We have 12 days in Spain and will be starting out in Barcelona and ending in Madrid because my friend's daughter will be staying there to study. Should we try to see Bilbao and go down to Seville, Cordoba, Salamanca. I really want to see Seville but don't know what else we should see in this first trip to Spain. Any help would be so appreciated. Thanks.

My advice is to see Seville.

We were in Spain for the first part of June and Barcelona and Seville were our favorites.

Don't try to do too much on any day in Seville because of the heat. Walking in the sun at 40 degrees Celius is an effort.

Spain is really 4 trips to see it all, but the best is Andalusia--I would concentrate there to include Seville, Granada, and Ronda for starters.

Hi,
I'll be going on an 11-day guided tour titled "highlights of Spain" in the fall. I've never been on a guided tour before, but I won this one.

Here is the itinerary:
Madrid
Barcelona
Valencia
Granada
Seville
Madrid

Most time will be spent in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville.
Stops will be made in Peniscola and Cordoba.

I thought you might be interested in what the "professionals" think are the highlights.

I plan to stay an extra week after the tour and will probably post an itinerary question about that later!

lindi

I spent a month in Spain during the Barcelona Olympic summer or 1992, and toured the country on my own via the rails while studying Spanish at the Complutense Univ. of Madrid. I believe that the school itself came up with this itinerary, to expose us college kids and teachers to a variety of Spanish cultural and historical sites/experiences:

Madrid (don't miss The Prado), El Escorial (can't remember if that's the name of King Phillip's palace or the city), Toledo, Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Barcelona, Segovia and down south to the beaches and trip to the Rock of Gibraltar

We also saw the running of the bulls which in my opinion was a drunken, dangerous waste. I recall it being a disappointment, harassed (19 year old blondes in a group of 4) by drunken weirdos in red scarves and makeup on the train, and having to sleep on the ground outside once there...kind of like Mardi Gras on speed. I wish I had joined my Basque friends and gone to Bilbao instead. The new museum there is supposed to be fantastic!

When comparing a tour's itinerary to that of your own you must keep in mind that some stops (and the hype associated with some locations) are designed to place some interest in a rest stop between two very distant locations of interest.

Leaving a location at 7AM and arriving at another at 6PM probably wouldn't go over very well. A totally wasted day on the bus.

What they do is find some intermeiate location(s) and hype it as being of significance, stop for an hour or so (or maybe just drive through it).

That way when you arrive in the evening you feel you saw something and didn't waste the whole day on a bus.

Just my humble opinion.

FYI--My prior suggested itinerary was not a tour, it was on-my-own-travel (well with a few friends) on the Eurail system. BTW--We stayed at hostels only, so unfortunately, I don't have any plush hotel recommendations. Have a great trip and Segovia was one of my favorite see-it-in-an afternoon stops. All the other places should be 1-3 days a piece in my opinion.

Definitely don't miss Granada and Seville. Granada, ringed by mountains with the spectacular Alhambra peeking down on it, is a visual knockout, and a festive Andalusian city to boot.
Seville is quintessential Spain - lively, beautiful, festive, flavorful and full of people who have that "art of living" thing down to a science.

No one so far has mentioned Salamanca where we enjoyed time some summers ago. Purpose was to study Teresa of Avila & John of the Cross, thus included side trips to Segovia and Avila which are worth the time.

But Salamanca itself has a lot to be said for it...largest plaza major in Spain, oldest university with Unamuno a famous philosopher, old cathedral next to new and with great archive, old Roman bridge, etc. Oh to relax on a summer evening at a table in the plaza listening to the "tunas" singing (costumed musicians).

Of course, Madrid and the Prado, and as for Granada, Seville, maybe someday I'll be there myself someday.
Bill in the Ozarks