Madrid to Sevilla to Granada - Car vs. Train
 

Hi all,

My husband has a conference in Madrid in early June. We’re planning to spend a few days there afterward then have 5 more days to spend in Spain. I have my heart set on Sevilla and Granada. I’ve read all the posts about southern Spain in the summer and I understand it will be very hot but we’re from Atlanta, Georgia and hopefully will be somewhat prepared for it and be able to make realistic touring plans.

Anyway, here’s my question:

We usually prefer to drive when traveling in Europe vs. taking the train where possible. I know better than to try to drive in the cities, so is it possible/practical to rent a car at the Madrid airport, drive to Sevilla and stay in a hotel in the outlying area where we could leave the car and take a local bus or cab into the city? Then head toward Granada and do the same there? Anybody know of any hotels or small towns that might fit the bill?

OTOH, according to the Renfe website, taking the train from Madrid to Sevilla, then to Granada, then back to Madrid looks pretty straightforward. Would we need to book tickets in advance on the internet or would we ok buying them at the station?

Semi-unrelated question: While hubby is working in Madrid I would like to take day trips to Toledo and El Escorial. Will I be ok by myself as long as I take the usual traveling precautions? I speak enough Spanish to get by and have toured on my own in Europe before.

Thanks so much for your input!

AVE is a fast, very comfortable way to travel. Madrid to Sevilla will take you nearly seven hours by car, and nearly a third by AVE. I would stick with AVE because it will save you much time that you can then use to see stuff. Parking is a pain the rear, too. Of course, you won't be able to visit small towns if you don't have a car.

Buy tickets before hand if at all possible.

Download Maribel's guides for hotel recommendations (and things to see). We stayed in a new hotel in Seville that she doesn't cover (Hotel Alminar) which was good too, but her advice is well regarded for a reason.

I personally don't see any problems in Toledo or El Escorial unless you tend to drink too much and swagger afterwards :) Just kidding. Seemed like safe enough places with lots of tourists conversing in every possible language one can imagine.

second the above. the AVE is great and go second class which is better than anything in the US. it is very punctual and frequent service between Madrid and Sevilla. That way you can stay in the center of Sevilla which is great fun and you could stop halfway on the train route and visit Cordoba which is fantastic too, especially the mosque that has a church carved out of the middle -- unlike anything in the world.

Pick up the car in Sevilla or at their airport and drive to Granada, stopping at Gibralter (park in Spain and walk over) which is very interesting and historic.
I think Alhambra had timed tx we got around this by joining a greyline type tour and then went around on our own.
Bonnie

Yep, it is a no-brainer from Madrid to Seville...AVE train. We even took a regular train from Madrid to Malaga which was very nice.

I agree do not miss Cordoba..only 40 minutes from Seville by Ave. And DO stay in the Santa Cruz area of Seville which is full of charm and near everything.

If you want to do some driving pick it up after Seville and see some white villages and countryside on the way to Granada. Then maybe take the train back to Madrid from there? ( I have not done that one, but it sounds better than driving on limited time).

We had a van when in Seville once and parked outside but stayed in Santa cruz area. YOu do not need a car in Seville ...we only had it for other areas.

Trains are very nice and easy in Spain and there are advantages of being in the center of Seville and Granada.

Thanks for the info everyone. The AVE train it is!

Comfy, I downloaded the Maribel's guides to Madrid & Sevilla. They're great. Thanks for the tip!

I would wait and pick the car up when you leave Seville...driving one in the Barrio Santa Cruz is not easy (I don't agree that is the ONLY place to stay for "atmosphere" but that's subjective).

The train to Granada from seville would take three hours so I think you'd be better off with a car for that part.

Would you drop it back in Seville and return by AVE to Madrid?

Another thing to check out would be taking a flight from Granada back to Madrid - I booked on in September for only 4 euros on Spanair! We're doing a a very similar thing - flying into Madrid, AVE to Sevilla, renting a car in Sevilla and driving to Granada (via some of the white villages), then flying back to Madrid. The flight ended up costing less than the train for the trip from Granada to Madrid!

I love the Barrio Santa Cruz area and we stayed there for 2 weeks over Xmas and didn't find any other parts of Seville we would consider staying in but maybe there are! As for driving a car in that area - so close to being impossible. We did have a car as we needed to do a lot of driving outside of Seville (and maybe in hindsight should have stayed somewhere else as much as we loved it) and ended up at a car park on the edge of the area. The drive in to the apartment was hair raising and when you got there there were invariably no parks. Yet to try the AVE.

Yes, I would agree with finding a possible cheap one-way fare out of Granada back to Madrid..they are available if you book early enough.

When you get to Seville you'll learn that the main tourist sites such as the cathedral, Alcazar, etc., are not in the Barrio Santa Cruz but walkable from there. To each their own and enjoy yur trip

Regarding your question about taking a solo day trip to Toledo... we took a bus to Toledo from Madrid. Safe, clean, comfortable. Felt very safe the whole trip.

Here's another recommendation for taking AVE from Madrid and driving between Sevilla and Granada. Driving in Sevilla is reported to be murder--I've read advice to pick up car at the airport as you leave town. I loved Ronda, roughly in between S and G.
I'm southern too, you can take the heat. May was pleasant last year, so early June should be fine.

If you are going to pick up a car in Seville, you may want to try renting at the train station instead of the airport. I've heard it's a little easier to get to!

Yes, if renting a car in Sevilla, absolutely pick it up at the Santa Justa train station. The rental places are just outside. It is very straight-forward to then leave Sevilla, 2 mins. along Av. de Kansas City to the junction of A4-E5.

We were in Seville a couple of months ago and a lot of the city streets were torn up for improvements, messy and hard to figure out your route if one of those streets is the one torn up.

We drove from Madrid to Seville - very doable and easy. Many lovely stops between... Roman ruins, Castles, etc..

FYI - Just remembered there are several toll roads too should you choose to drive. You can swipe a credit card and breese right through.