Hi everyone,

i wanted to get some advice on how to lay out my 6 night, 7 day trip to Andalucia. we were thinking the following, but not sure if it's the right order or if we should do it some other way -- all advice is greatly appreciated!

June 10: arrive Madrid at 10am, spend day in Madrid

June 11: Madrid sightseeing

June 12: leave morning for Granada by train

June 13: Granada touring

June 14: leave for Sevilla -- should we drive or just take train/bus?

June 15: Sevilla

June 16: morning - Sevilla, leave in evening for Madrid

June 17: morning flight back to US from Madrid

Question:

1. is this the right order to maximize our time? Or should we go Madrid - Sevilla - Granada - Madrid?

2. should we take the train from Madrid to Granada and from Granada to Sevilla? or drive in between?

3. Would you spend less time in Granada and more in Sevilla or is the timing fine?

All help would be greatly appreciated!

I would leave Madrid immediately to maximize time. You can nap on the train and arrive (in Sevilla or Granada) refreshed for a leisurely lunch. That way you aren't breaking up the time in Madrid.
With that length of trip and no stops in between, I would take a train or bus in between Sevilla and Granada (not sure which option is best but Spanish buses I have taken were just as comfortable as the train).
I think you have the timing as best as it can be. Make sure you can get tickets for Alhambra.
Compare the train times for Mad-Sev and Mad-Gran and vice versa on the renfe website to make the most of your time.

I think you should book a hotel on the hill that contains the Alhambra, see it in the morning, and depart immediately for Seville, preferably by bus. I'd spend the day you've saved by not touring Granada in Madrid. My wife and I are interested in art, and we spent an enormous amount of time at the Prado and at a very good museum near it, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. There are other attractions in Madrid, and you can find them by searching this forum. Finally, I'd like to recommend the Casa de la Juderia in Seville. Our room was very comfortable, and the breakfasts were to die for.

Hi; Information on all three cities you are considering. Richard www.maribelsguides.com

With just a week, you have to decide if this trip is about Andalusia or just a bit of each.

If it's about Andalusia, minimize the time in Madrid and save it for another time, as Madrid is much easier to reach than Andalusia.

You could also stop in Cordoba for a few hours between Madrid-Sevilla or Granada-Sevilla.

Thanks so much for the replies! super helpful. I just re-arranged it to go directly to Granada and then spend the last 1.5 days in Madrid. I've been to Madrid before but my husband has not and wants to go to museums.

I did check out Maribel's guide and have downloaded the city overviews which are very helpful.

sjj -- thanks so much for the hotel recommendation. it was already on my list and i'm happy to get another vote for it!

Any recommendations for Madrid or Granada?

Don't know how much you want to spend. I liked Hostal Macarena near plaza Mayor in Madrid and a block from cava Baja which is a great street for tapas and restaurants. In Granada Hotel Puerta de las Granadas was great, at the bottom of the hill, much better for access to the city, restaurants etc. My next trip there I'll stay at Carmen de la Alcubila closer to the Alhambra because I've always wanted to but it's not real close to downtown.