heelyesdds

*I also posted this on another travel forum, so apologies for any redundancy!

We are planning a trip to Spain for March 2024.This would be our first visit. Ideally, we'd like to focus on Seville and Andalucia as we figure the weather should be drier than Madrid. However, we are open to basing out of Madrid instead. We would have two adults and our eight year old son (his first European trip, but an otherwise good flyer/traveler). With work, school, and flight schedules, we'll probably only have seven actual visit days (land on Friday, fly out on Friday). We will be flying from the US via American/Iberia. We can't make a return flight from Seville because of a short 65 minutes connection at MAD before any flights back to US. Of these current flight options, which would you recommend?

1) Fly in/out of Madrid, arriving very early into Madrid at 5:45 AM. We could train to Seville, stay there four or five nights, then back to Madrid for two or three nights. Or we could base out Madrid and do Toledo or elsewhere for some nights out of town.

2) Fly into Jerez/out of Madrid. Jerez flight would connect via MAD and arrive at 8:35 AM. Would 100 minutes be enough time for immigration and flight connection in MAD? We could train directly to Seville for four/five nights, then back to Madrid for three/two nights.

3) Fly into Granada/out of Madrid. Arrive into Granada at 9:20 AM with a 2.5 hour connection at MAD. Two nights Granada, three nights Seville, two nights Madrid.

These two options are $300 - $400 more than the above three.
4) Fly into Jerez/out of Granada. This would allow us to maximize time in Andalucia. However, both the inbound and outbound connections at MAD are 100 minutes. Is this enough connection time?

5) Fly into Madrid/out of Granada. This would be the same 100 minute connection GRX - MAD - US flights.

Thank you to anyone who made it through the above post. Again, this would be our first trip to Spain, so we're excited to visit somewhere new and not necessarily tied down to any specific itinerary. Any and all advice is appreciated!

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. Assuming each of these would be on one booking I wouldn't necessarily worry about 100 minute connections. Since, IF you do mis the connection they will put you on the next available flight. So what I'd be more interested in is . . . look at how many / how frequently there are connecting flights later in the day.

If Madrid to xyz has hourly flights through the day -- if your arrival flight is a bit late and you miss the connection, you'd still get to your final destination the same day.

If on the other hand there are only a couple of flights and they're hours apart -- I'd avoid that. Not only would you have to wait longer - the chances are more likely the next flight is full and you'd be delayed til the next day.

Also maybe consider just booking a R-T in/out of Madrid and take trains to the first destination.

Maribel

"So what I'd be more interested in is . . . look at how many / how frequently there are connecting flights later in the day."

That, precisely, is the question.

The 100 minute layover, in my many experiences with Barajas, is sometimes (but not always) very tight, especially if this is during Holy Week in March (March 24-31) when Spaniards are on the move. But if it's early March, before the 24th, Palm Sunday, the 100 minute layover, moving from T4S to T4 (all on one ticket) may be doable.
Barajas is a huge airport. and when arriving at T4 from T4S via the automated underground train, you'll be going through another layer of security.
Since you're flying AA/Iberia, you'll be landing at T4S from the US and connecting to T4. One World Alliance uses T4S and T4.

The Madrid-Jerez flights--in March there are only 3 flights per day. For Madrid-Granada, ditto, only 3 daily flights. So not hourly.
(From MAD to BCN would be the closet thing to hourly, but not exactly hourly).

You might choose option 3, flying into Granada with the 2.5 connection in Madrid.

What date in March is your departure from the US to Madrid?

heelyesdds

Thanks for the great replies! We would be flying March 7-15, and thus should avoid the Holy Week travel. I feel more comfortable with the extra hour allowed by the Granada connection time.

The more I think about it, our two best options are probably numbers 1 and 3. Either a roundtrip ticket to/from Madrid (#1), or open jaw to Granada and return home from Madrid (#3).

From a comfortable (not too rushed) itinerary standpoint, what would you recommend?
1) Staying and subbing out of Madrid exclusively?
2) Arrive into Madrid, but immediately train to Cordoba or Seville, then back to Madrid before departure? Something like 2 nights Cordoba, 3 in Seville, 2 in Madrid? Or 4 Seville and 3 in Madrid?
3) Fly into Granada, 2 nights Granada, 3 in Seville, 2 in Madrid?

Someone on the RS forum mentioned weather being a concern in March, which we understand. Are we better trying to stay south instead of Madrid?

Maribel

Yes, I agree that your 2 best options are 1 and 3.

How important is visiting Andalucía to you? If it's important, then option 2 or 3.

I live in Madrid; in March you could have any type of weather but ime, it shouldn't be very cold, as it is now.
Don't be afraid of Madrid March weather, but again, how important is seeing Andalucía to you?
I spent a very pleasant 5 weeks last year in Andalucía beginning in late February and through March and had lovely weather.

KTtravel

For such a short trip, I think moving three times would take up too much of your precious time.

ekscrunchy

Are you absolutely certain that there are not other flights MAD_SVQ and return that you could make? Whagt's your point off departure in US?

I ask because I've flown from JFK-MAD-SVQ several times with no trouble. I don't remember the connections but it was fine but, granted, a number of years ago. That sounds odd to me that there is no good return from SVQ to NYC. But again, I don't know where you will depart from in the US.

Also,, have you considered a trip to Jerez and Sevilla? For me that would be a fantastic combo. Otherwise I like the Seville/Madrid option.

heelyesdds

Hi all, thank you again for the responses. We'll be flying from Kansas City (MCI), likely via Charlotte (CLT) with a 5:45 AM arrival into Madrid. I would love to fly directly into either Sevilla or Jerez, but both of those connections Sevilla (65 mins) and Jerez (100 mins) concern me with having to clear immigrations and customs. All other flight options also push us north of $2000 per economy ticket, which seems ridiculous.

However, I might have found a solution! We could arrive into Madrid at 5:45 AM and then fly home from Granada. It's a 100 minute connection from GRX - MAD - United States, but we'd obviously avoid arrival immigration and customs. And we avoid having to backtrack to Madrid prior to departure.

How does this sound for an itinerary in Seville and Granada, possibly including Cordoba?
1 - Arrive into MAD, train to Seville. Minimal touring while fighting jet lag.
2 - Seville
3 - Seville
4 - Seville
5 - Seville
6 - Granada
7 - Granada
8 - Departure

I'd like to see the Mezquita, so perhaps Cordoba as a day trip? Based on other posts, a night in Cordoba sounds lovely, but I don't think we'd want to do a single night stay with our limited time.

KTtravel

I like your plan.

Maribel

About your solution,
day 1, minimal touring in Sevilla for sure, with your start in MCI and change to a transatlantic flight from CLT.
I say that having done an MCI to ORD to MAD to Pamplona, really tiring but you can sleep on the train.

Check https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us for all trains running on Madrid's Puerta de Atocha to Sevilla line. There's now competition. The new Italian IRYO runs on that route as well. The French OUIGO is scheduled to begin on that route this year, but hasn't started yet.

days 2,3,4,5 in Sevilla--I like that plan as well

days 6, 7 in Granada--ditto

day 8 departure from GRX connecting in MAD in 100 minutes. You do avoid arrival immigration but you'll need to transfer from T4 to T4S via the underground people mover (train) for your US bound flight, and your passport will be stamped upon your exit in T4S. But this is doable.

heelyesdds

Good news! We have our flights and hotels booked! We're arriving into Madrid and departing out of Granada as described above.

Five nights in Sevilla at H10 Casa de la Plata.
Two nights in Granada at Aurea Catedral.
Both hotels had attractive sale pricing and can easily accommodate us and our son in their triple rooms.

For train travel from Madrid Atocha to Sevilla, Iryo offers a 08:51 train or a 10:35 train. With a 5:45 arrival into MAD, would the 8:51 allow sufficient connection time?
Renfe offers an 8:00 and 10:00 that cost more.

Maribel

The 8:51 train should be ok . I can’t imagine the T4 immigration hall being extremely busy at 5:45 am.

I like very much your choice of hotels.

KTtravel

Terrific! Have a great trip.