Checking Itinerary
 

My husband and I are flying into Barcelona and flying out of Madrid. We want to get to Seville as well. We have 7 days in February. The current plan is Monday afternoon, Tuesday, part of Wednesday in Barcelona. Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday in Seville. Saturday in Madrid (we haven't heard many good reviews on Madrid, we're really doing that to just say we went there...)

I'm looking for help in planning my itinerary from someone who's been to these places...

< we haven't heard many good reviews on Madrid, we're really doing that to just say we went there...) >

When you've got one of the greatest galleries in the world - philistines

I guess I need to be more specific - I'm looking for tips on what to do/see in Barcelona and Seville with the time I have there. Thanks for the advice on the one place I should see in Madrid. Sorry if I offended you... I haven't been to any of these places before and I'm going off of what I've heard. Many people have suggested a day trip to Granada from Seville... Any thoughts?

Have you read Maribel's Guides to Madrid and Barcelona? You might find them very useful in planning your brief adventure. You can download the files at http://mariblesguides.com

Besides maribel's - also click on DESTINATIONS above and follow the links to Madrid, Barcelona, etc. You will get a lot of good info.

&quot;<i>we haven't heard many good reviews on Madrid, we're really doing that to just say we went there..</i>&quot; I find that sad - going someplace just to check it off some &quot;been there, done that&quot; list . . . . . .

Thanks Robert2533, I haven't checked that site.

janisj - I have looked at the Destinations tab, just wondering if there was any further advice on wheter we should try to take any day trips considering the short amount of time that I have in each city. Trust me, we are not the type of traveler to just &quot;check things off&quot; our list. But this is our first vacation in 5 years and don't know when we'll be able to afford to go again. We are flying out of Madrid, so we'll have a day there. Any useful information regarding one day in Madrid would be great!

In Barcelona i'd consider a day trip to Montserrat, a famous pilgrimage place just outside of Barcelona - accessbile by trains that take you right up to this mountain top major pilgrimage church, known for some revered Black Madonna relic. Outstanding views from up top, the church and chance to buy a special wicked booze made on the premises by the monks i believe.

Thanks PalenqueBob! I hadn't heard that before... Very helpful! Are there any other stops/places to go when on the trip, or is that one full day?

I don't understand, if you aren't interested in Madrid, why not just train directly into the airport for your flight home, and add the extra day to some place you DO want to see?

Suze - I think my original question has been lost...
I'm wondering if there are any recommendations on day trips to take? Or do you need three days in Barcelona and three in Seville to really take everything in? We traveled to Rome for three days on our honeymoon and took one day to see Capri. We LOVED Capri, but felt we missed out on seeing more of Rome. But three days in London and three in Paris were good for us.
This trip, we'd really rather not have that happen again. Which is why I'm asking the question about day trips!
It's not that I wouldn't like to see Madrid, I'm just not planning on spending three days there.

No nothing much on way to Montserrat, which is only a short train ride from Barcelona on the Catalonian regional railways - this is about a half-day trip all together.

&quot;just to say we went there??&quot; I'm sorry you won't be able to spend more time in Madrid. We used to say: 'de Madrid al Cielo!' If I had seven days in Spain I think I would spend three or four of them in Madrid and environs (Toledo, Segovia, etc.). I've been to Sevilla (numerous times) and to Barcelona (several times) and I consider each of those a 2-day city. My most recent trip to Barcelona we took an overnight Hotel-tren (all-preferente Talgo) to Sevilla (arr. 8:20 AM). At the time, Vueling didn't have service between those two cities.

Useful info on places to see in Madrid:
Palacio R&eacute;al and Plaza de Oriente;
Museo del Prado;
Centro de Arte de la Reina Sofia;
Plaza May&oacute;r and the Puerta del Sol;
Cibeles, Puerta de Alcal&aacute; and el Parque del buen Retiro

&quot;... we haven't heard many good reviews on Madrid, we're really doing that to just say we went there...&quot; Forget it! Don't go there! Catch a taxi from the Puerta de Atocha to aeropuerto Barajas and fly home! If you're going to rely on the reviews you mentioned you won't enjoy Madrid. That's what happens when you visit a place with negative preconceptions.

Bugaboo,

Your Madrid preconception left me chuckling. I did the same itinerary (plus some more of Andalucia) in June'06, with the same low expectation of Madrid, for which I too planned only one day. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the cily and what it has to offer and annoyed at myself for not allocating more time. I vowed to come back soon. FWIW...

Don't miss Palacio Real. We managed to do Prado as well and the major squares, in one day. luckily, madrilenos enjoy great nightlife later than in most of europe. You may be able to stretch your day and cover more with that in mind.....

From Seville, we also went to Arcos de la Frontera (a quintessential white hill town about an hour from Seville) and Granada (2 nights), which, also contrary to my expectaions, I loved even more than Seville. A day trip to Granada is probably doable by train or bus, but IMO won't do it justice. Otherwise, I like your plan for a week and hope you have a fabulous time!!

-e

You may consider this a turnabout from my earlier post, but I'm just trying to be helpful.
It's been a few years since I stayed in Madrid in February: used to be 'Smog City' with high auto &amp; bus traffic volume and buildings' central heating belching smoke from the rooftops.

I know the Government has made progress on those problems, especially relating to motor vehicle emissions, but I don't know how much ...

Sometimes, in the wintertime, there's a temperature inversion that traps smog over the city for several days. If you have any respiratory problems (asthma, for example), you might take this into consideration.

I still love Madrid but we usually stay with relatives out near Barajas airport.