Help w/ Spain Itinerary
 

Hello,

I am hoping that I can get opinions on the following Spain itinerary from Sept 27 - Oct 6

Sat Sept 27 - Arrive in Madrid in the AM. Visit Prado and if time permits Royal Palace.
Sun 28 - Day trip to Toledo
Mon 29 - Day trip to Segovia
Tuesday 30 - Take train to Cordoba and stay overnight
Wednesday Oct 1 - Take train to Seville
Thursday 2 - Seville
Friday 3 - Day trip to Jerez
Saturday 4 - Train to Granada
Sunday 5 - Train to Madrid
Monday 6 - Fly home

I feel pretty confident up until Friday. My wife and I definitely want to see Jerez. My wife also mentioned staying overnight in Arcos on Friday but I don't think we'd be able to get to Granada. Would it be better to skip Granada and spend more time in Seville? I'm trying to find the best balance between seeing everything and relaxing. :)

I appreciate any comments.

Newton

We did much the same trip a few years ago, but we drove and had more time. We went in more of a circular route than you are describing. We loved Sevilla - styed two days there, and agree with your interest in Jerez - I am a sherry enthusiast and we visited both Tio Pepe and Sandeman's bodegas. The TI in Jerez has loads of info on where to visit wine-tastings if you are interested in that. What surprised us was what a lovely town Jerez was; a neat "downtown" - we happened upon a religious parade as well. We stayed overnight here as well. If you are looking for hotels in those cities, we found a small chain called sercotels (www.sercotel.es, I think) which had reasonably priced rooms with cont. breakfast and also had parking which we needed. All were located within walking distance of the major tourist sites.
Have a great trip and enjoy those tapas!
Connie

I read this post and noticed that you will be in Segovia on a Monday. I too will be in Madrid (and later Seville) on a Monday. My concern is how to best spend my Mondays knowing that everything is closed.

Are the sights in Segovia open to the public on Monday? or should I explore the streets of Madrid and go on Tuesday instead?

Thanks.

This looks doable to me. As much as I love Seville, IMO it would be a shame to miss Alhambra. In Seville, I highly recommend going to the flamenco show at Los Gallos. Also, I would suggest purchasing tickets for Alhambra in advance on the internet.

By the way, if you're at all a Picasso fan, one of his greatest paintings, "Guernica" is at the Sofia--next to the Prado--and well worth a visit if you have time.

Have a great trip.

I have done a similar itinerary at a similar time of year, but over a 3wk period and a few more cities (including 3 days in Portugal). We also traveled via auto so had a bit more freedom and flexibility (except in Madrid and Barcelona where the car was more of a hindrance). I think maybe you could spend 1 or 2 more days in madrid as there's a lot to do. toledo and Segovia are both good day trips, and all the cities you plan to visit are excellent choices. You should however make sure the train is worth it (vs car), maybe pick up the car when you're leaving Madrid.

Don't skip Granada. I did a similar trip and would probably skip Arcos instead.

Hi. We were in Spain last fall and loved every minute of it -- but definite highlights were Toledo, Granada, Arcos, the Costa del Sol and Gibralter. However, while many people love Seville, we weren't as keen on it, mainly because of the difficulties of driving there and the cost. (We were also almost robbed one evening.)

Arcos is a very small white town but it's beautiful, and cheap. Not a lot to do there but if you like small towns, I'd go just for the experience of walking around. But definitely, do not miss the Alhambra. It will be a highlight of your trip.