucia for another trip.

What do you have planned for next year's school break??

cruisinred, Considering Scotland for a week, followed by a week in Barcelona (latter for family reasons). But might replace Scotland with Paris. I really don't know yet. Thanks for asking. Enjoy spain.