Having never had the luxury of one whole month to wonder, I have not rented a car in Spain, but I'm sure you'll get reviews from Fodorites. Have you ever used any Rough Guides? Their guide to Andalucia is especially good.

I just pulled up Rough Guide..gonna read it now. Missed going to the tourist bureau ..our son came over for a visit..
I will have more questions tomorrow . Thanks

Sorry to be missing for so long..work requirements. Would 5 nights be time to see Madrid, Toledo, and maybe another day trip? What are your thoughts on the Roommate hotels in Madrid (location, cost, and comfort) for 5 nights? We also would like your experiences regarding an apartment 5 nights and where? Our hope is for a hotel, no more than 95 euro and less for an apartment. After we settle Madrid, then will focus on the remaining 22 days. Thank you

I have not stayed overnight in Madrid, but I stayed in a Roommate hotel in Malaga and really liked it.
I rented an apartment in Sevilla, where I believe you will also be going, and also had a great experience. The company was http://www.embrujodesevilla.com/
but I also corresponded with http://www.sevilla5.com/ and recommend checking them out too.

Personally I think 5 nights is enough to see Madrid and do a couple of daytrips.

With an entire month and a first trip to Spain in May I'd spend at least 2 weeks in Andalucia. There will be several festivals going on during this time and the weather is usually wonderful this time of year. If you spend 5 nights in Madrid you'd then really only have a week left in the month long trip. If you want to get a taste of another totally different and unique areas I'd spend a week in one of these areas: the Basque country, Barcelona/Catalunya, Galicia, Extremadura or Asturias.

Which one of these areas you choose really depends on your personal interests. We all have our "favorites" based on our own interests and experiences.

Thank you CathyM for the yes on 5 nights in Madrid. My husband and I are looking into an apartment called Atocha Attic or Huertas from www.apartinmadrid.com as well as Roommate Laura or Mario. The idea might be to train it to Andalucia yet we don't know where to start since we were told cars in Malaga or Sevilla is not a good idea. We would want to stay put for at least 1 week, drive about and stay in another city or two before MAYBE flying to the Basque country or Cantabria (240 miles drive back to Madrid). We do not want to spend too much time at airports ..just don't know enough yet to choose.

Egbert, ypur thread on September 23 is looking rather like what CathyM said except she suggested North for a week. We look forward to more of your ideas to help us form our trip.

Curious: As to your stay in Madrid, we recently stayed at Roommate Alicia, adjacent to a great little plaza, Plaza Santa Ana. We were very happy with the hotel, and delighted with the plaza, which kind of became our home.
We stayed 4 nights, with a day trip by train to Toledo.
You probably have already seen them, but here is our report on Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba.http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...do-cordoba.cfm

We train-ed to Sevilla, via Cordoba, then got a car to drive through Andalucia. I think a car is the best way to see the hill country for sure. Cars are not good in the larger cities, but we managed without incident to:
1 get out of Seville
2 drive through the hill country, white villages
3 drive the Costa del Sol
4 get into Granada and dump the car.

Having a month is a real luxury. Good for you.

Thank you BillJ for your juicy description of your trip. The rates for Roommate xyz is somewhat lower if you pay early and in full and doesn't come with breakfast..no biggie. I will look at Alicia
To add some dimension to us, we are extremely young in spirit, appearance and have no restrictions; numerically..I am newly 65 and my husband is newly 60 and we are celebrating our 35 anniversary..hence the one month long trip; we love celebrations. ? Morning of May 26, 5 nights, morning of the 31 train to the South..(maybe do as lincasanova said on Sep 30,
use paradors and where they are.You can buy their 5 night card.) Staying in villages for 8 or 9 days. Where could we delve into next ?

We loved the Parador at Nerja. Above Playa Burriana, a great beach. And Ayo's restaurant, incredible paella. Elevator to beach a big, big plus. Never ate at the Parador; took all meals down at the beach. Totally fun!
We are 68, and loving life!

Curious: Just want to remind you about the Tarjeta Dorada (Gold Cards), or the senior discount cards available on Renfe. You have to buy the card in Spain (not on line) at the train station Renfe ticket counter. You receive up to 40% discounts on train travel in Spain, good for one year. So don't buy any train tickets ahead of your visit. Get your Tarjeta Dorada and train tickets at the same time on your first visit to a train station.
We got the Tarjeta Dorada and train tickets the day we arrived in Spain for travel 2 days later. If you are using trains enough to consider a rail pass, you'll have to do some arithmetic to figure out the most economical, but the Senior Discount card may be the way to go.

Thank BillJ, we will look into the cards. We just booked RoomMate Laura for 5 nights with breakfast for 99 euros/495 euros total. It has a balcony and mini-kitchen..we found of an apartment yet opted for the smaller and convenience of a hotel. Has anyone been to Hotel Amadeus in Seville? We are making our way through so may recommended itineraries, no true route yet. Possibly Madrid 5 nights, Seville 3 nights, Cadiz 5 nights (just outside of there on the beach with a patio), then Granada 3 nights, Ronda 2 nights..and then 5 nights ? The general direction seems workable

Málaga is fabulous city with a vibrant Andalusian atmosphere.

You'll never get tired of walking around in the narrow streets in the center of town. The area itself is a museum of Andalusian history; within 300 metres you'll find both a newly excavated Roman theater, the great Moslem Alcazaba (palace/fortress) and the marvellous 16th century Cathedral. In the same area, the Picasso museum, his birth-house, great tapas bars, shopping and good vibes. The malagueños are reputedly the most easy-going people in all of Andalucía.

You'll find excellent seashore seafood restaurants very popular with locals some 5-10 mins (taxi/bus) east of the city center, in Pedregalejo.

If you want a change of scenery, go inland to Antequera, the so called "heart of Andalucía", some 35 miles north of Málaga. http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/antequera.html

A couple of sites on Málaga:
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/malaga/home.htm
http://www.andalucia.com/magazine/en...ed2/malaga.htm

You should also check out the fiesta calendar, the Andalusians know how to celebrate ... anything:
http://www.andalucia.com/festival/monthlyguide.htm

For example, the spectacular Feria de Abril (April fair) in Sevilla will take place in the beginning of May this year due to the late Easter celebrations. The Feria is extended into ten days and will start on the 30th of April to maintain the "connection" to April.
http://www.andalucia.com/festival/seville-feria.htm
http://www.spanishunlimited.com/spai...riadeabril.asp

Or what about celebrating San Isidro, the patron saint of the farmers, in small and beautiful Montefrío in the Granada region on the 15th of May? Processions and fiesta:
http://www.andalucia.com/province/gr...efrio/home.htm

You might stay here, looks great!
http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/mont...-enrea.en.html

About Montefrío in the Michelin guide:
http://travel.viamichelin.com/web/De...usia-Montefrio

Thanks Kimhe. We leave Madrid on 31 May (after 5 nights) and we still do not know if driving south stopping near Cordoba (183 miles) for a night and then on to Seville 3 nights or just train it directly to Seville and then get a car... Cadiz 5 nights, Tarif (1 night?), Malaga (with day trip Ronda) 5 nights, Granada 4 night and train it back to Madrid? We have 22 days to explore and must return to Madrid for a night and out on the morning 22 June. Can someone improve on this first draft itinerary or even better offer another one?? hum I just got Lonely Planet's Andalucia maybe I can get a better grip.

I just re-read Egbert's and nytraveler's comments at the beginning..I guess I am taking your advice to heart. Thank you.

And do not miss Sidrería Mingo, next door to the Ermita. Sidra, chicken and crisps (cherished memories of my student years).

I mean this in the nicest way, but I think you should read your book first--I don't see where you are getting the use of the car if you are skipping all of the small towns. Are you going to stay in old town Cadiz? Day trips by car could be a pain traffic wise. I always find it most useful to study maps to get a sense of my itinerary.

Here is a suggestion, but you have to tailor it to your interests:
Madrid 5
train to Cordoba 1 night
Sevilla 3 nights (or day trip from Sevilla)
Cadiz 3 nights
Does anyone know if it is possible to pick up a car in Cadiz and drop off in Malaga? If not, Jerez is close if a pick-up is possible there.
Drive among white villages, stopping in the ones you fancy/ 3 nights
Ronda 3 nights (additional day trips with car closer to Ronda)
Antequera 2 nights
Drop off car in Malaga 2 nights
return to Madrid

Personally I'd spend more than 3 nights in Sevilla. You really need at least 3 days for Sevilla itself and even more if you plan to do any daytrips. 5 nights in Cadiz is a bit much - it's my favorite city but 3 would probably be plenty. I'd definately visit Sanlucar as a daytrip from Sevilla. And don't overlook Ubeda & Baeza. I prefer Priego de Cordoba (and the entire Subbetica area) over Antequera.

Honestly you are going to get hundreds of different opinions on this forum. I think your best bet is to read the Lonely Planet book focusing on Andalucia (Rough Guide also has a good one). Then determine what places hold the most interest for you.

I also recommend to keep reading and looking at lots of images of Spain, to see what catches your interest. You have a lot of good tips for lovely Andalucia, and five nights in Madrid is good, with your side trip to Toledo. Some cities I really liked are to the north of Madrid: Segovia, Salamanca, and Avila. I also like Valencia, especially now with the interesting architecture by Calatrava, but it may be out of your way for this trip.

Staying in paradores, while perhaps not the most cost efficient, can add to the fun of your trip; not all of them are in historical properties, though, so if that intrigues you, read the descriptions carefully.

Don't try and cover too much. I think CathyM (and others) are right; after Andalucia and Madrid and nearby places, pick one other area. The distances in Spain are big! Some areas, like Extremedura, take time to drive through and have a lot of 'empty' before you get to your destination.