Malaga, Granada, Cordoba
 

Malaga is in the itinerary because that is where the airport is.

Herself has a yen to visit Granada and Cordoba, and a special birthday coming up. So I have booked flights (from Dublin) to Malaga in May, returning one week later. That's all that is yet arranged.

Our main interest is in visiting the cities to experience the cultural heritage, and see some of the great buildings of Moorish Spain. So I am leaning away from hiring a car, because a car is often a burden when visiting cities.

Preliminary research suggests to me that we should use buses, and I am thinking of heading from Malaga to Granada on the day of arrival (we should land at 11.00 am). Spend three days in Granada, then travel to Cordoba and spend another three days there. Back to Malaga for one night (might as well have a quick look at the place!) and fly home in the early afternoon.

The questions:
- Do people agree that buses are a good idea for a trip like ours?
- Can people suggest accommodation for us? Criteria: clean, at least moderately comfortable, acceptable neighbourhood, not outrageously expensive, convenient to bus stations, convenient for urban tourism. Even a pointer on location would be helpful.

Other observations would also be welcome.

May is fine. Not too hot.

I would say go ahead and rent a car; however, because of the tiny, one-way streets the old city in Cordoba will give you trouble if you take a car in there so park across the river and just walk into the old city.

Malaga has an interesting old city that is worth visiting. There are the Roman ruins and an excellent hamam. There are also hamams in Cordoba and Granada that are worth experiencing but these two are owned by the same company and are basically identical.

Be sure to get your Alhambra tickets AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

We stayed at the Hotel San Miguel in Cordoba. It was a lovely hotel but I do not recommend taking a car there because the narrow roads are somewhat difficult to navigate.

I have no real accommodation recommendations for Granada (we stayed at the Hotel Alixares and it was fine) or Malaga (we stayed at Tryp Malaga Guadalmar Hotel and it was fabulous but not really near the city center).

The answers.
- If you only want the cities a car is unnecessary.
Yes, bus from Malaga to Granada. Yes, bus Granada to Cordoba will save you a little money over train, but slight disadvantage is Granada bus station is on the edge of the city. Yes, Cordoba to Malaga will save you money by bus but will be a longer journey than train.
Do your own maths. www.alsa.es and www.renfe.com

- You did not mention budget. So one place in each city that have worked for me.
Granada - http://www.hostalrodri.com/ - note hostAl is not hostEl
Cordoba - http://www.hostalsantaana.com/
Malaga - for years for the one nighters we needed, the IBIS centro.

May in Andalucía is excellent, not too hot, spring blossom etc.

May in Córdoba is especially eventful with the May Crosses festival in the beginning of the month, then the patio festival in the middle, and then the flamenco inspired Feria towards the end of the month. This year the patio festival runs from May 5-18.
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/patios.htm
The Feria in late May: http://www.andalucia.com/festival/co...pring-fair.htm

"Córdoba, the city that changed the world": http://www.theguardian.com/spanish-t...-changed-world

High speed AVE train from Córdoba to wonderful Málaga city in 50 minutes.

You should definitely "have a quick look at the place". Málaga is genuine and laid-back atmosphere, great tapas bars, cafés, terraces, restaurants, nightlife and 3000 years of history (the Phoenician Malaka). Within 300 meters in the city centre you'll find the newly restored Roman theater just beyond the 8-11 century Moorish Alcazaba, the 16th century cathedral, Picassos birth place, the Picasso museum and the new Carmen Thyssen museum etc etc.

Be sure to stay close to the city centre. Great value Don Curro is as central as it gets: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/hote...rro.en-gb.html

A couple of recent articles about one of my favourite cities in the country: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalis...pleasures.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...el?INTCMP=SRCH

The quite spectacular new seafront area is two mins away from Hotel Don Curro. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...Andalucia.html

It's nearing the end of March, not yet Easter, but the temperatures are already in the mid-70s in Cordoba, Sevilla and Málaga. Who knows what it will be like in May.

As far as traveling goes, I would go by train. It's much easier.

You've already gotten great advice. I'll just second a few ideas:

No reason for a car unless you want one; it will be a decided disadvantage in the cities.

Book the Alhambra ASAP and be sure to book at least two visits: a daytime visit to see the entire complex and an evening visit to the Nasrid Palace, preferably for AFTER your daytime visit. If you can also get an evening visit to the gardens, that would be lovely.

Enjoy!

Thank you, people, for your guidance.

Accommodation now booked; tickets for Alhambra purchased (mornings already sold out, so we will have to brave the heat of the day). Still dithering about transport between the cities.

May won't be too terribly hot.

Others say no to the car but I say yes. Because you get to set the schedule.

We'll probably consider it hot, as we don't take heat very well. Shadows have great appeal for us.

I think a car would, for us, involve more negatives than positives. We are essentially doing city-breaks, and the only use we would have for the car would be on transfers at three-day intervals. Add in the bother of navigating in the cities and the bother of getting parking, and I think I'd be very cranky about things. My rough calculation of the cost of public transport for our itinerary is €50 each.

Question: should I book buses in advance? By that, I mean well in advance, like now. Or is it safe to roll up on the day, and expect that there will be seats available?

<is it safe to roll up on the day, and expect that there will be seats available>
The buses between Málaga, Granada and Córdoba leave all the time, and I can't remember any serious problems just turning up half an hour or so before departure at any bus station in the region during the past twelve years. http://www.alsa.es/en/

The only exception might be if you'll take the high speed AVE train from Córdoba to Granada (50 mins vs. 2 1/2 hours, and only some four daily buses between Córdoba and Málaga). Then you can save some 50 % by booking online in advance. renfe.com

'Question: should I book buses in advance?'

With the number of bus journeys per day, as you can see, out of Malaga, you will certainly be on one of them. And depending on the time of your flight arrival you could be on one out of the airport without the need to go to Malaga city.
When you arrive in Granada immediately purchase for the next leg for peace of mind, similarly when you reach Cordoba.

I have not in near forty years purchased anymore than a day in advance from the ticket office at a bus station and that would be when there are only one or two journeys per day to destinations.

Thanks for the input.

I am wary of pre-booking from Malaga to Granada because planes are sometimes delayed. Our scheduled arrival time does not fit very well with the direct buses from the airport, so it's most likely that we will go into the city to make a commection. I suppose that we can get help from the ticket office in the airport.

It looks as if tickets purchased online attract an extra fee, so it makes sense to book the Granada-Cordoba leg when we are in Granada.

It looks as if the train is the better option for the Cordoba-Malaga leg. And this raises another matter: we qualify on age grounds for the Tarjeta Dorada prices, but have no way to get the card online. Is there a way around that?

A "commection"? I wonder how that will work out.

You can buy the Tarjeta Dorada card at the train station for 6€. The Tarjeta Dorada is valid for one year, so make sure that it's worth it when compared to the regular online advance purchase prices at 27-41€ with AVE from Córdoba to Málaga http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/tar...ta_dorada.html

Thanks, kimhe. The prices I am finding are full tariff, €41.20 and Tarjeta Dorada, €24.70. If I could find the advance purchase price you mention, I'd go for it.

I'm also intrigued by the "tarifa 4 mesa". Can I really book a block of 4 seats for less than I would have to pay for two seats?

Is there a reason why you've left off Sevilla? I'd choose Sevilla over Granada or Cordoba!

There is a reason: been there, done that.

Traifa 4 mesa is for the whole four seat table, so it costs four times the basic fare. Plenty of 27 and 31€ tickets for most days under P (promoción) or P+ (promoción +).

Odd. I thought I had posted a response with comments and thanks, but it seems to have got lost in transit. I hope it's not a precursor of our trip to Andalucia: we don't want to get lost in transit.

I had misunderstood to promoción categories, and thought I was not eligible for them. Life on the Renfe site is tricky if you don't understand Spanish. Even if you opt for English language, it reverts to Spanish after the first page.

Anyway, I have now muddled through and purchased tickets at €22.65. Feeling good about it.

Thanks again, kimhe.

You may find Cordoba a bit boring after the first day. I'd shift my attention to Sevilla and do a day trip to Cordoba.