HELP! Final Agenda for Andalusia
 

Thanks so much for all the information I have collected from Fodorites to help plan our trip! We are a family of 5 (3 adults/2 teens)<BR>and have this itinerary:<BR><BR>7/11-12 Madrid (tours)- Carlos V<BR>7/13 AVE to Cordoba (1 night- Al Hambra Palace)<BR>7/14-17 Seville (casa de la judieria)<BR>Train or bus to Granada?<BR>7/18-19 Granada (Amistad Hotel)<BR>Now is where I need suggestions:<BR>Granada, rent car and drive<BR>Best Options from Granada??? Would these sites interest teens: Ronda, Jerez, Nerja, Cadiz? Could I stay in one place and do day trips? What is the best options and routes.<BR>Many thanks again for all your help.

Sorry, forgot to add that we will be returning to Madrid via Seville upon completion on 7/23.

Maria,<BR>I think you'll be staying at the NH Amistad in Cordoba and the Alhambra Palace in Granada, right?<BR><BR>You can take either the bus or train to Granada. You can see the train schedule for July 18 at<BR>www.renfe.es<BR>The Alsina Graells bus co. <BR>(www.continental-auto.es) has morn. departures to Granada at 8, 9, 11, 12, trip takes 3 1/2 hrs. and costs 15 euros, your cheapest option.<BR>Bus travel in Spain is quite comfortable, dependable, convenient. <BR><BR>From Granada your logical destination by car would be Nerja. Your teens would really enjoy Playa Burriana (see the massive paella for hundreds cooking outside "Ayo's" outdoor restaurant!) and the caves.<BR>Stay at the Balcon de Europa right at the promenade or the Parador or Paraiso del Mar next door to the Parador, high above Playa Burriana.<BR><BR>Ronda, Jerez and Cadiz you'll miss by taking the bus/train from Seville to Granada. Could you possibly change your dates at the Alhambra Palace in Granada, pick up a rental car upon leaving Seville, then tour Jerez, Arcos, Ronda (overnight), then head over to Granada? Don't know how much time you had planned with the car after Granada. If you do want to see the Jerez/Cadiz, Ronda area, you should do that right after Seville, before heading east to Granada.<BR>Just a thought...

Sorry Maria,<BR>I now see that you'll be heading back to Sevilla to return to Madrid!<BR>Didn't see your second post while composing my own. <BR><BR>In that case, given your return to Madrid is already set from Sevilla on July 23:<BR><BR>with the rental car, I'd head down from Granada to Nerja for July 20-21, then drive back west along the coast and up to Ronda from San Pedro de Alcantara and spend July 22 there (Parador or Hotel San Gabriel), then back to Seville. No time for Jerez/Cadiz.

Maribel, thanks. What are we missing in Jerez and Cadiz? Should we cut Seville short by one day to 3 days only versus 4 to add Jerez and Cadiz? Thanks again.

I would say one day in overrated Seville, one day in underrated C&aacute;diz, and two days in Jerez with trips to Arcos, Sanlucar and El Puerto.

Maria,<BR>I disagree. I don't find Sevilla overrated at all. For me, 3 days are the minimum. Jerez is nice for the sherry bodega tours and a performance of the "Dancing Horses", cousins to those of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and Cadiz is a very laid back, friendly, ancient city that is often bypassed by foreigners (yes, it's underrated), but I'd save them for another trip some day. <BR><BR>Seville is a prime attraction and a true "must see" that takes a while to "do" properly, particularly in the summer when temps do soar. It requires sloooooow going.<BR> Cadiz and Jerez are secondary attractions for a longer itinerary.<BR><BR>I'd certainly keep your 3 days in Seville, remembering that you can always take a day trip to Jerez for the sherry tour and horse ballet (Tues, Thurs, and even Fri in high season) and probably Cadiz as well. It's not that far. There are even organized excursions that you can book through your hotel.

My daughter was studying in Seville this past year. She loved Seville. Your teens will too. We also loved Nerja and the caves. We ate at Ayo's which was lots of fun. The paella was delicious and extremely cheap!!!!<BR>Have fun.

We were not interested in horse ballet or sherry so skipped Jerez. We had a car and went to Tarifa and Gibraltar, which I think teens would like. Tarifa is very young... it attracts windsurfers.<BR><BR>Sevilla needs two days just for the main attractions. One day is plenty for Granada, which is pretty ugly except for the Alhambra. Ronda is over rated and overly full of tourists.