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itinerary for spring trip to Madrid, Andalusia and Cotsa del Sol

itinerary for spring trip to Madrid, Andalusia and Cotsa del Sol

Old Nov 30th, 2013, 11:42 AM
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itinerary for spring trip to Madrid, Andalusia and Cotsa del Sol

I am working on my husband and my itinerary for our trip in May. We are pretty independent travelers and like to walk and experience the sights. We plan to go for two weeks.
We will be traveling from Boston and thought we would go to Madrid.--We would stay there for about 3 days, adding more time to do day trips to Toledo and Segovia.
We would then go to Cordoba, Seville and rent a car to see Granada.
Would we have enough time to end in Costa del Sol for a couple of days too? Can we fly home from that area and also, what would be a good location to stay in?
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 12:33 PM
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You need us to give a few more details.
How long is the trip?
What transport are you going to use the rest of the time?

You can fly home, via Madrid or Barcelona directly to JFK.


I suppose everyone will suggest Malaga as you coastal base.
http://www.visitcostadelsol.com/
http://www.costadelsolspain.org
http://www.andalucia.com/costa_del_sol/home.htm
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 02:17 PM
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It really depends on your interests, but this trip would be way to rushed for me. I spent 4 full days in Madrid, 2 full days in Toledo, 1 full day in Segovia, 2 full days in Cordoba, 3 full days in Sevilla (which was NOT enough), and 2 full days in Granada. I haven't yet visited the Costa del Sol. You mighty find it helpful to search this board for planning threads for trips to Spain -- there are quite a lot and they provide a wealth of information. And a good guidebook or two should serve you well. After all, no one else will have exactly the same interests that you do, so the only way to really know what you want to see and experience is to learn about your options, including those that others didn't pursue. Hope that helps!
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 04:48 PM
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Your trip sounds just fine ! Of course, one. could spend a lot more time in places, but 3 days for Madrid, 1 each for Segovia and Toledo, 2 for Granada, 1 for Cordoba, and 3 for Sevile are sufficient. You could whizz through Ronda on your way to the Costa del Sol - Marbella - and fly to NY from Malaga after a look around. Have fun !
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 05:14 PM
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You will have trouble covering all that in just 2 weeks. I would fly into Madrid and out of Malaga - (you will probably have to make a connection on the way back).

I would put more time in Andalusia, which is the more unique part of Spain than is Madrid, which is basically a modern city.

We stayed near Marbella on the Costs del Sol (actually near Puerto Banus) which is somewhat less built up and very resorty.

Be aware of the weather - southern Spain is very hot - we've been in lmid/late April and it was in the mid 80s and up - definitely AC and beach weather (in midsummer it;s often more than 100 degrees).
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 06:31 PM
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Bedar wrote: "3 days for Madrid, 1 each for Segovia and Toledo, 2 for Granada, 1 for Cordoba, and 3 for Sevile are sufficient." That would NOT have been sufficient for me. It REALLY does depend on one's interests.
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 06:55 PM
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What I said was - one could spend a lot more time in places - and in a lot more places moreover ! but the OP only has TWO WEEKS there. They need to make the most of their time in the places that interest them. I'm sure you've spent more time there on your little, if longer than their, vacations. Bravo. Ole. I myself lived there for 20 yrs, my husband for 24 yrs, and my ex-husband for 52 yrs now. We know Spain fairly well. The OP's itinerary is just fine for a TWO WEEK trip !
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 07:20 PM
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I think you will be fine with two weeks. If flying into Madrid, I would do
4 nights in Madrid
Day 1: arrive, some sight seeing (perhaps one museum), get over jet lag, etc.
Day 2: day trip to Toledo. Stay late and have dinner there.
Day 3: day trip to Segovia. Have lunch there.
Day 4: major sights in Madrid
4 nights in Seville
Day 5: train to Seville, walk and tour seville
Day 6: Seville
Day 7: day trip to Cordoba
Day 8: Seville
2 nights in Granada
Day 9: train or drive to Granada
Day 10: Granada
3 nights to spend somewhere else or add another to Granada and 2 in another place.

You can play with it, see Cordoba on the way from Madrid to Seville and cut Seville to 3 nights, or go to the coast from Seville and visit Granada last, but it is a start. I love Toledo and like overnighting there, but it means more moving around. Granada and the mountains are beautiful, but longer there would be less time for the coast.

See where you can get flights. If you do have to go and return from Madrid, head straight to Seville and put all time in Madrid together at the end of the trip.

Two weeks will be perfect!
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 07:32 PM
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With all due respect, Bedar, the question is NOT, IMO, what you or I or our family members would like, nor is it whether an itinerary is "fine" or not. I believe that the question is whether the OP's proposed plan is or is not a good plan. In the absence of information about the OP's interests, I don't believe that question can be answered, and I believe it is not to the OP's service to say that it is or is not a good plan without knowing those interests.

Let me be clear: I don't EVER want to plan a trip of ANY length simply because it CAN be fit into a specific time frame. I want to know whether I can do and experience what I want to do in that time frame -- and if not, I want to make my own choices about what I will sacrifice to fit a trip into my allotted time.

So from my perspective, it is more helpful to tell people to make sure they know what they want to see and experience than to assure them that they can have a good time without knowing what they want to see or do. Just my perspective....
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 08:11 PM
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Ditto, Sassafrass (with whom I posted at the same time) -- your plan would NOT have suited my interests very well AT ALL. You provide a workable option, but we still don't know the OP's interests. And really, isn't that what travel is all about -- pursuing one's OWN interests?

If the OP has only 2 weeks, isn't it best for them to decide whether this part of the world is the best choice for them for this particular trip by considering what they can AND CAN NOT DO in 2 weeks? I know that I have chosen to delay certain trips because they aren't do-able in the way I want to do them in the time I can afford. And there are certainly LOTS of other places that can be visited quite reasonably in any given time frame!

I commend you and bedar for your "can-do" attitudes, but I am asking you to recognize that "can do" and "ought to do" are not the same. Perhaps you might at least wait to learn what the OP's interests or preferences or constraints are before telling them what they can or should do.

Just my opinion.
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 09:18 PM
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Bedar's suggestions seem reasonable

Malaga is a nice spot to relax by the sea at the end of the trip.
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Old Nov 30th, 2013, 11:14 PM
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Perhaps the OP will come back with some unique interest they did not share earlier, and need specific advice relevant to that.

However, the OP seemed to know already where they want to go, as they stated that they want to go to Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Cordoba, Seville and Granada, and asked if it was possible to do that and have a couple of days in the Costa del Sol. My advice is based on their stated desires, and it seems fairly reasonable that they can do that. It might not be slow paced, but not overly rushed either.

I also suggested they play around with the plan. They may decide to skip the coast and explore the cities at a more leisurely pace.

It really is good for the OP to have advice based on such a wide range of experience. They can choose what they feel is best for themselves.
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 01:04 AM
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Madrid provides (I think) a very good example of the ways in which a person's particular interests might affect planning:

For someone with a mild interest in art, Madrid might call for just a couple of days: A half day or so each for the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and an evening for the Reina Sofia (assuming one visits Madrid on a day when the Reina Sofia is open in the evening), leaving some time each day for the rest of Madrid. Those with a greater interest in art might want closer to a full day for each of these museums (not counting the time for the rest of Madrid). And those of us who go to Madrid, at least in part, FOR its art will want even more time there -- at least a full day for the Prado, at least a 1/2 day for the other two "biggies", time for the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales and Madrid's wonderful archeological museum, and so forth. Interest in art is, of course, just ONE way in which people's preferences for spending time in Madrid might vary. The Retiro could take an hour or a day. El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen could take a day or be skipped, etc. So, depending on one's interests, a "basic" visit to Madrid itself could take just a couple of days or a bare minimum of 4 full days.

I hope the OP (that's you, drkathej -- the Original Poster, or OP) realizes that we are pointing to the wealth of options that await in this part of Spain. I'm sure that you'll get some great input as you learn more about your options and think through your priorities.

Enjoy your planning!
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 01:13 AM
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(sorry, drkathej -- I posted before realizing that you were not a newbie OP.)
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 04:58 AM
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Thanks so much for the input and the spirited dialogue. The responses definitely give me something to work with and are very helpful.
As I am just beginning to plan the trip, I like to get a general idea of itinerary, cities and places to see and then firm it up from there.
Some of the typical things we like to do when we travel are to see the main sights--museums, churches, etc, walk around to experience the uniqueness of each place, find interesting places to dine and to just be there. We get up in the morning, can walk all day if needed, can access trains and public transportation or even drive.
As I get an idea of the places we want to go, I will check out what each place has to offer and go from there. Of course, I do realize that two weeks doesn't allow an indepth exploration of many places but it will give us a nice overview and a sampling of Spain. We want to have a nice balance between seeing things and covering a limited area and I hope we will be able to do this with this type of itinerary. As I work with it, I look forward to some more spirited discussions.
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 05:17 AM
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Easy with the shouting guys, and since everything is IMO really no need to mention it (IMO ;-) )
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 07:17 AM
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We have visited Madrid five times ( no less than 5 days each time) and still keep finding
new " attractions" .
In our Oct . visit we saw two. excellent exhibits ...one at Sofia , another at Thyssen.
Also, made a day trip to delightful Chinchon and lovely
Aranjuez.
After staying near Sol twice in the past, we now spend time north and east of Retiro.
Covering all of Prado or Sofia in one visit would easily make one dizzy.
Like in many big cities , it is impossible to cover everything in a few days.

BTW , I am going to Madrid again in the fall !
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 08:45 AM
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Danon - yes, Madrid and Spain can be addictive ! It took me 20 yrs to escape, and my ex-husband is still there after 52 yrs !! We'll be going there, yet again, in March. Have to go to Galicia but may have a look at Chinchon which we've somehow not seen. Good to have somewhere "new".
The OP here asked if her trip was doable. Yes, it is. What gets me is that some people on this board ask if this same trip can be done in ONE WEEK !!!!! No, it can't. She also asked about flying from another airport, and that would be Malaga.
Enjoy Madrid in the fall, my favorite season. Are you returning to Valencia ? Seem to remember you've spent some time there.
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 10:56 AM
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we loved Valencia and probably will go back in the future.
In May ,we are off to Barcelona ( again) ....and San Sebastian.
I agree, Spain is addictive...the variety of cultures, languages, regional differences, the art, history
and , of course, the food and wine.
Our friends from Aranjuez took us to Chinchon by car( I think there is a bus from Madrid)

The elegant Café de la Iberia serves excellent roasted lamb.
The small winery and the Parador are also worth a visit.

Although not fluent, I speak Spanish rather well. It helps.
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Old Dec 1st, 2013, 11:36 AM
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Thanks for the Chinchon tips ! We always get a car from AutoEurope. When next in Valencia, be sure to visit Manises and its Ceramics Museum. Just wonderful. Also the National Ceramics Museum in the palace of the Marques de Dos Aguas right in Valencia. Yes, we are fluent in Spanish; husband teaches it. Right, it does help, but the Spanish people are very kind to those who have problems with it. I think perhaps this is why so many people like Spain !
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