Itinerary Review Please: Madrid, Costa del Sol, Lisbon
 

Hi! Planning a 3-week trip from NYC to Spain and Portugal from August 22 - September 12, 2017. We plan to fly in/out of Barcelona (more affordable). We will be taking the train and flying between cities. We have previously been to Barcelona twice, so we don't plan to spend more than 2 nights there. We enjoy historic sites, beaches, fun towns with shops and cafes, people watching.

We would appreciate any suggestions or advice on our itinerary:

Day 0 (8/22): Newark to Barcelona @ 11:00PM
Day 1 (8/23): Arrive in Barcelona at 12:45pm, Train to Madrid 2.5 hrs. every hour $85 (sleep in Madrid)
Day 2 (8/24): Madrid (5) – (sleep in Madrid)
Day 3 (8/25): Madrid, or day trip to Toledo (sleep in Madrid)
Day 4 (8/26): Madrid, or day trip to El Escorial, (sleep in Madrid)
Day 5 (8/27): Madrid, or day trip to, Segovia or Ávila (sleep in Madrid)
Day 6 (8/28): Travel, train from Madrid to Seville, 2.5hr. $55, (sleep in Seville)
Day 7 (8/29): Seville (4), (sleep in Seville)
Day 8 (8/30): Seville, (sleep in Seville) day trip to Cordoba (sleep in Seville)
Day 9 (8/31): Seville, day trip to Cadiz or Ronda (sleep in Seville)
Day 10 (9/1): Travel, train from Seville to Malaga, 2.5 hr. $55 (sleep in Malaga)
Day 11 (9/2): Malaga (4), day trip to Granada (sleep in Malaga)
Day 12 (9/3): Malaga, day trip to Gibraltar (sleep in Malaga)
Day 13 (9/4): Malaga, beach day in Nerja (sleep in Malaga)
Day 14 (9/5): Travel day fly to Lisbon (5), TAP Air, 1.5 hr. $60-$140 (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 15 (9/6): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 16 (9/7): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 17 (9/8): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 18 (9/9): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 19 (9/10): Travel to Barcelona (2), Veuling Air@ 9am, 2hrs, $100 (sleep in Barcelona)
Day 20 (9/11): Barcelona (sleep in Barcelona)
Day 21 (9/12): Travel day to Newark leave Barcelona at 6:30pm

Thank you in advance for any advice or suggestions!

What a bother to go to BCN. Scratch Gibraltar. Too long a wait to go both in AND out.

Update: We have decided not to stay in Seville (we will visit as a day trip from Malaga). So we will travel from Madrid to Malaga, stay in Malaga 6 nights and then stay in Lisbon for 7.

About trains -seems you got a fix on discounted tickets but if not check www.renfe.com (Spanish Railways site) -book ASAP - for lots of great info on Iberian trains www.seat61.com -sage advice on discounted tickets and alternative site to www.renfe.com as it is often for novices hard to get to work; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

To me Seville was the best place I went in Andalusia and I went everywhere you will -I would strongly suggest staying as originally planned in Seville and doing day trips to Cordoba and Jerez de la Frontera if tire of this awesome city.

take bus Seville to Ronda thru the iconic white villages to Ronda and go on to Malaga from there?

Malaga and area will be very very busy at that time.

I for one rather liked the novelty of Gibraltar and not sure why it gets so dissed here (always it seems).

I am so unsettled about where to stay in Andalusia - Malanga or Seville. I was thinking Malanga due to being close to the coastline and easy access for day trips to Granada, Gibralter, Cordoba and Seville, Cadiz, Ronda... But if Seville has more to offer maybe we should keep that in our itinerary. I am also hoping to minimize the moving around...
Thoughts?

I am also hoping to minimize the moving around...>

If I had to chose Seville or Malaga as a base I'd take Seville and maybe not even do a day trip to Malaga-nice city but so are so many others closer. And a beach is a beach is Cadiz as well as Malaga.

Ideally keep both and save on travel time -about 3 hrs each way Seville-Malaga I think.

But anyway Seville for a half day would be a shame IMO.

OK. I think I am close to finalizing things! Would love to hear more opinions. I have decided to cut out Malaga entirely.

Day 0 (8/22): Newark to Barcelona @ 11:00PM
Day 1 (8/23): Arrive in Barcelona at 12:45pm, Train to Madrid 2.5 hrs. every hour $85 (sleep in Madrid)
Day 2 (8/24): Madrid (5) – (sleep in Madrid)
Day 3 (8/25): Madrid, or day trip to Toledo (sleep in Madrid)
Day 4 (8/26): Madrid, or day trip to El Escorial, (sleep in Madrid)
Day 5 (8/27): Madrid, or day trip to, Segovia or Ávila (sleep in Madrid)
Day 6 (8/28): Travel, train from Madrid to Seville, 2.5hr. every ½ hour, $55-$100, (sleep in Seville)
Day 7 (8/29): Seville (6), (sleep in Seville)
Day 8 (8/30): Seville, (sleep in Seville)
Day 9 (8/31): Seville, (sleep in Seville), day trip to Cadiz or Jerez passing through Arcos de la Fronterra
Day 10 (9/1): Seville, day trip to Granada (sleep in Seville)
Day 11 (9/2): Seville, day trip to Cordoba (sleep in Seville)
Day 12 (9/3): Travel day fly from Seville to Lisbon (7), TAP Air, 1.5 hr. $60-$140 (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 13 (9/4): Lisbon (7) (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 14 (9/5): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 15 (9/6): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon), day trip to Sintra
Day 16 (9/7): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon), day trip to Cascais
Day 17 (9/8): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 18 (9/9): Lisbon (sleep in Lisbon)
Day 19 (9/10): Travel to Barcelona (2), Veuling Air@ 9am, 2hrs, $100 (sleep in Barcelona)
Day 20 (9/11): Barcelona (sleep in Barcelona)
Day 21 (9/12): Travel day to Newark leave Barcelona at 6:30pm

I will be going to Madrid and Andalucia in September. From what I remember of my research, I think it's a long train ride from Seville to Granada. You also have to change in Antequerra to take the bus from Antequerra to Granada. I don't think it is feasible or practical to do a day trip from Seville to Granada.

Would you consider deleting a night from either Madrid, Seville, or Lisbon and adding it to to Granada so that you can at least stay overnight for one night in Granada? Or better yet, stay in Granada for 2 nights.

Many people visit Toledo as a day trip. I thought it easily worth 2 full days.

Likewise, many people visit Cordoba as a day trip. I thought it easily worth 2 full days.

I’m very glad I had 4 nights just for Sevilla itself.

Granada does not lend itself to a day trip from Sevilla, and if you want to see the Alhambra, you probably need at least 2 nights in Granada. I’m glad I had 3 nights there.

For my tastes, Ronda is too far from Sevilla to be a reasonable day trip. YMMV.

Once you count your train travel (and the cost in time) are you certain that flying into / out of Barcelona is more affordable than flying into Madrid and out of Lisbon?

As you plan, note that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

Hope that helps!

Since you are already going to be at the airport, consider flying to Lisbon first, from Barcelona. Then fly to Madrid. Next, on your way to Seville, stop n Cordoba, but sleep in Seville that night. Then put Granada last on your trip, so you can spend 2 nights there. Then fly to Barcelona from Granada.

For your daytrips, because it can be so hot in the middle of the day, consider arranging things sometimes so that you are traveling on an air conditioned train or bus between noon and 3pm, and doing your sightseeing after that. Returning to Madrid or Sevilla, dinner is served at 10pm, so you don't need to worry about missing it.

As Karen and Kja say, Granada is not a day-trip from Seville. Do take a day or two from elsewhere to visit this nice city and the fabulous Alhambra. Also, try to change your air tickets to go into Madrid and out of Lisbon. Going in and out of BCN is a waste of time and MONEY !

Going in and out of Barcelona, we have Premium tickets on Norwegian Air for $1300 round trip. Non-stop economy class to/from Madrid and/or Lisbon was more and business class was about 4 times that. So this is a huge savings and more comfortable than economy. Are we crazy?

Good tip about Sunday and Monday hours, kja!

What do you all think about staying only in Seville (while in Andalucia), foregoing Malaga and Granada? We can visit Cadiz to see the coastline.

What do you all think about staying only in Seville (while in Andalucia), foregoing Malaga and Granada? We can visit Cadiz to see the coastline.>

Yup but you may still want to day trip to Granada just to see the awesome Alhambra.

You can skip Malaga but not Granada. It is a MUST.

It really depends what you want out of your trip. The Alhambra is one of the most important and beautiful sights in Europe. But in August, it could be an absolutely miserable day trip from Sevilla or Malaga. If not changing hotels really means a lot to you and anybody you are traveling with, then that's the way it is. You can decide when you get to Spain whether or not you want to make the effort to see the Alhambra/Granada for a day trip.

Or you can plan to give Granada 2 or 3 nights.

It is RELLY hot in all the places you are planing to visit...

Some beach time might be a nice break.

El Escorial is basically just a huge monastery...I would rather spend a day in
Madrid any time.

To be a dissenting voice on the flight in & out of BCN -- it would certainly be better to have an open jaw, but you got a good savings on premium tickets no less. So I think you are fine. I do agree to spend more time in Granada, at least 2 nights.