My husband and I are planning a very last minute vacation for late January (long story, but we only just realized that we can get away). We'll have about 8 or 9 days. We'd like to go to Spain and were thinking about making our base in Barcelona and exploring the neighboring countryside by car. However, we are not yet terribly familiar with Spain and would welcome any other suggestions for how best to focus this short period of time. Thanks very much.

Barcelona is wonderful, there is a lot to see in the city and around.
Good choice IMO.

Another good choice because the weather is milder in January is going to Seville, third large city in Spain, and enjoy visiting for instance, Cordoba ( easily accessible by train) , and Granada. These three cities are three classics in Andalusia. Eight days seem reasonable for visiting them.

Graziella, Sevilla is the fifth large city in Spain. Third is Valencia, fourth Bilbao.

Depending on what you are looking for, I'd stick with Barcelona and explore Catalunya. The Cerdanya, the Catalonia Pyrenees, are absolutely beautiful during the winter months.

(http://www.pyreneesguide.com/subs.as...51&sID=175).

I would second Graziella's recommendation of Seville, Cordoba and Granada. I liked Barcelona but I loved Seville and Granda is truly a sight to be seen. Unlike many of the posters here, Barcelona is not a city I am wanting to return to although I enjoyed my visit there very much, but I would return to Seville in a heartbeat.

So Sorry kenderina,in Spain>? tu put it in Spanish, it seems that "estoy atrasada de noticias "....
In any way considering they will visiting Spain in January , Seville would be my choice.

Thanks very much for the responses, everyone! Much appreciated!

Sure, it would be my choice too in January, Graziella !!

Valencia has been the third for a long long time..even it was Spain's capital for some time during the civil war, when the Republic government settled there. Valencia has an interesting history that very few people even here in Spain knows about it.

Another vote for Andalusia. The weather will be better in the south in January. And Seville, Granada and Cordoba have the most of what makes spain truly unique in europe - a very long history Romans to visigoths to moors and the reconquest.

Spain is a large country. Don't get caught up trying to see it all. Even by air it is difficult because one always seems to change in Madrid. January is at best wet in the north and normally cold as well. Go south. Pick Sevilla or Grenada and go from there.

Thanks again to everyone for their input. Based on your replies, we are considering the possibility of doing Granada, Sevilla, and Cordoba.

I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions as to which city it makes the most sense to fly into?

Also, is it possible to drive between the cities (what is the approximate distance between cities)? My husband and I have driven a lot in Europe (though never Spain) and are generally comfortable with it.

Also, perhaps an odd question, but I will throw it out here. I am 5 months pregnant, and we are planning this trip as sort of a last hurrah, or "babymoon" before the baby comes (our first). Though I do not anticipate any problems, my original thought was that I'd like to be near a larger city with more extensive medical facilities, should the need arise (hence Barcelona as opposed to Andalusia). Can anyone give me some perspective on the relative distance from Granada, etc. to major cities? Is Madrid the closest bigger city?

Thanks very much.

Sevilla has some pretty decent public hospitals ( the Virgen del Rocio comes to mnind right now ), with an special wing dedicated to ginecology.

One of my friends just had her baby there. She was visiting her family, and she didn´t hesitate on going there instead of a private clinic (and she was right, it was more than 18 hours until the baby arrived). Both mum and daughter are fine.

So, you should be OK if you have any problems while in Sevilla.

Try flying into Madrid and then going down with the AVE, or maybe get a flight there. Iberia has 8 daily flights.

Rgds, Cova

Thanks very much for the response.

ttt (to see if anyone has any input on my additional questions about travel to/around Andalucia). Thanks!

Fly into Malaga. Rent a car and head out to Marbella/Malaga for your first home base stay. Stay there about 3 days, one of which should be use to day trip to Granada. On the fourth day, head out to Seville for a couple of days, drive on to Ronda, overnight and explore, head out to Cordova- overnight and explore. Finish off back in Malaga flying back. This is one option; I have done this region in many different ways and is always a delight.

You could also fly to Madrid and train from Madrid to Seville. Rent a car at Santa Justa Station when you are done exploring Seville. Head out to Granada, stopping in Ronda. Drive/train back to Madrid.

Your main purpose will dictate your focus. Definitely not beach weather, so architecture, coastal roads, museums, and food should be at your top. Andalucia is perfect for that!

I like Viejero2's suggestions however I would stay in Nerja instead of Marbella/Malaga (still can do a daytrip to Granada) and maybe do a daytrip to Cordoba from Seville on the AVE train as it's only a 45 minute trip instead of driving to Cordoba. You could then drive to Ronda and through the white villages (Zahara and Grazlema) on your way to Seville from Nerja.

So start in Nerja for 3 nights (must fly into Malaga to get to Nerja which is an hours drive away) with daytrip to Granada then drive to Ronda and stay overnight (I would recommend Los Castanos in Cartajima 16 km outside of Ronda) then drive through Zahara and Grazalema on to Seville and stay for 3 nights (we rented Arfe apartment number 2 through seville5 apartment rentals) and hopefully fly out of Seville. We did this trip in reverse last May and really enjoyed it although we stayed longer in Nerja and rented an apartment.