Madrid and Andalucia Itinerary and Travel Advice
 

Hi everyone!

I've seen lots of good advice on here so I thought I'd register and get some tailor-made advice.

So at the very beginning of September my girlfriend and I are going to travel around the south of Spain for around 2-3 weeks (actual time depends on how long we need in each place, we're flexible).

We're starting in Madrid for ease of travel (I'm already in Spain, she's coming from the UK). We want a couple of days in Madrid but nothing exhaustive since it isn't the focus. Any recommendations of must-sees?

Then we'll get the train down south. We'd like to visit Seville, Córdoba and Granada. I would happily welcome any advice, recommendations, itineraries... How long do we need in each place? What should we see?

As for travel around Andalucia we'll probably take buses. Is this the best way?

For accommodation I would love any decent but cheap recommendations - we're hoping to keep the budget as tight as possible!

Many, many thanks in advance for your help!!!

Book those train tickets for Seville far far in advance for nifty discounted tickets - www.renfe.com or easier to use www.thetrainline.eu - same fares about - book ASAP -4 months out I think. For lots on Spanish trains check www.seat61.com- sage info on discounted tickets; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

As for travel around Andalucia we'll probably take buses. Is this the best way?>

Often unless the train takes a direct route - and they are dependably cheap without needing to book in stone far in advance.

I recently spent five nights in Seville, two in Cordoba, three in Granada and three in Madrid. I would have happily spent more time in each of those locations and/or tried to see more of Andalucía had I more time. My itinerary wasn't radically different from other visitors to the area (some will suggest spending more or less time in each place). There are a number of threads on Andalucía if you do a search. You'll find some sample itineraries.

All of our opinions ideally should just be a starting place for your trip planning.

I would recommend approaching this issue a bit differently. Sit down with some guidebooks and identify what you want to see in each of the cities you're interested in visiting. Read up on other towns/cities in Andalucía as well. While many of us have limited our trips to Cordoba, Seville, and Granada, there are other places to visit in Andalucía as well. Map out how much time you'll need (paying attention to opening and closing times in particular), along with travel logistics. From there, decide how much time you'll need/want in each location. Were it me and I had three weeks at my disposal, I'd probably use all of it. But I only had two weeks, so that's what I worked with.

As far as what to see, why did you pick this area to visit in the first place? Are you interested in art, architecture, religion, food, etc.? The biggies are The Cathedral and Alcazar in Seville, the Mezquita in Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada. But beyond that, there are lots of smaller sights and museums, walking tours, food tours, churches, neighborhoods, etc. But without knowing your interests, it's hard to give much in the way of specific advice.

Similarly, without knowing our budget in dollars or euros, it's hard to know what will work in terms of hotels. Visit a site like Booking.com for lots of options at every pricepoint.

Anticipate using a combination of trains and buses. I took a train from Madrid to Seville and from Seville to Cordoba; a bus from Cordoba to Granada, and a bus/train combo (the train line is under construction) between Granada and Madrid. Some of these routes offer deep discounts if you buy well in advance. There are lots of threads about this issue as well. Just do some searching.

'As far as what to see, why did you pick this area to visit in the first place? '

I'm interested in the architecture personally, so the Alcazar in Seville, the Mezquita and the Alhambra are all places on our list of interest. We're mainly hoping to see the big sights I think. Usually we do a couple of interesting museums when visiting places too, and just lots of wandering around old neighbourhoods etc getting a feel for the place.

I'd again encourage sitting down with some guidebooks to see if other towns/cities in Andalucia interest you in addition to those you've already mentioned. But if you want to just stick with Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla and Granada, then I'd suggest the itinerary I followed plus or minus a day in each. We found that our itinerary allowed for a nice pace; not too fast, not too slow. It took me a bit to get into the groove in Granada and wish I'd had another night, but lots of others would find that a night or two too long. We're all different! :)

Be mindful that it will still be rather warm in September, and the heat may slow you down.

It's a lovely area; you can't go too wrong.

Be mindful that you'll want/need to book your tickets to the Alhambra well in advance.

Be sure to save enough time in Madrid to do a day trip to Toledo. One of our favorite places in the world.

ditto to Toledo being exceptional to me too.