We are a group of 5, travelling for about two weeks in mid-June. We plan to fly to Madrid and return from Barcelona. We would like to include time in Cordoba, Seville, Toledo and Granada and we will travel entirely by train.
I would welcome any thoughts on itineraries that include the above cities, hopefully with as few different hotel switches as possible.
For instance, would it make sense to do Toledo as a day trip from Madrid? Could you have a single base and see any of the other cities in the south as day trips?
Thanks for your input.

madrid and toledo very much in each other's pockets. Seville and Cordoba are just about commutable ish but you are stretching it a bit. Grenada on its own as is Barcelona.

Single base no. Train system is good and relatively cheap/on time.

Mid June the crowds will be ok. Worth checking for festivals though in each city for the best sequence. Also local Opera!

Unless someone in your group is desperately afraid of flying or driving, I would recommend that you consider 4 nights in Madrid (with a day trip by train to Toledo), driving to Granada (2 nights), dropping off the car in Sevilla (3 nights, with a day trip to Cordoba by train) and then flying to Barcelona for the remainder of the trip, with day trips to Girona and/or the coastal towns of the Costa Brava or the the Costa Daurada. If that's too much time in the South, you could extend your time in Madrid to include day trips to Segovia, etc.

Train tix for five are likely to be more expensive than air or car options.

I truly appreciate these suggestions. While I wouldn't mind driving, others in the group prefer the train.
Opera sounds quite appealing...where do you suggest we look for that?

If you really have to travel by train, be sure to research the journeys carefully before you finalise your plans. (Go to www.renfe.es to check journey times.) Spain is a mountainous country and sometimes a journey that looks quick and easy on the map is anything but.

Personally, I would opt for driving, though I would cut down the schedule somewhat because it is over-ambitious. I would skip Toledo as it is too time-consuming for what it gives you, and likewise I would leave out Seville. Córdoba is a lovely city, and Granada is just stunning. Allow extra time in Granada because you will want to spent some time visiting the mountains, towns and villages all around, and not just ticking the tourist boxes.

If you can arrange a one-way car hire, it would be best to leave your hire car wherever in southern Spain and fly up to Barcelona. It's a long way!