Please help with Spain Itinerary
 

After browsing the postings for weeks, I'm finally ready for some extra sets of eyes to check out the itinerary for my first trip to Europe, coming up in September. Please know Barcelona is my must-do, and the trip over to Tangiers is a must-do for my boyfriend. Also, we're more into food, atmosphere, people, and exploring on our own than we are into museums and tours.

Day 1 (Tues) Arrive in Seville early afternoon
Day 2 (Wed) Seville
Day 3 (Thurs) Drive to Ronda & Marbella
Day 4 (Fri) Day trip to Tangiers
Day 5 (Sat) Granada (should we take a bus or train?)
Day 6 (Sun) Fly to Barcelona
Day 7 (Mon) Barcelona
Day 8 (Tues) Barcelona
Day 9 (Wed) Day trip Montserrat to hike or Penedès region to tour wineries
Day 10 (Thurs) Fly home

My concerns are with the Seville-Ronda-Marbella-Granada portion... wondering the best way to do that. We could reverse the first part of the trip and fly into Malaga, flying from Seville to Barcelona on Day 6, if that would make a difference.
Also, if we were to do a beach day should we stay an extra day in Marbella and take away from Barcelona or do the beach near Barcelona?
Do days of the week make a difference as far as nightlife is concerned?
Thanks so much for your help!

a lot of territory but it loks fine to me.
i would go to the beach whenever the weather is appealing.
so, take advantage of it down on the south coast or remember that barcelona has a HUGE wonderful beach any day you are there.

you can also rent bikes in barcelona to ride along the extensive "paseo" that follows the coast. Lots of cafés and very popular.

i am a fan of a rental car for most of your southern trip. drop off fees are almost non-existant with the larger companies.
it gives you so much more freedom and flexibility.

sevilla.. do not miss "casa de la memoria" for great flamenco and music show in the barrio de sta. cruz..

The Andalucia portion is a little screwy. Fly into Malaga (check Iberia O/W or add-on), day trip to Granada, Tangier, and Marbella from there (3-4 days). Granada is a good drive from the Malaga area, there is a new direct road that ties the highway to The Alhambra, so you don't have to go through town center anymore (a nightmare years ago!). Then, drive to Sevilla, via Ronda (start early drive). Spend a couple of days in Seville. Drop car in Estacion Santa Justa (no drop off charges if renting Auto Europe). Fly to Barcelona from Seville.

The Tangier portion: be cautious, be cautious, be cautious. GO WITH A TOUR. Tangier is a dirty town, a notorious pipeline for passage of people with very bad intentions (the March 3rd terrorists cell members entered Spain through Tangier). We visited more than 12 years ago; I wouldn't go near the place now if you pay me.

Spain is an amazing destination, I personally wouldn't miss a day in Spain to go to Tangier, but I do understand your B/F drive to go.

Consider flying into Gibraltar, which would leave you well-positioned for your trip to Tangier. (Can't speak to visiting that place, as we didn't do so.) Or as an earlier poster suggests, fly into Malaga. Then you can pick up Ronda en route to Granada. Personally, I'd ditch Seville in view of how tight your time is, and try:

Fly in, pick up car, spend night in either La Linea or Sotogrande, Spain:

to Tangier for day trip - (Leave car at parking lot near ferry terminal?) - then return to spend night 2 at wherever you spend night 1.

Drive to Ronda night 3.

Granada - (drop car) night 4 and 5.

Nights 6 through 9 - as for your previous itinerary.

I'd leave the beach day till Barcelona, since you have the most time there.

You could subsitute Seville for Granada, but I really don't think you have time to do both cities.

Do not drop Seville, anybody that have spend time in Andalucia knows Seville should not be optional when compared w/other cities. Flying into Gibraltar to accomodate a daytrip to Tangier is kind of wacky.... I think your trip just needs to be recalibrated. Strongly recommend flying into Malaga.

My suggested itinerary:

1 Sevilla
2 Sevilla
3 Ronda
4 Marbella/Malaga
5 Granada
6 Fly to BCN Rent car to Monserrat/ Cardona. Stay at Cardona Parador
7 In route to Barc visit Cordoniu Cava, drop car at BCN
8 Barc
9 Barc
10 Homeward

Do yourself a great service, stay at the Parador Ronda and Cardona...you won't regret the experience. Monserrat and Cordoniu are equally fabulous.

Joemooch

Sounds lovely, except you forgot the OP's day trip to Tangier, which apparently is a priority. This Tangier trip adds to the pressure on time, (which is the only reason I suggested dropping either Seville or Granada - the tight time component.)

Viajero2, I may well be as wacky as a flock of loony birds - make that I AM as wacky as a flock of loony birds - :) - but I am a loony bird who can read a map. Gibraltar airport is closer to the embarkation point for Tangier than Malaga airport, and on a tightly scheduled trip, every minute counts.

Tangier isn't even a consideration, IMHO...yuk.

Yes, but Gibraltar does not have a wide selection of flights either arriving or departing. Malaga on the other hand has a lot. No matter which way you set up the Andalucia part of the trip I would not omit Seville and I would fly from Malaga to Barcelona.
Day3..Early departure..Seville to Algeciras/Tangiers/overnight near Estepona
Day 4 Ronda
Day 5 Granada/overnight near Malaga
Day 6- Fly to Barcelona

Joemooch - it is a priority to the OP, apparently. I agree it seems a lot of effort, but the specification in the first post is pretty clear.

Raydotman - point taken about more flights into Malaga. It is simply that I talked to a British couple who flew into Gibraltar to begin their holiday in Sotogrande, and found it convenient.

Sue, you are right about Gibraltar being convenient if you need to be on the western part of the Costa del Sol. And, yes, your Brit friends would find it convenient IF they flew from the UK.

Well, Sue, funny because IF you read a map taking into account ALL the cities jcnews wants to visit, Malaga should be the airport and the area to home base for at least the first 3 days. Again, choosing to fly into Gibraltar so that she can get on a ferry quicker to leave Spain is kind of....strange.

Gentlemen, in giving an explanation for my suggestion, that was all it was, an explanation for why I made the suggestion I did. I was not implying that my approach was the better of yours, nor to contradict your points, which I believe have been already acknowledged. To continue to behave as if I have not done so is churlish.

That said, Viajero2, you are right, Malaga is closer to more points on the itinerary. By the way, for you to point this out is a more useful kind of analysis than to describe your emotional reaction to something. ("I found it strange/wacky") or whatever. We might each of us find many things strange, but it isn't particularly relevant to the discussion. That was the point of my earlier lighthearted remark (made at my own expense, no less!)

Now, enjoy your travels.

your itinerary seems a bit too much to me, but that's just my opinion. If you intend to visit the Nasrid Palaces (La Alhambra) in Granada, BE SURE to get you tickets in advance. We were there last week and got tickets to the gardens, but palace tickets were sold out!! You may wish you had more time in Sevilla - it's a beautiful city with much to do.