Hi everyone...Please help my sister and I plan our week long trip based in around Madrid. We are celebrating her 30th Birthday. We don't want to rush around the entire country, but want to see the real Spain. We're both very creative and want to experience the culture. Cost isn't an issue. Please help...I was thinking Madrid, then heading south towards Granada, Seville...maybe the Atlantic coast??? I have now idea.

if only a week how about madrid and barcelona.

Sevilla is a must!

With only a week you're going to need to be disciplined. Either Madrid and Barcelona - or Andalusia in the South.

My personal preference is not to do Madrid - which is a very large modern city with tons of highrises and a MickeyD's on every other corner. It has a royal Palance and a couple of museums - but is not particularly Spanish - you could esily be in Chicago.

Andalusia, on the other hand, is much more representative of Spain's long and interesting history - much different than most of europe - and you won;t find anything like Seville, Cordoba or Granada anywhere else in europe.

And you need to take weather into account - the South is VERY hot in the summer - but more pleasant the rest of the year. Madrid is on a high plateau and while hot in the summer also has a real winter.

With a week you can do either - not both.

You really need to decide what you want to see/do.

You can spend a few days in Madrid and take AVE ( fast train) to Seville for a few days.

I always find interesting what people find "representative" of Spain. Spain is a very diverse country, every region completly different to a great extent from the other.

Madrid is a great city, Spanish to its core.

Chances are you have to fly into Madrid. So a week could be divided between Madrid and Sevilla , if that's what you want.

I am very partial to the North, but you'll find many more people recommending Andalucía.

Madrid and its environs could easily keep you occupied for a week and Madrid has nightlife second to none, if you like that.

Some questions answered might help you get better advice...
How many total days do you have on the ground, excluding travel days too/from Spain?
Are you flying in from the US, Europe, or?
You can do a lot in 10 days, but a week (6 or 7 days) is more limiting.
I love Madrid and I recommend you give it a couple of days. Anywhere in Andalucia is fabulous, but you could consider flying into Madrid and out of Barcelona for example.
The possibilities are endless.
A couple of years ago I took my Mother to Spain for 10 days, and as she'd never been before, I wanted her to have a good "taste" of the place, so we moved around quite a bit.
We went Madrid-Sevilla-Granada-Pueblos Blancos-Cordoba-Madid.
If you want, you can check out my travelogue for ideas:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/spain2005.html

I understand "the real Spain" as places not too touristy, neither flamenco nor bull fight.
Spend the week in Madrid, know the great museums, try the spanish food and go shopping, hire a car and make two day trips:
1- El Escorial & Avila
2- Toledo

Thanks everyone...I guess I'm leaning towards Madrid for two nights at the start then heading towards Sevilla. I plan to fly into and out of Madrid, unless people have other suggestions. I haven't purchased tickets and plan to go around Sept 2nd...Hope I can get tickets, etc. I'm flying out of NY. Day trips sound like a possibility, but I think I'd rather get out of Madrid...But, I guess it's going to be really HOT in Andalusia. Oh well. Any recommendations for hotels or inns in Sevilla and Andalusia ??? Thanks again!

Oh...sorry...I'm planning to be gone a total of 7 nights including travel time. Revulgo's post sounds like a good plan as well!