I am traveling alone to Madrid the first <BR>week in November, my first trip abroad. I had planned to stay there the entire 8 days, to sort of maintain a comfort level as a virgin traveler. However, after checking out this site I am not sure that is such a good idea. Not really in to partying,especially alone, and while I love "city life" it seems as if I may be missing out by not traveling around. Anyone with thoughts on this?

Ken, Madrid is just another big noisy <BR>city that you can exhaust in 2 days. <BR>Do a day trip to Toledo for sure and also another to Segovia but then catch <BR>the train to Seville and see a real <BR>SPANISH city---I would allow 3 days.

Dear Ken: I couldn't agree more with Bob. Take his advice--all the way. Check out the New York Times on the web. Last Sunday's travel section had an entire page on Seville called "What's Doing in Seville." Fabulous city.

Ken, <BR> I don't think it's a bad idea at all as a virgin traveler to choose one destination and stay there for up to a week to reach a comfort level and get a real feel for a city, but I do agree that Seville is a "must see" as well. (I love Madrid, but then again I have summered there for years, have family there and consider it my second home). What about splitting the 4 days between the two cities? Using Madrid as a base, you can making easy day trips by train/bus to El Escorial/Valley of the Fallen, Segovia, <BR>Avila or Toledo without the hassle of packing/unpacking and changing lodgings every night. You will quickly learn how to negotiate the metro, get acquainted with a neighborhood and even feel a bit like a native for four days. Then take the high speed AVE down to Seville (a pleasant, short 2 1/2 hr ride), choose a central location around the Cathedral or in the Barrio de Santa Cruz (or even the Macarena dstrict) and spend the second half of your trip savoring this wonderful city. From Seville you could also make a day excursion up to Cordoba on the AVE (or stop there on your way down to Seville, to the ruins of Italica or to Jerez or Sanlucar de Barrameda. <BR>Just a thought.

Ken, <BR>You'll be surprised how fast those 8 days go. Staying in one place for a first time trip is an excellant idea and there is plenty to see/do in Madrid. When we were there we took a trip down to Toledo and also one to El Escorial and The Valley of the Fallen. Both trips were well worth while and interesting. If you are into museums The Prado is great too. Sometimes first time travelers tend to overdo it but the pace you set should be right for you, personally I like staying put in one place for a few days/week but that's a personal preference based on many years of travel. It's a lovely city tho, you will enjoy it.

Oops!-meant split the 8 days-maybe 3-4 in Madrid,perhaps even a night in Cordoba, and the rest in Sevilla.

Although, I liked Madrid, I don't think that I would want to spend the entire 8 days there. I'm with the people who have suggested splitting your time between Madrid and Seville and perhaps doing some day trips from each city if you feel like you want to see more. I would probably split 4/4-two days to see Madrid, a day trip to Toledo, a day trip to Segovia and the remainder in Seville with a day trip to Cordoba. <BR> <BR>The high speed AVE trains takes 2 1/2 hours between Seville and Madrid and I believe about 30 minutes between Seville and Cordoba. The trains are easy to use, on time and very fast. <BR> <BR>

Ken: Just another thought or two about filling up your days, and in particular your nights in Madrid- <BR> If you are an arts buff, as Lori has mentioned the Prado is one of the great art museums in Europe, if not the world. If you like 17th century Spanish Baroque, they have just reopened their Velazquez rooms, and they are magnificent, as are the several rooms devoted to El Greco, Zurbaran and Goya. Also the Thyssen-Bornemiza Museum houses one of the largest and most valuable private collections around (now belonging to the Spanish government). The third in the "Golden Triangle Art Mile" is the Reina Sofia where the collections of Picasso/Dali/Miro/Juan Gris are found. Go straight to the second floor to see Picasso's "Guernica", his protest of the Nazi Condor legion's bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. (But if you are an art aficionado, you surely already have these on your list, making this info redundant!) <BR> If you are a lover of history, certainly a day trip (trains takes under an hr.) to Phillip II's Royal Palace/Monastery/Pantheon of El Escorial is certainly worth your time, and the scenery around the small town itself is quite pleasant. <BR> If you enjoy the performing arts, by November the opera, ballet and symphony seasons will be in full swing, and if you can snag a ticket to a performance at the recently reopened Teatro Real (now considered one of the finest opera houses in Europe), I suspect that you will be impressed both by the acoustics and with the hall itself, or you could also try a "zarzuela", the unique, colorful Spanish light opera that is performed at several venues, or perhaps go to a flamenco show at one of the many "tablaos" in Old Madrid. At any newspaper stand you can buy a copy of the "Guia del Ocio" which will give you specifics about all the cultural happenings. <BR> At night it's easy to get caught up in the "tapa bar hopping" scene, as people pour into the streets around the Plaza de Santa Ana and the Plaza Mayor starting at around 9 p.m. and because Spaniards are very outgoing, talkative, friendly people, it's easy to meet people, fall into or get pulled into a conversation and pass away the hours <BR>sipping wine and chatting with the locals. And the jazz club scene around Plaza Santa Ana is lively till the wee hours of the morning! By the way, the same holds true for Seville where the area around the Cathedral and the Barrio de Santa Cruz will be hopping at night with tourists and locals doing the tapas stroll. You should never feel alone! In Seville also check out flamenco shows and what's happening at their own performing arts hall, the Teatro de la Maestranza. The recent NY Times article on Seville is a "must read" if you go, as it gives you all the lowdown on "what's doing" this season. <BR> Hope you have 8 fun-filled days!

Ken, <BR> <BR>If you're a city person, split your days evenly between Madrid and Barcelona. I love cities myself, and these are both wonderful -- and so different that, afterwards, you'll think you've been two different countries. Seville and Granada and Cordoba are all lovely, full of history and art and culture -- and I love them dearly -- but they're not "cities" in the full sense of the term, more like large towns. I think Madrid and Barcelona will do it for you. <BR>Cheers, <BR>Bobby

Wow..Thank you all so much for the <BR>responses. I have now included Seville <BR>for a 4/4 split and am looking for <BR>a quiet hotel there. Thanks again for the help. <BR>Ken

Glad to see you change from 8 days in Madrid. I spent three days there one year and two of them were going on day trips to Toledo and Segovia (both highly recommended. If you can get a day trip out of seville for COrdoba and Granada, I would try to do that also