madamepetunia

I am traveling from Madrid to Seville and can stop and stay for a night or two in Granada or Cordoba. With a 6 hour train ride from Madrid to Granada, I think it may be easier to stop in Cordoba. Or should I just take the AVE to Seville and make Cordoba a day trip?
When I traveled in Italy, my favorite stayovers were the smaller towns. I am hoping these smaller cities will give me the same experience.

Edward2005

Yes. Consider that Cordoba has fine Corinthian leather.

zwho

Take the AVE to Sevilla and do Cordoba as a daytrip. You don't say how much time you have, but Sevilla takes atleast 2 days and so does GranadaHave fun whatever you decide.

mamc

It would be easier to advise if you let us know how much time you have. If it comes down to a choice between Cordoba and Granada, I would definitely choose Granada. The Alhambra is one of the most stunning things I have seen in my life. Granada requires an over night but we did Cordoba on a day trip from Seville. Make sure you have at least 3 days for Seville - it is a wonderful city.

gailw

I agree: do Cordoba as a day trip. The Mezquita is awesome but I found Cordoba (or the Juderia anyway) to have become kind of a tourist trap when I was last there, vs. Granada which we returned to 3 or 4 times in the course of a week last year and which sustained our interest providing a variety of things to see and do that weren't just souvenir shops (although there is a marketplace that offers plenty of that).

Shar

Just returned from Granada and yes the Alhambra is a must see. One of the 1,000 places to see before you die.....It is a full day's experience if you do it at your leasure. Be sure and get tickets before hand. We booked on line and were glad we did as the crowds waiting for that day's tickets was huge and they only had 350 tickets for the morning. You are given a time frame to enter the palace but other than that you are at your own pace for exploring. We were in Granada 3 days but 2 would have been plenty.

6 hours seems like a long time for just a day trip so if you are traveling that long, spend 2 days. I would like to recommend a hotel we stayed at. It was right off the Plaza Nueva and quite and peaceful. It is built around a central courtyard. The breakfast was great and in the evening they have sherry tasting and tappas. The name of the hotel is "Casa de los Migueletes" [email protected]. We also ate at an incredible retaurant in the hills of Granada- "el huerto de Juan Ranas" www.juanranas.com Very lovely, romantic and overlooks the ALhambra. There is a roof "bar" when you first walk in which is very popular to have drinks and watch the sun go down and lights come up at the Alhambra. The restaurant is downstairs.

cruiseluv

Definitively do Cordoba as a day trip. The mezquita was very interesting but by 4PM I was out of there and taking the AVE back to Sevilla.

Micheline

Four hours in Cordoba was enough time for us. Love Seville and Granada.

kalikiana

I've heard that the Alhambra was somewhat of a let-down after seeing the Alcazar in Sevilla? Anyone else have feedback?

kenderina

I've seen both and for me there's no point : the Alhambra is unique, special. Seville's Alcazar is beautiful but there are some other places equally beautiful in Spain. The Alhambra is breathtaking ..and romantic )

laverendrye

As other posters have remarked, the Alhambra is incomparable and not to be missed. Cordoba is worth a day trip, but an overnight in Granada is a must.

Certainly the Alcazar and its gardens are well worth seeing, but they're not a substitute for the Alhambra. I can't imagine the Alhambra being a let down, but perhaps there were other circumstances which led the observer to that conclusion (heat, crowds, travel weariness etc.)

MaureenGP

We spent a month driving through Spain one summer, and I would definitely choose Granada and its Alhambra over Cordoba. The Alhambra is just magical, and to do it right, tour it during the day, and then go back to see it at night by moonlight. Be sure to walk the gardens during the day. If money is no object, book a room at the parador located on the grounds of the Alhambra. It's the priciest parador in Spain, but the location is incomparable. We stayed at a small hotel below the parador, also on the grounds of the Alhambra. It was quaint, with a patio restaurant inside, which did make it slightly noisy. But I didn't mind because of the great location. I can't remember the name of this hotel, but I don't think it would be hard to locate.

valtor

I agree also that Alhambra is unique. However, in Granada if you see Alhambra - this is all, while Cordoba iss a very beautiful city with a lot of sightseeings. I think that one day is not enough in Cordoba.

Maybe you can have 2 nights in both of them?

Spain is a beautiful country!

zbjoon

I think there are two Moors historical places in Andalusia that should not be missed: Alhambra and Mezquita. They are both from centuries ago and they are masterpieces and considering when they were built, it makes them even more interesting. No other Moors historical sites including Alcazar in Seville come close to the above two sites, IMHO.

Cordoba seems to be smaller than Granada and has a feel of a small town. If you like small towns, you might want to consider staying in Cordoba close to Mezquita.

You have plenty of transportation options to Granada, Cordoba and Seville. The fast train from Madrid to Seville stops in Cordoba. I do not think a 6 hour train ride from Madrid to Granada is a good option. You want to go to Granada from Seville or Cordoba. I did plenty of research and bus was a better option to Granada. The rail system is not so good to Granada.