help! Granada, Seville, or Barcelona?
Jun 13th, 2004, 12:46 PM
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help! Granada, Seville, or Barcelona?
We're going to Spain in less than a month and need some advice on selected areas to see, please.
We're in Barcelona for 4 days at a conference. We can take 1 1/2 days to see sights in Barcelona during that time. Here's what you can help me with:
We have 8 days after the conference.
We have 3 areas in mind to see and only have
time to see 2 areas:
1. Area north and west of Barcelona - Pyrenees (don't know much about what else to see)
2. Granada and area: 3 nights in Granada; Day 1 see Granada; Day 2 see Alpujarras and drive back to Granada; Day 3 drive to Baeza and Ubeda then back to Granada where we'll catch a fast train to Seville
Day 3 (night) hopefully take a fast train from Granada to Seville
3. 2 nights in Seville - Day 4, see Seville; Day 5 train to Cordoba (see Cordoba);
Day 6 drive to Arcos de la Frontera arriving in Ronda and stay overnight in Ronda; Day 7 drive back to Seville;
Day 8 train from Seville to Granada; then fly to Barcelona as we return to US on Monday, July 19 - Day 9.
Which 2 areas would you recommend? We like nature - mountains, lush green vegetation, some hiking. We do want to see some of the cities but would prefer to see some of the smaller, quaint villages. If you think the Pyrenees is 1 of the 2 best choices, what to see?
Hotels - any suggestions of hotels in Seville, Granada, and Ronda? Or if you think the Pyrenees is a better choice, any towns and hotels to recommend?
I hope to hear from you soon! Thanks,'
Wendy
We're in Barcelona for 4 days at a conference. We can take 1 1/2 days to see sights in Barcelona during that time. Here's what you can help me with:
We have 8 days after the conference.
We have 3 areas in mind to see and only have
time to see 2 areas:
1. Area north and west of Barcelona - Pyrenees (don't know much about what else to see)
2. Granada and area: 3 nights in Granada; Day 1 see Granada; Day 2 see Alpujarras and drive back to Granada; Day 3 drive to Baeza and Ubeda then back to Granada where we'll catch a fast train to Seville
Day 3 (night) hopefully take a fast train from Granada to Seville
3. 2 nights in Seville - Day 4, see Seville; Day 5 train to Cordoba (see Cordoba);
Day 6 drive to Arcos de la Frontera arriving in Ronda and stay overnight in Ronda; Day 7 drive back to Seville;
Day 8 train from Seville to Granada; then fly to Barcelona as we return to US on Monday, July 19 - Day 9.
Which 2 areas would you recommend? We like nature - mountains, lush green vegetation, some hiking. We do want to see some of the cities but would prefer to see some of the smaller, quaint villages. If you think the Pyrenees is 1 of the 2 best choices, what to see?
Hotels - any suggestions of hotels in Seville, Granada, and Ronda? Or if you think the Pyrenees is a better choice, any towns and hotels to recommend?
I hope to hear from you soon! Thanks,'
Wendy
Jun 13th, 2004, 01:52 PM
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Wendy,
Why not take a few days off to relax and enjoy the country while you're there. It's a long way from Barcelona to Granada and Sevilla to do in only eight days, even if you're going by high speed rail. You'll be spending half your time traveling and have very little time left to relax. Pick a spot and spend a few days. Just to see someplace is not experiencing it. Take an extra day in Barcelona and then head south to Sevilla or Granada, but don't try to do too much in such a limited time frame.
Since you'll be there in mid-July, I suggest you think about catching a flight to Bilbao and spending the time in the Basque Country where you may have a better chance of finding a decent hotel at a reasonable price. Bilbao and San Sebastian-Donostia are beautiful at this time of the year and are without the heavy tourist traffic you'll find in Granada and Sevilla in July. Round-trip airfare between Bilbao and Barcelona can be very inexpensive at times because of the competition between Spanair and Iberia on this route.
You'll also want to download a copy of Maribel's Guides (http://maribelsguides.com) on these areas for further reference on what to see and expect.
Why not take a few days off to relax and enjoy the country while you're there. It's a long way from Barcelona to Granada and Sevilla to do in only eight days, even if you're going by high speed rail. You'll be spending half your time traveling and have very little time left to relax. Pick a spot and spend a few days. Just to see someplace is not experiencing it. Take an extra day in Barcelona and then head south to Sevilla or Granada, but don't try to do too much in such a limited time frame.
Since you'll be there in mid-July, I suggest you think about catching a flight to Bilbao and spending the time in the Basque Country where you may have a better chance of finding a decent hotel at a reasonable price. Bilbao and San Sebastian-Donostia are beautiful at this time of the year and are without the heavy tourist traffic you'll find in Granada and Sevilla in July. Round-trip airfare between Bilbao and Barcelona can be very inexpensive at times because of the competition between Spanair and Iberia on this route.
You'll also want to download a copy of Maribel's Guides (http://maribelsguides.com) on these areas for further reference on what to see and expect.
Jun 13th, 2004, 02:23 PM
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wendy,
I'm not sure that I completely understand what you're asking, but one thing I think is that you could use more time to see Barcelona.
We were just there recently for 3 nights, and felt like we barely made a dent in seeing everything we wanted to see-- I would like to go back and spend at least a week there.
Your itinerary in southern Spain sounds pretty rushed and disjointed to me-- personally I would recommend staying in one place a little longer and doing some daytrips, but that is a matter of personal preference.
Do remember that it will be HOT in southern Spain in July, (average highs in the mid 90's) with not so much lush green vegetation.
I love southern Spain, but it is a whole lot more comfortable in the spring or fall.
For mountains and hiking (and cooler temperatures) you'd probably like the Pyrenees. Here's an old thread with some information about that area from Maribel (she knows her stuff about Spain!)
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34370853
Best wishes with whatever you decide. We have found Spain to be a beautiful country with very charming people, and plan to return again and again.
I'm not sure that I completely understand what you're asking, but one thing I think is that you could use more time to see Barcelona.
We were just there recently for 3 nights, and felt like we barely made a dent in seeing everything we wanted to see-- I would like to go back and spend at least a week there.
Your itinerary in southern Spain sounds pretty rushed and disjointed to me-- personally I would recommend staying in one place a little longer and doing some daytrips, but that is a matter of personal preference.
Do remember that it will be HOT in southern Spain in July, (average highs in the mid 90's) with not so much lush green vegetation.
I love southern Spain, but it is a whole lot more comfortable in the spring or fall.
For mountains and hiking (and cooler temperatures) you'd probably like the Pyrenees. Here's an old thread with some information about that area from Maribel (she knows her stuff about Spain!)
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34370853
Best wishes with whatever you decide. We have found Spain to be a beautiful country with very charming people, and plan to return again and again.
Jun 13th, 2004, 03:12 PM
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Wendy:
As the previous fodorites said, try to make a relaxing trip. 8 days is not enough to go to all the places you want to visit unless you are in a rush.
We went 2 years ago from Barcelona with a rented car to the north, and in more or less 7 days had a wonderful trip to the Basque country ( Bilbao, San Sebastian, countryside, etc.) with enough time to visit. Even went to Biarritz in France...
Any questions please ask.
By the way, there is no fast train between Granada and Seville. It took 3 hours to get there last Oct. in a direct route though.
As the previous fodorites said, try to make a relaxing trip. 8 days is not enough to go to all the places you want to visit unless you are in a rush.
We went 2 years ago from Barcelona with a rented car to the north, and in more or less 7 days had a wonderful trip to the Basque country ( Bilbao, San Sebastian, countryside, etc.) with enough time to visit. Even went to Biarritz in France...
Any questions please ask.
By the way, there is no fast train between Granada and Seville. It took 3 hours to get there last Oct. in a direct route though.
Jun 13th, 2004, 04:37 PM
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I have only been in Madrid and Andalucia, but your southern itinerary sounds really inconvenient and time-consuming. You are going back and forth between Seville and Granada a couple times, as I recall, and that isn't that short a trip. At the least, why go back to Granada to fly to Barcelona, and why go back to Barcelona at all, unless you must for some reason which I can't imagine. I think all flights to US from Barcelona go through Madrid, anyway, don't they?
At the very least, I would change the ending of this itinerary to just fly back from Seville (which will go through Madrid), or even take the train from Seville to Madrid and spend a day there or something before flying home. The AVE is very efficient between Seville and Madrid, but there is no quick ride to/from Granada.
At the very least, I would change the ending of this itinerary to just fly back from Seville (which will go through Madrid), or even take the train from Seville to Madrid and spend a day there or something before flying home. The AVE is very efficient between Seville and Madrid, but there is no quick ride to/from Granada.
Jun 14th, 2004, 09:44 AM
#6
We just got back from Spain on Friday evening so my report is not yet completed.
Day trips. If you remove 2-4 sights from each day trip destination, after a while they all blend together. I would write down the sights of interest in each place and then reduce the number of day trips.
Seville. Our favorites were Seville and Barcelona. The Alcazar in Seville was one of the big, pleasant surprises.
On the surface it seems quite simple. Allow a day or so to see Seville and then move on. We had 14 days of sun but a couple of the days in Seville were 39 degrees at about 5PM. That's over 100 F.
It's very difficult to see very much in a day when it's that hot. And we were there the first part of June.
In barcelona we thought of taking the tourist bus our second day and passed on it. I'm glad we did. In Eixample you don't just want the main streets. Every street has great buildings and is a tree-lined street. Just beautiful.
As far as going into sights. I would pass on Casa Battlo. Not worth the admission. Definitely go to Casa Milla (Pedrera). You get a very good presntation here. Try to see Palau Guell (closing in the autumn for restoration) as there are some design comparisons in the casa Mella presentation.
Don't attack me but La Segrada Familia is NOT a church. Maybe someday it will be. It's a curiosity. See it from the outside. I don't think it's worth the admission. Right now it's a brilliantly marketed construction site that is being funded by admission tickets.
Slow down in the south. It's hot there.
Day trips. If you remove 2-4 sights from each day trip destination, after a while they all blend together. I would write down the sights of interest in each place and then reduce the number of day trips.
Seville. Our favorites were Seville and Barcelona. The Alcazar in Seville was one of the big, pleasant surprises.
On the surface it seems quite simple. Allow a day or so to see Seville and then move on. We had 14 days of sun but a couple of the days in Seville were 39 degrees at about 5PM. That's over 100 F.
It's very difficult to see very much in a day when it's that hot. And we were there the first part of June.
In barcelona we thought of taking the tourist bus our second day and passed on it. I'm glad we did. In Eixample you don't just want the main streets. Every street has great buildings and is a tree-lined street. Just beautiful.
As far as going into sights. I would pass on Casa Battlo. Not worth the admission. Definitely go to Casa Milla (Pedrera). You get a very good presntation here. Try to see Palau Guell (closing in the autumn for restoration) as there are some design comparisons in the casa Mella presentation.
Don't attack me but La Segrada Familia is NOT a church. Maybe someday it will be. It's a curiosity. See it from the outside. I don't think it's worth the admission. Right now it's a brilliantly marketed construction site that is being funded by admission tickets.
Slow down in the south. It's hot there.
Jun 14th, 2004, 10:51 AM
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Hi Wendy,
I agree that you could spend more time in Barcelona, but if you don't want to, I loved Sevilla and Ronda, and the Alhambra in Granada is wonderful.
In Sevilla, if you are looking for a moderate hotel, I stayed at the Hotel Alcantara (www.hotelalcantara.net). It is reasonable, simple but clean and friendly, and in a perfect location in the Barrio Santa Cruz.
In Ronda (which I loved - and hiked around the gorge and hills for a day and a 1/2), I stayed at the Hotel San Gabriel, which was just wonderful. Ronda was a highlight of my 2 week Spain trip.
I think your trip is OK as far as how many nights in each place, maybe just skip some of the day trips - as much as I loved Cordoba, there is plenty to do in Sevilla for 2 days. You'll also have very little actual time in Ronda by the time you drive there from Sevilla - if you skip Arcos and use the faster, direct route, you'd have more time in Ronda.
Just some ideas. I did a lot in 2 weeks so I am not opposed to moving around, but factor in the travel time to realize how little time you'd actually spend in some of these places.
Have a great trip, either way!
Karen
P.S. - Myer - welcome back! Can't wait for your trip report. The Alcazar in Sevilla was one of my favorites too!
I agree that you could spend more time in Barcelona, but if you don't want to, I loved Sevilla and Ronda, and the Alhambra in Granada is wonderful.
In Sevilla, if you are looking for a moderate hotel, I stayed at the Hotel Alcantara (www.hotelalcantara.net). It is reasonable, simple but clean and friendly, and in a perfect location in the Barrio Santa Cruz.
In Ronda (which I loved - and hiked around the gorge and hills for a day and a 1/2), I stayed at the Hotel San Gabriel, which was just wonderful. Ronda was a highlight of my 2 week Spain trip.
I think your trip is OK as far as how many nights in each place, maybe just skip some of the day trips - as much as I loved Cordoba, there is plenty to do in Sevilla for 2 days. You'll also have very little actual time in Ronda by the time you drive there from Sevilla - if you skip Arcos and use the faster, direct route, you'd have more time in Ronda.
Just some ideas. I did a lot in 2 weeks so I am not opposed to moving around, but factor in the travel time to realize how little time you'd actually spend in some of these places.
Have a great trip, either way!
Karen
P.S. - Myer - welcome back! Can't wait for your trip report. The Alcazar in Sevilla was one of my favorites too!
