"once you decide where exactly you aim to be on 24th & 25th, post & then people can advise you on specific accom...I have some thoughts but will wait to see what you say. suerte"


I think we are going to be in Ronda on xmas eve, and then going from Ronda to Granada on xmas day. I'm curious about suggestions!

I've also noticed that a number of the places I've looked at staying are closed over christmas. I hope we don't have any trouble finding a hotel in our price range!

NYCbutterfly

I think that I would start looking NOW for accommodation. use something like the hotel search engine at Trip Advisor to put in your dates and price-range and see what hotels have space.

that may help you to work out your itinerary - I have had to alter mine in the past when the hotels we were interested in were unavailable for a particular time-slot.

good luck,

regards, ann

Also try
http://www.booking.com

this thread has recommendations (mine, at least) for ronda and more relevant info...eg i know i'm always plugging al lago in zahara de la sierra but you won't find a nicer, cosier, friendlier, more boutiquey place with excellent food and good prices anywhere in the sierras
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-years-old.cfm
personally i am not sure ronda will be your best bet on christmas eve - it's not the liveliest place. having said that, bars etc will be open until mid-evening at least - it's a working day and peo-ple only get togetherf for the late evening meal.
christmas day will be quioet everywhere and of course no attractions will be open so maybe not a bad day to travel; you may do well to find somewhere to eat between ronda & granada, though roadside ventas (inns/restaurants/bars/a mix of all) will be open for tapas at lunchtime i would think.
in granada you may and may not find anywhere open to eat in the eve but your hotel restaurant may be open.
lots of people have their favourites in the city but for your purposes i think you'll struggle to do better than one of the two NH Hotels in the city. NH is a mid-range chain, modern though often in old buildings, very high standards, good sized rooms, good restaurants, service etc and very reasonably priced. NH and the slightly more expensive AC Hotel chain are the bankers in Spain - I've stayed in plenty and never been less than happy with them.
here's a link to their hotels in granada. i checked Dec 25 in Hotel Inglaterra which is well situated and a room for two adults is €80 plus tax. If it's available I'd bite their hands off!
http://www.nh-hoteles.es/nh/es/hotel...a/granada.html

if you feel like splashing out, the AC Hotel in Granada, (think it's called Dona Paula) is more expensive but really beautiful; again, it's modern but set in an old monastery with the closed in patio surrounded by cloisters; if you don't stay you could think about eating there.

So we just revised the schedule. it's going to be Granada on christmas eve and day.

smart move...and what's mored it meansx you can drive up into the sierra nevada on christmas day if you want to; we did that one year & it was magical. Should be snow even lower down. there's a route which takes about 90 mins going east out of the city then past la calahonda and in to the mtns...it's spectacular and there's a great pass at the top where you can walk along snowy firest trails even if you don't want to ski or sledge. if you need more info i'll try to dig it out; i think that would be a great thing to do. you could also pre-book tickets for the alhambra for the morning of the 26th, which isn't a holiday in spain

firest trails? spelling doesn't get any better does it?

They have had the first falls of snow in the sierra nevada

And I should have added that you may need snow chains if the weather is bad; the Guardia Civil will tell you if you do.

<<I have read on Thorn Tree World that the road between Madrid and Andalusia is boring so the advice is to take the train. >>

HUH? Wow. Don't believe everything you read. Get off the highway and take the two lane road straight south to Andalusia through olives and vineyards. (It's the N401 and the name of it escapes me, but it was first traveled by the Romans and later was a Moorish trade route.) It's one of our favorite drives on Earth.

http://www.karenbrown.com/Travel_Pla...emories/65.php

don't think you'll need chains on that road i was talking about - i've done it a few times in winter & it's always clear; it's the main route n to s (or vice versa) and it's on the eastern side so it's not as high as the ski resort

actually mometc is right about the road into andalucia; it's v pleasant and the desfiladero de despenaperros (dog-chuckers' hangout) is astounding; it's a winding gorge which brings you down off the meseta...you can stop along the way and watch the vultures wheeling overhead. better than looking down jajaja

wow, portuense, that is a wonderful idea!

Just booked 2 of our hotels for the trip. Getting excited!

mom23rugrats
That is a nice route, but seeing the OP is wanting to drive down in a day is this route practicable? I personally would not recommend that one in a day.
portuense
I am glad that that road does not need chains, here along the north coast, even in the slightest bit of snow they stop traffic that does not have chains in the mountains.

madrid to jerez/cadiz takes 6-7hrs plus stops; knock off 3 hrs for that to granada...the trip south to the despanaperros is a breeze, then once you're over the top it's straight down to Granada on another M/way (albeit a bit windy but certainly spectacular); here too the police are pretty active in the snow...i think it's just that this partic route is guaranteed snow so they always keep it clear...NYCb cld check with spanish tourist office in US to get clarification on this issue...

We have done it in a day on two different trips, one in summer and one in spring. However, we did not stop at all of the noted stops. We stopped for lunch and got there in the afternoon.

Take your time in Spain and acclimate to its pace. It is wonderful.

I would recommend that you go to a villancicos (Iberian Christmas carols) concert or public gathering. They will be almost everywhere, and I think especially those with a certain flamenco touch can carry a lot of atmosphere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-YmRs7XtsE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltDBAXXnqI