I am planning to propose to my GF in Granada. She has no idea. I am going to Andulucia for 10 days and am in need of desperate help and advise for putting together an itinerary. This is how far I have gotten. My GF and I are flying into Madrid, then going to Granada (lodging? Ideal place to propose? hiking? countryside?). I also definitely want to go to Cordoba and Sevilla and possibly Toledo on the way back Madrid. I would be forever indebted if somebody could give a solid timeline for the trip, and a list of must-see/do's (as well as things not worth doing). Thanks

In Granada, the Alhambra and the Albacin are the musts. All of Seville pretty much is a must see.
Do you have some price guidelines as to what you'd like to spend? That would be helpful.

I have not been to Granada yet, but am currently scheduled to go at the end of May.
You may want to check out the i-escape.com website for more ideas, but they recommend one restaurant in particular in Granda that looks like it might be a romantic proposal spot, overlooking the Alhambra:
www.restaurantejuanranas.com

Depending on the time of year, I cannot think of a more romantic place to propose than the Alhambra itself -- the gardens or the courtyards in the palace -- by moonlight during an evening visit.

My second choice would be the restaurant of the Parador on the Alhambra grounds.

Payson - congratulations! That's so romantic. I agree with Eloise that you can find a beautiful spot on the Alhambra grounds for the proposal.

As for itinerary, I would suggest something like this: 2 days in Granada, 3 in Sevilla including a day trip to Cordoba, spend an overnight in Toledo and the rest in Madrid (add a day trip to Segovia).

The only issue with this itinerary is that I don't think the trains go from Sevilla to Toledo, so you may have to go to Madrid and then backtrack a little. But maybe the buses go that route - you'll have to check. If you are renting a car from Granada, this wouldn't be an issue.

As for lodging - a budget would help. I went relatively low budget but was very happy with the hotels I had in Granada, Sevilla and Madrid. I can share if you are not looking for luxury.

Karen

When are you planning to go? I agree with the suggestion to propose on the grounds of the Alhambra. It is incredibly romantic and sensual with beautiful gardens, pools and fountains. Lovely at night. If you will be there during warm weather, I recommend the Mirador de Moryama, a restaurant for dinner in the Albacin with beautiful views of the illuminated Alhambra. You can eat on the terrace. Depending on when you are going, you might want to stay at the Parador on the Alhambra grounds - but you must make reservations well in advance. In Seville, I recommend the Hotel Amadeus. Lovely, welcoming and reasonable but, again, you have to reserve well in advance.

Alhambra might be a wonderful choice, but beware of crowds. It was incredibly crowded when I was there last month. You might want to consider proposing at the Alcazar which overlooks the city of Granada. It shld be a spendid view at night. If you want a pic, I can email a copy to you of how it might looks like.
Another suggestion... why dun you propose on the flight to spain? You could get the air stewardess to make the announcement and the whole spain trip would be a pre honey-moon trip for both of you?

As a self-admitted member of the romantically-challenged...thank you guys so much for the helpful insights and info! There is no question that Ill have to take a knee in the Alhambra itself (courtyard or garden?) I have been saving up for this trip for a while, so as long as it is not excessively exorbitant, I wouldn't want to compromise price for something nice. Couple of questions based on your suggestions:

1. Do you guys know if I could go to Granada via Toledo (and how long to spend in Toledo)?

2. Aside from the Alhambra and Granada proper, I'd like to spend some time hiking and/or skiing (maybe a day with an overnight stay) in the Sierra Nevada and seeing some of the smaller towns. Any suggestions regarding this rendezvous?

3. Would you suggest that I rent a car for the entire trip, part of the trip (which part), or not rent one at all?

4. Could I go to Cordoba for a day or two (is 2 days too long for Cordoba?) then go to Sevilla from there? And Karen, I like your itinerary. Not knowing anything about Andalucia, I was just wondering why 3 days in Sevilla?

5. I will book my hotel reservation in Granada in advance, but do you think its a bad idea to not make reservations during the rest of the trip for the sake of flexibility?

The matter of reservations really depends on when you are going and how important it is to you to stay in nice places. For Cordoba, one day is probably enough but I would plan 3 days for Seville.

Two days is probably too much for Cordoba, of all the Andalusian biggies, it's the least interesting. Seville is the premier Andalusian city - it's festive, loaded with sights, full of color and flavor, and really should be savored.
Depending on when you go, you should be fine booking rooms as you go, although if you have definite dates for Seville it might not be a bad idea to secure those as well. I really don't think you'll have much of a problem in Granada or elsewhere in Andalusia.
It's very easy to get from Cordoba to Sevilla. The highspeed AVE makes the 45 minute trip several times a day en route from Madrid.

For some good insight into rural Andalucia, check out rusticblue.com
We spent some time hiking outside of Ronda, which is very scenic, as are the white villages in that area. The mountains between Granada and the seacoast are very rugged and also great for hiking. Unfortunately it was raining when we drove thru this area. If you are staying in the Granada area, you might want to consider a day trip down to Nerja, a very pleasant seaside resort town. As others have mentioned, Seville is the nicest, most interesting large city in Andalucia, and the it's Alcazar rivals Granada's Alhambra in beauty. Andalucia is a very beautiful part of the world!

Here is what we did. Arrived at Madrid airport in the mroning from US and took the high speed train to Cordoba. Spent the rest of the day and evening walking around there. Then the next day we again took the high speed train to Seville which you will be delighted with. We spent 3 nights there which I think is about right. I am going to skip some other places that we went to but want to tall you about what might then fit into your itinerary. We picked up a rental car at the train station on our way out of Seville. If you are hikers check out the Grazalema area; it was gorgeous. If you are outdoorsy types I think a bottle of wine in your backpack and a ring for the proposal would be perfect. You could stop in a beautiful spot while hiking and have your glass of wine and propose. I would spend a couple nights in this area so you could do this and also visit Ronda which was incredible, but not the place for a proposal. Then we drove to the area just south of Granada where we rented a house in a tiny village. We just made a long day trip into Granada and saw the Alhambra by both day and night. We felt that one very long day there was enough time. Contrary to popular opinion, I wasn't that taken with the night time visit and felt the day would have been sufficient. After that we spent several days hiking the the Las Alpujarras area to the east of Granada. I think you'd also really find this enjoyable because it is incredible country. Finally, we drove up to Toledo and spent a night. Our only mistake was that we didn't get there until about 3 pm, and since we were flying out of Madrid the next morning, we didn't really have enough time to enjoy the city. Definitely visit Toledo. It is then an easy drive to the Madrid airport where you can drop off your rental car. Have fun.

With 10 days, I suggest you fly in and out of Malaga and leave Madrid/Toledo for another trip.

I agree...proposing at Alhambra would be incredibly romantic!

With 10 days, I suggest you focus on Granada (Alhambra--get tickets in advance on the internet) and Sevilla (see the flamenco show at Los Gallos) and maybe do a day-trip to Cordoba from Seville (have dinner at El Cabrillo Rojo). Maybe a side-trip to Ronda on the way to Seville.

Check out your local bookstore or library for guidebooks as well as some excellent websites--spainlist.com, tourspain.es, spainalive.com, red2000.com, and of course here.

Congratulations...you sound like a wonderful FH (future hubsand).

Thanks for all the help guys. Do you think it would be more practical, but still affordable, to rent a car for the trip?
Also, for those that have visited the Alhambra during the day and evening, which would you suggest has the more appropriate ambience for proposing?

Payson you are a true romantic. Some suggestions:

The Alhambra is the most visited site in Spain and thus the most crowded. It might be uncomfortable and too public for your girlfriend to have this once in a lifetime private moment happening in a crowd.

In my opinion the most romantic spot I’ve ever found in Granada is Restaurante Juan Ranas. You can sit on the outdoor patio with spectacular views of the Alhambra at night for this private, special moment.

http://www.restaurantejuanranas.com/movie2.htm

If your focus is to be southern Spain it would be best to fly in and out of Malaga. If you really want to include Madrid and Toledo on this trip, and to answer your questions about car rental, I might suggest that you do the trip this way:

Rent a car from Barajas airport in Madrid and drive to Toledo. Spend a day recovering from jet lag in Toledo. Then another day exploring this Medieval town in depth. Most people treat Toledo as a day trip. This magnificent town deserves two days. Toledo is one of Spain’s most timeless experiences. The entire town of Toledo is forever preserved as a 15th century Spanish National Monument.

-Hostal Centro
Tel: 925.25.70.91
http://www.aplinet.com/toledoguia/cl/centrolabrador/
Double with Bath 45 Euros.

Best bang for the buck meal in Toledo:

Restaurant El Catavinos. Avenida Reconquista 10. Telephone 92-522-22-56. For 24 Euros you and your girlfriend can share a seven course “tasting menu” which could easily feed four people. Your feast includes all the finest Spanish wine you can drink. You might sample partridge salad, Valencia peppers stuffed with wild rabbit, venison and veal meatballs, suckling lamb, baked fruit toledana, stewed goat andaluz, grilled Mediterranean prawns in corvina sauce, sautéed vegetables, endless servings of Andalucian breads, Tiramatsu ice cream fried in Cognac among the many dessert choices.

Then drive to Cordoba and Granada.

Best budget romantic hotels in Cordoba

http://www.hostallineros38.com/
48 Euros

http://www.hotelmaestre.com/principalingles.html
36 Euros

Best budget romantic hotel in Granada

http://www.elnumero8.com/index.htm
Individual apartments with kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room at small hotel prices. Rooftop terrace with views of the Alhambra.

Drive to Sevilla and drop your car off. Yes you will need three days to see Sevilla.

Most romantic centrally located hotel in Sevilla

www.hosteriadellaurel.com
Not cheap at 49 – 67 Euros for a room with bath

Then take the AVE train (67 Euros tourist class or 101 Euros First Class) from Sevilla to Madrid. At about 250 kph it will take only 2.5 hours to get to Madrid.

Hands down best location and best hotel for the price in all of Madrid

http://www.adrianohostal.com/ingles/index.html
Room with full bath 49 Euros

Fredisimo, I really must thank you for all the helpful info. You pretty much set up my trip! I really wanted your advice regarding what setting you think would be best to propose to her (given that I have never been there)--the Alhamabra on a Night tour (is it still that busy at night?) OR the restaurant you suggested? I was thinking about staying the "Alhambra Palace" hotel...Do you think its worth it (i figure I'd stay in a "nice" hotel for two nights while in Granada? Also, off the top of your head, do you know any cheap car rental companies in Madrid for someone that only knows how to drive automatic transmission =(? Thanks a bunch.

Payson,

The Nasrid Palace (which is the part of the Alhambra open for evening visitis) is NOT crowded at night, and will be a sublime place to propose> Don't miss a day visit as well - to see the other sections such as the Generalife, gardens, Alcazaba, especially if you are going in the next few months when the weather is good. Remember - day visit tickets are timed entry only and it's best to buy them well in advance - for the earliest possible time in the morning. Unless things have changes, the night visit tickets can be bought that same afternoon, or have the hotel help you. You don't say when you plan to travel or what your budget is - so I don't know if there's time to reserve at the Parador, but you might consider it. At least have dinner at the Parador restaurant (great views of Generalife, very romantic, and the food is good, too).

Toledo is a marvellous place, but since you only have 10 days, you might want to save it for another trip. But if it's really important to you, I would suggest flying to Madrd, taking the TRAIN to Toldeo (picking up a rental car and driving in a strange country while jet-lagged doesn't make sense to me), spend the next day oe even the next night in Toledo, take the train back to Atocha station in Madrdi, catch the high-speed AVE train to Seville, spend 2-3 days there, take an early morning train to Cordoba (40 minutes - there are a least a dozen a day), spend the day there or even overnigh, then rent the car in Cordoba, and drive down the extremely scenic the N-432 to area of Granada, go up to the Sierra Nevada or Alpujarras or wherever for your scenci hiking, and then spend the last couple of days in Granada, and drive back to Madrid and drop car off at airpirt Save that proposal for the last leg of the trip! Your soon-to-be fiancee is probably not going to be able to concentrate on anything else after that. Plus it minimizes the days you have to deal with a car.

My experience is limited to leading budget trips to Spain. My special talent is finding “best bang for the buck” places to stay and eat. so I am not familiar with the high-end Alhambra Palace Hotel. But from viewing their Website it looks like a sure bet for a wonderful place to stay in Granada.

Regarding a romantic setting for your proposal; the Alhambra is not nearly as crowded at night. Also not nearly as romantic a place for a marriage proposal as fantasy might imagine. It is a truly magnificent experience but honestly the Alhambra has a much more deserved reputation as a dynamic and visually overwhelming experience for tourists than it is an intimate, romantic experience for lovers.

In my humble opinion from a lovers perspective the Alhambra is much more romantic as a view, lit up at night as it is, from afar.

Perhaps you could tour the Alhambra and later have dinner at Juan Ranas for your proposal. At Juan Ranas you will have a breathtaking view from a dizzying perch atop the Albaicin hill of the town of Granada below and the Alhambra lit up at night, a sensuous feast, fine wine and music, and a very romantic, colorful setting for this intensely sweet and intimate moment in your lives. Let your waiter in on the secret, hand him your camera, and perhaps you’ll have an eternal photo of your special moment. Just a thought.

Spain once had a wonderful reputation for offering free tapas (tiny appetizers served in every bar) with drinks. Sadly this is a dying tradition in much of Spain, but the custom is still very much alive in Granada. As long as you have a drink in your hand you can feast on delicious tapas in any bar in Granada. The best concentration of tapas bars in Granada is in the Calle Elvira area.

This Website will tell you everything you ever want to know about this area:

http://www.granadainfo.com/elvirag/index.htm

If you have an hour or two to kill I might suggest the Royal Arabic Baths for a hot spa and massage. So tranquil is the experience that there is no talking allowed from the moment you enter the site.

http://www.dimanweb.com/aljibe/principal.htm

Whatever your itinerary becomes I pray that you allow 3 days in Sevilla. Spain’s most celebrated poet, Garcia Lorca, said, “If you only have time to visit one place in all of Spain make it Sevilla.” Sevilla has a little of everything Spain has to offer.

Please do not hesitate to ask for suggestions about any of the towns you plan to visit. Tu amigo, Fred

I agaree with what others have said about Alhambra at night...not nearly as crowded as the day and you can step away to places and be alone...make sure to get tickets in advance...they limit the numbers.

Have a great trip and please report back to us!