Desi

My husband, 2 teenaged children and I will travel to Spain for 2 weeks at the end of June through middle of July. I usually book trips myself but have resorted to a travel agent this time. My travel agent has proposed this itinerary:

3 nights Madrid - at El Coloso hotel

bullet train to Cordoba, pick up car, drive to Sevilla

2 nights Sevilla - at San Gil

2 nights Granada - at Tryp Albayzin

3 nights near Marbella - at Golf Guadalmina
(we do not play golf)

drop off car at Malaga and fly to Barcelona

3 nights Barcelona - at Hotel Royal

Then back to the U.S.

I normally would not try to stay in so many places on one trip. But my family is not much for travel, and so we probably won't be back to Spain again soon. But if we like it a lot, then we will have lots of places we will know about to return to.

I am fluent in Spanish, the rest are not.

Comments on itinerary? Comments on hotels?

Thanks.

nytraveler

Not familiar with those hotels - I would just make sure that those you have good AC and nice pools - since in the south it will be incredibly hot - you should plan on highs of 95/100 or possibly even more.

guarro

It would be a huge shame to simply pass through Cordoba without an overnight stop - the Mezquita alone is worth staying for.

Unless you really want to sit round a pool for three days, I would suggest trading a night at the Marbella golf course for a night in Cordoba (or even skipping Marbella altogether for extra nights in Granada and Sevilla)

PS: It will be hot!

patg

Why are you planning the three days in marbella? If it's for a do-nothing break in the middle of your touring, then you have the right idea, but I would add a day to Madrid or Cordoba, one to Seville or Granada, and one to Barcelona and skip Marbella. You can easily drive to the coast from Granada if you want a day on the beach; the mountain towns are also easily reached from there.

You know your family best, but in my experience traveling with teens, the fewer uprootings the better. Five places in 14 days wastes a lot of time on the mundane aspects of traveling.

Christina

It appears you aren't doing anything in Cordoba but picking up a car only to drive to Seville where you don't need a car for a couple days and may have trouble parking it. I don't understand the point of all that.

Take the train from Madrid to Seville, then get the car after your couple days there when you need it. I really liked Cordoba, which I did as a day trip from Seville as there are many trains between the two. Even if you are intending to visit Cordoba in that day when you pick up the car, I still wouldn't do it that way as you don't need or want a car in Seville.

lincasanova

i think it would be god to find out what these teens like to do.. the good thing about the marbella area is that they will find alot of people, girls/guys/ they acan speak to in english.
so.. frm that point of view, would be fun for them although not historically interesting.

i also assume they would like a beach after many days of churches, museums, etc.
in which case.. a high end marbella hotel sounds good .

agree that no point in car at cordoba.
nor sevilla til you depart for granada/marbella.

but..otoh, are there no flights from granada to barcelona, and could nerja area be considered for beach area so as not to backtrack back west after being in granada?