NOTE: For Fodorites who followed my earlier posts in the UK and France areas, we have scrapped our plans to take our sons & their wives this spring. It proved utterly impossible to coordinate vacation days at their jobs. We'll try again in the fall. My wife and I decided to go to Spain instead.]

We have tentatively planned the following and are hoping to get the air tickets in the next day or two:

Apr 29 - PHL to MAD
Apr 30-May 3 - Madrid
May 3 - morning train to Sevilla
May 3-4 - Sevilla
May 5 - morning train to Granada
May 5-6 - Granada
May 7 - morning train to Cordoba
May 7 - morning of May 8 - Cordoba
May 8 - afternoon train to Madrid
May 9 - Madrid
May 10 - MAD-PHL

I know this is a little rushed with 2-3 hours on the train on each travel day (but we spent a week in Madrid in 2006 and have been to Segovia, Toledo and El Escorial)...

...but my main question is:

Other than May Day (which can't be avoided), are there any other snags of which I should be aware on those days?

Thanks.
SS

Hi,
Check this link with the holidays in Madrid

http://www.calendariolaboral.net/com...de_madrid/2012

Basically, there are National Holidays, and then each city has its own. you need to check every ¨communidad¨ to be sure, but for the moment I cant think of any other than you said

Schools on spring break skads of kids probably
eurocheapo.com seat61.com/spain stay on the AVE trains
stay flexible odds are great you will be fine.

Qwo...

The Alvia and Altaria trains seem to be just as fast, but cheaper. Why do you recommend the AVE?

SS

Perhaps go to Córdoba before Granada? The Cruces de Mayo celebration will be at its peak this week-end (May 4-6). Even though it's also very much celebrated in Granada, Córdoba would be something special. A great chance to experience local culture, food, wine etc. Book your hotel as soon as possible if you go to Córdoba or Granada these days:
http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/spani...es-de-mayo.htm

AVE is super fast, bo other trains are as good as AVE in terms of the quality of the trip.
Alvia is cheaper but you really need to book earlier and the hours are less convienient

Thanks, Agucez...

I saw that there weren't as many choices with the non-AVE trains. We've found some good times, though -- and we will, as you suggested, book as soon as we can.

We just bought are air tickets about an hour ago.

The train between Sevilla and Granada is a local train, I guess - - it's really a long ride.

SS

kimhe...

We're doing it as a loop, so we certainly will consider reversing the loop so that we're in Cordoba the weekend of May 5-6.

One website I looked at said that Cordoba has the Festival de los Patios (where homeowners open their courtyards to the public) the second week in May. That sounds good, too, so it's a tough decision. Thanks for the input.

SS

We just bought OUR air tickets about an hour ago.

[horrible error in my post!!]...sorry.

SS

If I counted correctly you have 9 nights. You currently have 4 nights in Madrid nearly half the trip. If you've already visited Madrid I'd consider taking a day or 2 from Madrid and add to Sevilla and another day and add to Cordoba (eliminating the 1-nighter).

I actually had an idea that would allow you to experience both the May crosses festival (which is also big in Granada) and the Cordoba Patio festival. Don't know if it would interest you but thought I'd throw it out there:

*April 30-May 2 - arrive in Madrid and head immediately for Sevilla (3 nights) taking AVE train

bus or train Sevilla to Granada - 3 hours

*May 3-4 Granada (2 nights) ; May crosses festival; *May 5-6 Cordoba (2 nights); Patio festival;

bus or train Granada to Cordoba (2.5-3 hours)

*May 7-8 Madrid

*May 9 - return home

Other options would be to head directly to Sevilla for 5 nights and visit Cordoba as a daytrip, then 2 nights in Granada and end with 2 nights in Madrid. Logistically this flows better but you'd miss both festivals....and I love my festivals

CathyM...

Thanks for the thoughts. We have, indeed, been discussing leaving Madrid for Sevilla a day early. Probably not more than one, because:

(a) The first day is always somwhat jet-lagged -- we'de like at least another day to do some leisurely sightseeing in Madrid before we head out...plus...
(b) I don't want to be heading back to Madrid by train on the day before we fly home -- somewhat paranoid about needing a day's grace. [We've been in Italy during a railroad strike, so, ever since, then we give ourselves a full day at the city from which we fly home.]

I guess we need to decide whether to shift the day to Cordoba (where we only really have one) or to one of the other cities.

We'll love the Patio festival and do not want to miss that. The Crosses festival is under discussion.

SS

I'd really encourage 3 nights in Sevilla - it's such a wonderful city with so much to see and do and the beginning of May is a beautiful time to visit. You could easily stay a week with all the daytrip opportunities! I'd also highly suggest 2 nights in Cordoba during the Patio festival.

If you need to stay in Madrid your first night to recover from jet lag then why not:

April 30 - Madrid; 1 night
April 1-2 - Granada 2 nights; you miss the May crosses festival on May 3 but will see them being build a couple of days prior
May 3-5 - Sevilla 3 nights
May 6-7 - Cordoba 2 nights; Patio festival
May 8 - return to Madrid; 1 night
May 9 - fly home

This puts the 2 nights in Madrid at the beginning and end. You miss the May crosses Granada but will see them being prepared (which is actually quite interesting).

Hi...

We decided to add a day in Sevilla (replacing the third day in Madrid -- and (assuming Fodorites don't give this a horrible review as a tourist rip-off) take a day tour (Visitours.com) to Jerez/Horses/Cadiz.

"An unforgettable day full of happiness in which we’ll enjoy the majesty of the thoroughbred Andalucian horses, the welcome of Jerez's finest bodegas and the tranquility of a boat trip round the bay of Cadiz, absorbing a wonderful panoramic view of the city"

We'll leave the rest of the schedule as is.

SS

I think you made the right decision. With only 2.5 days for Sevilla I don't know if I'd even try to do a daytrip. You could easily visit Jerez and Cadiz on your own if you didn't want to take a tour. It's very easy from Sevilla. It's great you'll get to see the Patio festival - it is beautiful and if you take the routes outside of the Juderia you'll get to see alot of local neighborhoods off the tourist path. You can pick up a guide to the patio festival routes once you arrive at the tourist office (or your hotel may also have one when you check in).

although we weren't expecting to do so, when we visited Seville about 15 months ago, we were able to see some of the religious processions that take place in September. we caught three of them and were fascinated - the biggest at the cathedral was even being filmed for TV!

so I second what cathy says - I shouldn't commit myself to doing a day trip from Seville as you may not want to. there is a lot to see there - not only the Cathedral but the alcazar, the various barios, the casa di pilates, etc. etc. and the wonderful food!

BTW - did you realise that these processions are accompanied by brass bands? I didn't. it was just like being at home in Cornwall!

also