I've just returned from Spain so if you have any questions, I'll try to give you a hand. The cities we visited were Madrid, Seville, Toledo, Ronda, Granada, Cordoba, and Tangier, Morocco and Gibraltar. <BR>

Hi Kris, <BR>My husband and I leave for Spain in early October, can't wait! Would you please comment on any hotels and restaurants you enjoyed. We'll be visiting all of the same cities. Any tips on parking, we're renting a car for the entire time. Getting into the Alhambra, how was the wait? And lastly, ATMs are they readily available and do they work on the Plus network? Thanks so much!!

Hi Kelly. I think you'll find October quite pleasant for weather and not too crowded. We took a tour to Granada because someone told us that you couldn't get into the Alhambra without buying tickets at least a day in advance. You may find it to be different in October. I would check at your hotel or the tourist information in Granada when you arrive. I didn't see any lines at the Alhambra at the ticket booths but you could see people walking around without a tour guide. You should try to see it on your own or stay after the tour as the tours rush you through. <BR> <BR>If you're planning on going to Morocco, I would like to caution you that most people do it on a tour because of safety issues and I thought that it really wasn't worth the trouble as it was dirty and people were trying to hustle you all the way through. Your time would be better spent going to Ronda or Gibraltar (although some people don't care for Gibraltar). <BR> <BR>Madrid is really easy to get around without a car, using the Metro. You can take the public bus from the airport and then a taxi or the Metro to get to your hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Regina near Puerto del Sol (about $75 per night) and it was really convenient for public transportation and close to a lot of restaurants. If that's your first stop you may want to consider renting a car when you leave. The Palace and the Prado are both worth a visit. <BR> <BR>ATM's are readily available in all cities except we couldn't find one in Gibraltar although I think they did take Plus cards. There are banks everywhere and most of them had the Plus symbol. <BR> <BR>If you go to Gibraltar, you can park in La Linea and walk across the airport runway. The line to drive in was very long. You can use pesatas there so you don't need to change any money. You can't exchange it back to pesatas if you go back to Spain-a little tension between the two countries. <BR> <BR>We took trains between the cities so we only had a car while we were in the Costa del Sol area. Parking was available on the streets in Ronda. It was a really cool drive from the coast up to Ronda. If you go there, walk down into the gorge on the path near the bridge for a really cool view of it. <BR> <BR>Any other questions, let me know.

I will be going to the same cities and, like you, will only have a car in Southern Spain. My question concerns the trains. Did you ever go on a night train? If so, would you recommend paying for a couchette or a bed? Did you ride on the "Tren-Hotel"? I have found it difficult to get reliable information about the sleeping conditions on Spanish trains and what is worth paying extra money for.

Sorry-we didn't take any night trains. The only trains we took were from Madrid to Seville (2 1/2 hours by AVE train), from Seville to Cordoba and from Cordoba to Malaga. All of these were short trips. The only advice I have is to be careful with your valuables and to take the AVE trains instead of the slower trains. It's definitely worth the extra money. <BR>

My husband and I will be going to Spain ( Madrid, then south to Seville, Ronda, Grenada, Cordoba) in late March ( Easter break). Any tips? I have made hotel reservations and we have about ten full days in Spain. My main questin is : is a car worth it for a day or two...Seville to Ronda to Cordoba? Other info. appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Michele. Lucky you-I loved Spain and am dying to go back. We rented a car for a couple of days while we were in the Costa del Sol and it was definitely worth it from that area especially for the trip to Ronda. You might want to consider taking the train from Madrid to Seville (about 2 1/2 hours by AVE train) and then from Seville to Cordoba (about 1/2 hour by AVE train) and then renting a car to do Ronda and Granada. We only took a day trip to Granada and we missed seeing the cathedral and felt rushed through the Alhambra. <BR> <BR>My best tips: eat lots of Paella if you like rice dishes-I can't find anything close here in Chicago (and calamari-yum!). If you like Llladro porcelain, it is much cheaper in Spain especially after you get the VAT back. And read some Hemingway before you go-"For Whom the Bell Tolls" if you go to Ronda or "The Sun Also Rises". <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip. If you have any more questions, write me here-my email is out of commission for a few days.

Kris, <BR>Many thanks...we have a schedule based around two nights at the Alhambra, so we will be doing a little back tracking ( I think, I am geographicaly challenged.) <BR>WE fly to Madrid, stay two nights, train to Seville, stay four nights (HOly Week), drive to Ronda, stay a night, drive to Cordoba, stay a night ( How long is the drive, do you know ?)then Granada for three days,(get rid of the car!) then back to Madrid (fly or train?) then home. Now you know it all..any suggestions. I have been to Seville and Madrid BRIEFLY several years ago. Looking forward to a longer return. <BR>

Hi Michelle. You might want to pick up a good driving map for Spain before you go and figure out your route to make sure its doable. Most of cities you are visiting are in moutainous areas and travel times will be more than you think. The road leading to Ronda from Malaga was twisted all the way there so I assume its the same from the other side. <BR> <BR>As for whether to fly or train back to Madrid from Granada, you might look into flying out of Malaga. I think a lot of major airlines have flights that leave from there and connect to flights in Madrid. However, it might be quicker to take the train if you get on one of the AVE trains but I'm not sure how long it takes since we didn't go by train to/from Granada.

Hi, <BR>I spent a semester in Spain and would like to echo Kris about Morrocco. It really isn't worth the time or money to go there UNLESS you take an organized tour that flies you into Fez or Marrakech. <BR>Granada is worth two or three days: the Alhambra and Generalife gardens are a whole day, another few hours for the Cathdral and if you're a fan of Federico Garcia Lorca, his house is a great stop. <BR>I'm a light sleeper and found the couchettes on night trains sufficiently clean and comfortable - after all, travelling is weary business and you can sleep under any circumstances. <BR>I envy all of you! I would love to go back to Spain.