We are heading to Spain for the first time for 11 days following Christmas. We tend to sight-see hard and heavy. We are fifty-ish. Is this plan reasonable?
Day 1 Land in Madrid early; take AVE to Seville; Hotel Amadeus
Day 2 Seville
Day 3 Pick-up car, drive via Rhonda to Marbella timeshare (this is our base-others are day trips)
Day 4 Alhambra/Granada
Day 5 Drive through white villages (which ones- this is Sunday- is this a problem?)
This will be New Year's Eve- any ideas in Marbella or nearby?
Day 6 New Year's Day (will anything be open-someone said there is a bullfight in Malaga-
is this true? Any other suggestions would be appreciated) Would Nerja caves be available on New Year's Day?
Day 7 Rock of Gibralter
Day 8 Tangiers (day tour company)
Day 9 Drive to Malaga; see Picasso museum;
turn in car in early evening; fly back to Madrid; stay at Plaza Mayor Hotel.
Day 10 Madrid/Prado
Day 11 Fly home
I know this is lots of driving; the timeshare base necessitates some of this. Any suggestions would be appreciated greatly.

Hi

Wow - you guys must be rabbits! It certainly is whirlwind! I'm a huge fan of Madrid so naturally I'd say you're not spending enough time there. I don't know where you're flying from but if it's long haul, well heading straight to Seville is pretty heavy going. Rather than taking the AVE have you thought about seeing if you can tie your long haul flight to a domestic flight (Vueling Air etc.) to Seville. May save time and effort.

To me, there is too much driving, too much, one day after another,believe me. But anyway, I'll try to make some possitive suggestions for you to consider.
-Drive Seville to Marbella via Jerez de la Frontera, Medina Sidonia, Los Barrios, San Roque and Estepona: better road, much faster. You'll arrive sooner and have some time to rest before facing Marbella-Granada. This trip is 180km, 2hrs15min, but you'll sure find a bottleneck (or two) from Malaga airport to Malaga exit to Granada, so depart with enough extra time. Get your Alhambra tickets in advance. There is a parking lot at the Alhambra, easy to reach to.
White villages: Marbella to Ronda, good road though frightening due to many precipitous crags, visit Ronda old quarters, which would be enough for a day. Recommended tour, from Ronda: Grazalema-Zahara-Algodonales-Olvera-back to Ronda and Marbella. Another tour, easier though not so spectacular: Ronda-Alpandeire-Farajan-Juzcar, and then back to the road Ronda-Marbella. Being sunday, restaurants shall be crowded and slow.
A bullfighting is scheduled in Malaga on New Year's day, I'll post details when I know. Nerja (especially Maro, next town) are beautiful and quieter coastal towns. Cannot tell you about the Caves, but the road from Malaga is very good and you'll take 45 min (the Marbella-Malaga part you'll know by now).
Another tour you can make from Marbella is Estepona-Casares- Jimena de la Frontera-Castellar de la Frontera (and La Almoraima)-SanRoque and back to Marbella.

topping this post so maybe other with Spain experience can help.

Hi, bbw,

Depending on where you take the tour to Tangiers from, I would skip the Rock of Gibraltar on day 7 and just stop by on day 8 on the way to or from Tangiers, if possible. This may help cut down on driving.

-e

bbw,
When I posted on your "Easy auto rentaleville" thread, I hadn't read this, your proposed (and driving intensive) day by day itinerary, so disregard the driving directions I gave you!

Since you're not planning to tour Jerez and since you can visit Ronda from your timeshare in Marbella, take the faster route down to Marbella that josele has suggested.
(I now see that you haven't planned an overnight in Ronda).

I agree with josele that you'll need time to rest from driving before your Day 4 assault on Granada, which will be a full day from Marbella with lots of holiday traffic.
And please, as josele wisely suggests, purchase your Alhambra tickets in advance since your trip will be during the school holiday season. Crowds will be large at the Alhambra then.
Purchase on
www.alhambratickets.com

I would also skip the Rock of Gibralter. And I would skip Tangiers as well (but I'm not a fan of that city) and concentrate on the beautiful Andalusian countryside and the white towns, doing the day tours that josele suggests. The Ronda-Grazalema-Zahara, etc. is a truly spectacular drive, allowing you to get to know these highly scenie perched Moorish white towns in depth.
But you may have arranged your Tangiers day trip tour already with a private guide (the only way I would ever do Tangiers again). If Tangiers isn't a big priority for you, I would leave day 7 free. But it may be something you've planned for sometime.
Just an idea.

Bbw,
Another vote for skiping Gibraltar, tangiers.It is the best way of getting a bad impression of a nice country (Marrocco), and Gibraltar has little interest.

Have you prepared a contingency plan? Flat tire, late plane, accident, God forbid, illness!

Please do yourself a favor and heed the advice of those who suggested you skip Gibraltar. Every other destination on your itinerary is far more interesting.