Please, I need feedback for my itinerary
 

Coming up with this itinerary has been a very stressful experience, especially deciding which places to leave for a next trip! Please, provide me some feedback on my itinerary. I know I am spending lots of days in Barcelona but besides being totally in love with the city I have some business there. I need help only with the first part of my itinerary. Thank you so much!!!

Thu 06/08- Arrive to Madrid from Miami/Tour Madrid

Fri 06/09- Morning in Toledo/Tour Madrid in afternoon

Sat 06/10- Morning in Segovia/Tour Madrid in afternoon

Sun 06/11- Morning in Escorial/Tour Madrid in afternoon

Mon 06/12- (train to Granada)uff, what a loooong trip! Tour Granada

Tues 06/13- Alhambra/Lorca Museum/Bus to Sevilla

Wed 06/14- Tour Sevilla (maybe go to Jerez in the morning only for the bodegas)

Thur 06/15- Day trip to Ronda and back to Ronda (by train? Bus? Is this doable?)

Fri 06/16- Flight from Sevilla to Barcelona

06/16-06/26 (Barcelona)

The part that I am having difficulty with is Andalucia. It would make more sense to go to Sevilla and from there Granada and Barcelona. However, the flights are so expensive from Granada! I am planning to travel in June. I am 28 years old and I am pretty energetic but I do want to have some time to rest as well. I am going with another girl my age.

Thank you, fodorites!!!

Can you fly to Grenada? Booked through Iberia Airlines website, the cost of flying in Spain is often quite cheap.

And could you possibly rent a car in Grenada and use it for the Andalucia portion of your trip?

Sorry. I realize my post wasn't clear. Can you fly from Madrid to Grenada?

Or perhaps take the Ave to Sevilla, tour Sevilla, rent a car to take in some of the countryside and drive to Grenada? Can you fly from Grenada to Barcelona?

Any of that in your budget?

You could take an overnight train from Granada to Barcelona.

Thank you Nessun Dorma and PalQ for your quick responses!!! I thought of flying to Granada but the airfare is very expensive. It makes more sense to me to go in train. But I will keep checking for discounts. The car I have decided not to do it as my friend is a little apprehensive about driving.

I was checking in RENFE and the overnight train to barcelona seems not to be working for the day I need it 6/26/2006. Maybe I should give them a call to confirm. Thank you so much!

Hmmmm. I would try reassuring your friend that driving will be just fine. Spain has modern roads and the Spanish are not crazy drivers. If the apprehension is about luggage getting stolen, I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds to me like you would be using the car to travel from one hotel destination to another, not leaving parked at the side of the road to go hiking or swimming.

Hope your friend reconsiders.

Night train is too far out date-wise probably to be on the RENFE site. Last year Spanish night trains actually were often significantly cheaper in US thru RailEurope for exact same sleeping options - don't know this year but may try RailEurope and compare fares - i work thru BETS (800-441-2387) and highly recommend them - a Rail Europe agent but don't charge some of their mailing fees i. If you were going to train from Granada to Barcelona then the Spanish railpass may come into plat. Again ask BETS about these - gives passholder rates on night trains and could use for all your other travel as well.

I wish people (not you, Ariadnaluna)would stop calling Granada Grenada: Grenada is an island in el Caribe. Granada is capital of a Province in Spain (known for the song and birthplace of Federico Garcia Lorca)!

You will in all likelihood be wiped out (jetlag, etc.) the day of your Madrid arrival. I wouldn't plan any big excursions that day.

Toledo deserves a full day; as does Segovia. You can get 'wham, bam thank you Mam' half day tours to both places but you won't have time to capture the flavor. El Escorial's San Lorenzo monastery is very nice; but I would pass on the Valle de los Caidos. Unless the Monasterio is your main reason for visiting el Escorial, you might want to skip it altogether. On a Sunday in June, I would rather spend a few hours in Madrid's Retiro Park, strolling and enjoying the street performers along the esplanade. We sat and listened to a Cantaor de Flamenco for about 20-minutes our last visit there.

I think you are trying to crowd too much into your Andalucia loop: Jerez may be just an hour from Sevilla by bus or train but, if you're going you should allow most of a day. I don't think Ronda is a daytrip from Sevilla, maybe Arcos de la frontera but Ronda is a 'hike.'

Hi adriadaluna may it is a good idea to take a deep breath and rethink your itinerary. I agree with
Nedsireland that you are going to fast. The places you plan to visit, like Granada, Sevilla,... they require a little time to feel them, to realize what is all about.
Leave a few places for another time like Ronda, and Arcos,....also can you believe you are in Madrid when you plan to be getting in and out of the city constantly.....

Thank you so much for all of your responses! PalQ, I will try calling BETS because I think it makes more sense to go to Sevilla and then Granada. NEDSIRELAND and Graziella: Thank you for your advice. I guess it is hard for me to think of slowing down since I want to see so much! Maybe I will cut my losses and leave Ronda for my next trip.

Thank you so much for all the helpful advice!