Cordoba as stopover from Madrid to Seville?
 

I am meeting my husband in Madrid at the end of September. We've already planned on a day trips to Toledo and Segovia, but I'm wondering if Cordoba would be a reasonable day trip option as well -- via the high-speed train? (I've heard rave reviews about the Mezquita, and mixed reviews on Toledo, so I'd love the input!)

Also, since we're taking the train to Seville anyway, in theory Cordoba would be a reasonable stopover on the way. However, I'm not sure we can make this work with luggage. (We'll try to pack light, but since my husband will already be there for a conference, we'll definitely have roller bags rather than just backpacks.) Any thoughts?

I sincerely appreciate any comments or help. Thank you!

Hi---I'm in the early stages of planning a similar trip, and I'm curious what you have heard that is negative or "mixed reviews" on Toledo. Do you mind elaborating? Thanks.

Also, I wonder if Cordoba could be considered as a daytrip from Seville, rather than from Madrid. Hopefully that answer will be useful to you too.

Until recently, I'd heard glowing recommendations about Toledo. But, in doing my research on sites like this, I've picked up from some posters that it is dark & somber. Some folks seem to really prefer Segovia as a day trip, however I know others prefer Toledo. I agree that Cordoba would be a great day trip out of Seville, so thanks for the suggestion! I just don't know if I can make it work. (We have friends from London who we're meeting in Seville and are sort of tagging along with them for that portion of our trip.)

Thank you. Now I hope that my response, by bringing this to the top, will attract some informed opinions to benefit us both.

Kenderina---are you there?

To say Toledo is somber is a petty remark if one thinks of all it has to offer to any visitor begining by its magnificent Cathedral. Every one is entitled to its opinion but I would say it is a remark I would not even beging to consider. Having said this,
in your case I would choose Cordoba because Cordoba is a fascinating city too and the Ava will take you there from Madrid and from there the next stop is Seville.
I am sure that you can find out in www.renfe.es if there is a place in the Cordoba railway station to check in your luggage while you sightsee Cordoba.
Good luck.

Toledo is very worthwhile. The Cathedral is marvelous; you can visit an ancient synagogue in addition to El Greco's House. The artist's masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz is in Toledo. Dark and somber?? Even if it were I would love it. None of this is meant to detract from Segovia which I love as well.
On your way to Seville the train stops in Cordoba. If at all possible, stay overnight. You will enjoy the old quarterand the splendid Mosque as well as have time for a nice dinner.
Have a nice trip.

I sincerely appreciate the responses. I'm keeping Toledo & Segovia on the itinerary as day trips ... and hope to stop over in Cordoba on my way to Seville! Thank you!

We took the high speed train from Madrid to Seville. Stopping in Cordoba require separate tickets.

I glad did went to Cordoba as a daytrip from Seville rather than a stop on the way to Seville.

Segovia, Toledo and Cordoba are all worthwhile trips.

Segovia is quite a bit further from Madrid than Toledo.

I think Segovia has fewer known sights but after the Aquaduct and Alcazar, I found it a very nice town to walk around for a few more hours.

I think the description for Toledo might be a bit more "intense". It definitely has attractions woth seeing.

In Cordoba, the Mezquita is quite the place to visit. A church with no walls was built inside the middle. I walked across the bridge to the other side to get a view from afar.

The problem with all the daytrips was that after a while they all blended in. I remember different things about each place but some things just fuzzed out.

thezanmiller:

I'm planning to stop over in Cordoba en route from Madrid to Seville next month. I purchased two separate tickets, rather than to try to squeeze in the visit on the 3-hour layover between parts of the same itinerary. Madrid to Cordoba, 2 hours, cost 58 Euros per person (Preferente Class); Cordoba to Seville, 45 minutes, cost about 16 Euros per person (Club class). I think that I chose non-peak times for each, although they were just the times that we wanted to go anyway. We're planning to "layover" for about 6 hours in Cordoba. While I'm sure that's not enough time to fully appreciate the city, I figure that it's better than not stopping at all, and we should certainly be able to see the Mezquita in that length of time. (We'll take cabs to/from the train station to save time; 4 to 5 Euros each way.) As for luggage storage, I'm hoping that what I've read is true, since we will also have our bags with us. Supposedly, there are three types of lockers available (small, medium, large). However, there are only 12 large lockers available. Prices are 2,40E, 3,00E, and 4,50E per day. I'm not sure where I found that luggage storage info, but I believe it's at the train station. If not, it's at the bus station, right next door. If you hear anything else, please post.

Fluffnfold, when are you going? We'll be in the region in October and were debating doing the two-leg trip as you outlined. In 2000 I skipped Cordoba on the Sevilla-Madrid run but I'll like to see the Mezquita this time. If you go before October, PLEASE post how your stop worked out when you return. Thanks!

Regarding Toledo & Segovia, Toledo may seem 'darker' because it's so dense, with lots of medieval, winding streets & back alleys. The only negative I found was that it was crowded with day-trippers, so this time we're going to spend the night (at the Hostel del Cardinal).

Segovia was more simple and 'open', and also less crowded. However, there was also less to see, and the castle is mostly a recreation. Still, I had a great day trip there. The cochinillo I ate there may have been the best meal of my life!

This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyway. Can you take the train from Toledo to Seville? Or do you have to go back to Madrid to get the high-speed line to Seville.

I just checked RENFE. You would still have to go back through Madrid, but it looks like they sell it as a combined ticket. There were about 15 different options for train combinations throughout the day. None of them had more than a 60 minute layover, however, and since it stated that directly on the website, "Aviso: Menos de 60 minutos para el transbordo." it makes me think that it might be cutting it too close (most looked to be only 5 minutes apart--WAY too close for comfort). It says it's an Alta Velocidad from Toledo to Madrid, then AVE from Madrid to Seville (nothing about stopping in Cordoba, interestingly enough--I thought they all stopped in Cordoba en route to Seville). I'm not sure what the difference between the Alta Velocidad and AVE is. Is there a difference? Isn't that what the A-V stand for? So why list it differently? It only has one class of service versus three classes on the AVE.

Hi we just spent 10 days in Spain in April (2006). As for Toledo we spent a day there and loved it! It was fantastic! I don't know about "dark," but it certainly has all of the medieval charm we expected. There is so much to see and experience there, much more than just the cathedral. And for spectacular views make sure you find your way to the city walls. Also if you plan to do the tourist tram, which I recommend, buy your ticket as soon as you arrive at Plaza Zocodover even if you don't plan on riding until later in the day--these tickets do sell out.

As for the Cordoba stop we did this as stopover on the AVE from Madrid and it worked very well. For tickets you'll need to buy two separate tickets, one for the Madrid-Cordoba leg and one for the Cordoba-Seville leg (we bought all our Spain tickets on renfe.com before leaving for Spain). We booked tickets that allowed for 5 hours in Cordoba and found that to be more than enough time to see the Mezquita, have lunch at a nearby restaurant (El Caballo Rojo--great place) and do some shopping. If you want to see and explore more of the city I would recommend more than 5 hours, otherwise this is plenty of time for the Mezquita. We did take a taxi from the station to the Mezquita and also found one around the Mezquita to take us back to the station when we were done. I personally think the convenience of taxis in Spain are worth it. Also there ARE luggage lockers in the Cordoba train station (some are quite large). We found plenty available and they were easy to use (you will be asked by station personnel to scan your luggage for security before placing them in the lockers). I can't recall how much they were. Good luck and enjoy Spain!

Samtraveler:
Very helpful information. Thanks so much!

At the risk of repeating others, I loved Toledo, and no you can't train from there to Seville (must go through Madrid).

My husband and I stopped in Cordoba for a day en route from Seville to Madrid. Aside from a little confusion about stashing our enormous luggage in the lockers at the train station, this worked beautifully. I think that idea is way more efficient that doing a day trip to Cordoba from either city, and I felt that one day was sufficient (given that we had limited time overall).

Good luck!

I'm very interested in this topic, as my husband and I plan to make a day-stop in Cordoba via AVE during our trip in early Oct. One additional question: is it necessary to reserve the trip from Cordoba to Seville ahead of time? We know when we are leaving Madrid, but would like to be flexible in the time we spend in Cordoba before continuing on.

I loved Toledo. It's just glorious. And the mosque in Cordoba is so, so, so beautiful. I did it as a day trip from Sevilla (after taking the high speed train from Madrid) and it was an easy trip. I went after lunch and came back before the cocktail hour.

Nessundorma: The day trip notion from Seville may be interesting ... esp. if you can be back by cocktail hour! (We have friends meeting us in Seville at 8:00 or so .... so that just might work after all!)

sgerhar1, when are you traveling? During our trip in April (high season) trains were very booked and purchasing tickets as we went we would have been out of luck. Unless you're traveling during peak time and you want flexibility in Cordoba, I'd say book your Madrid-Cordoba route ahead of time, then buy your Cordoba-Seville tickets in Cordoba.

You can feel that you have seen what is necessary in a day in Segovia. In Toledo it's a push. I guess that's why it's more intense.

Toledo is more like going to class. Segovia is more like recess. But just like you should go to class, and you will learn, the same is true for Toledo. Not to be missed, but you may have more fun in Segovia.