111op

Unless I can figure out a better and more efficient way to connect through Madrid from Lisbon, as it stands I need to fly to Malaga.

I checked the bus schedule for Malaga to Granada. If the flight gets in on time at 5:15pm, I should make the 6pm bus, so this means getting to Granada at 8pm. According to my research, it looks like I'll miss the Granada sunset by about 10 minutes.

Unfortunately, because of my tight schedule, I'd rather not spend another night in Granada (this would mean cutting a night from Seville).

Would missing the sunset in Granada be a great loss? I see that Bill Clinton especially flew from Madrid to see it....

I'm not averse shelling out some money to get to Granada by 7pm, say, which a private car transfer should allow me to do. But this costs at least 150 Euros, it seems. Does someone know of reputable, cheap car transfer options to Granada from Malaga airport?

What would you do?

1. Take a car transfer.
2. Stay another night in Granada and cut a night in Seville.
3. Forget about the sunset altogether.

Thanks again.

111op

Has anyone used this service before?

www.viajesalameda.es

It seems to be the cheapest so far. They're quoting 100 Euros or so, which I'm probably willing to pay (considering that bus for two will be 25 Euros or so).

111op

I obviously need to learn to read.... They quoted the price as per person, so it's about 200 Euros....

Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Sue_xx_yy

111op

As I'm still in the process of planning our own trip to Andalusia, I can't speak from experience of the area.

However I have a lot of experience of rain, especially at sunset. Visitors to Granada have reported that yes, it gets its share of rain.

Also, if you don't use the car service, I believe you must first transfer to the main bus station in Malaga from the airport using either bus or the airport train (the fastest, leaves 2X an hour, takes 12 minutes.) Plus, the bus to Granada leaves you off on the city outskirts; you'd need to cab or bus it to the Alhambra area, which would add to your time projections.

Personally I think even with the car service you're cutting it fine. Traffic jams, etc. have a way of surfacing at inconvenient times.

You could always try getting up early and seeing the Alhambra by the light of dawn. In October, that shouldn't be tooo early.

111op

Thanks. I don't think that there's anyway to get there before sunset with the bus. And spending 200 Euros so that I can see the sunset seems so extravagant -- but then, Bill Clinton flew from Madrid....

The sunrise idea is great. Thanks.

So if you were doing this trip, would you opt for an extra night (i.e., the following day to see the sunset), or do you just forget it and move on to Seville? I don't have that much time, unfortunately.

Eloise

Before you decide to spend enormous amounts of money, have you checked out the opening times to see whether you can actually get in when you want to, which I gather is shortly before 8:00 p.m.?

This is the schedule from the Alhambra Web site:

http://www.alhambradegranada.org/gui...orarios_en.asp

I'm not sure what they mean -- down in the Notes in small print -- about only allowing people in until one hour before closing, i.e., at 7:00 p.m., which would make it totally impossible for you, even if you did take a private car from Malaga airport.

Bill Clinton probably has better travel advisors than I do, but frankly, I found the Alhambra after dark absolutely magical and find it difficult to believe that it would be any more wonderful at sunset.

If you're there between Tuesday and Saturday, I would definitely suggest settling for an evening visit. If not, I'd weigh giving Granada the extra day; personally, I did not find Seville all that appealing -- and I know I'm probably in the minority here...

Sue_xx_yy

Like you, Granada will come near the beginning of our trip. As we tend to get particularly excruciating cases of jet lag, that alone calls for two nights.

A second reason for 2 nights is the complex admission system to the Alhambra. Good grief, I had to study it for 2 hours before I finally understood it. Also , the place is big enough to warrant 4 or 5 hours, from what I can gather (although I'm sure a 2 or 3 hour visit could be quite satisfactory on a quick trip.) Nonetheless, I like the idea of having some 'buffer room'; I have an idea of when we might like to visit, but the booking office might have other ideas...So that also factors into our decision to have 2 nights. But in October, crowds might well be reduced, you might not be so squeezed. And I gather you are even tighter on time than we will be.

I have to confess, I didn't consider the sunset much - possibly because I'm aware the weather gods might not cooperate. Like I said, in your shoes I'd set the alarm clock, crank an eyelid the next morning to see what the weather is like, and decide then.

111op

Actually -- to clarify -- no, I don't plan to be in the Alhambra at sunset.

I'm planning to be at Mirador de San Nicolas at sunset -- that's where you get a view of Alhambra and Sierra Nevada (and I think where Clinton was, along with Hilary and Chelsea).

Ok, I'll read the rest of your comments now.

Eloise

Ah-ha! That answers my unspoken question: which part, precisely, of the Alhambra is best at sunset?

It's not IN the Alhambra, it's the view from the hill on the other side of the city.

111op

Ok, now that I've read your comments, I can expand a little more.

Basically the Andalucia part looks like this. It's insane, I know, but then my travels are always rushed.

On Day 0, I fly to Malaga from Lisbon. I get to Granada. Day 1. Granada. (Do I spend the night in Seville?) Day 2. Seville. Day 3. Seville/Cordoba/Madrid (and my flight leaves from Madrid early morning on Day 4).

I'm not sure if I believe you, Eloise, regarding night visit times for Alhambra. I looked here:

https://w3.grupobbva.com/ALHAMBRA/alhambra/home.html

It looks like the ticket office is open until 9:30 in October. Anyway, I've not decided if I'm going to see it at night. I was thinking of deciding when I get there.

Maybe I should decide whether to spend the extra night in Granada when I get there, as Sue suggests -- but then, I guess I'm concerned that it can be a pain getting a hotel at the last minute. I'll be with my mom -- if I were by myself, I'd probably just wing it.

Regarding sunset in Granada, apparently it's Bill Clinton's favorite sunset in the world from his student days. I read the story in Rick Steves's guide, but I've since Googled this and a number of links came up. The story has it that he especially flew down with Hilary and Chelsea to see the sunset when he was in Madrid for a summit meeting.

Eloise

111op: You don't have to believe me, you just have to read the information correctly.

In October, the ticket office is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; from Tuesday to Saturday, it is also open from 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

111op

Yes, I misread and misspoke.

But well, I guess we're talking about two different things -- I don't want to be in the Alhambra right at sunset anyway. I might go the evening I arrive, but I think that I'll decide then -- what I'm trying to say is that I should be able to do that (unless tickets sell out, of course). Barring a flight delay, I do expect to be in Granada before 9pm.

Sue_xx_yy

Sorry, 111op, I wasn't clear. I meant that you could decide on the spot whether to hike over to the San Nicolas viewpoint (or wherever) to see the Alhambra by dawn, not whether you should stay the 2nd night. I agree that on such a tightly scheduled trip, you can't afford to waste time trying to find a hotel room.

The ticket office hours for the Alhambra by Moonlight option (which as agreed is not the same thing as what Clinton did) seem to be slightly different from the hours for the regular daytime Alhambra visits. I'll have to confirm on the official site, but my RS guidebook says the Moonlight option hours are Mar-Oct, Tues through Sat, 21:45 to 22:45 for a visit 2200 to 2330. Arrgh, I told you the visiting rules were complex!

111op

Sue, I agree in principle -- but of course, it'd depend on whether the Granada hotel is available for the second night. If not, then I'll have to book a hotel in Seville.

Anyway, I just wish that I could take months and months off -- but then, what to do about money?

Andre

111op

This one's easy - pick up a rental car at Malaga airport, drive to Granada and PARK near your your hotel. Then cab to the Mirador for sunset.

Drive to Seville and return rental car at Santa Justa station.

Rental cars are very cheap in Andalucia and the highways are excellent.

Hope this helps,
Andre

111op

Ah -- yes, for someone who drives. But you don't know how *badly* (and I mean, dismal) my driving skills are. Further I don't drive a stick shift....

This is definitely a situation when I wish that I could drive well. If this were in the US, I might consider it, but the last time I drove was when I had to attend a wedding in the fall of 2001. (!)

111op

I've seen websites (like this one) that suggest that I should be able to go from the airport to Granada for 100 Euros:

http://www.esf.org/esf_venue.php?site=123

But I just can't find any websites that quote a rate this low for the actual booking. It's frustrating.

Eloise

Have a look at this Web page. Scroll down to Taxis al aeropuerto. According to this, a taxi from Malaga Airport to Granada should cost about 106 Euro.

Interestingly enough, when you switch to the English version, there is no such information there.

But there is an e-mail address on the Spanish site as well as a telephone number. Armed with the information from the Spanish version, call or e-mail them and if they are prepared to confirm a price of roughly 106 Euros, ask them for a confirmation by e-mail.

111op

Great -- but, where's that web page? Thanks!

Eloise

Uh-oh! Sorry about that! Here it is:

http://www.malagacar.com/sp/informac...rto_malaga.htm