Momddtravel2

http://www.wildscope.com/travel-repo...n-Tangier.html

This trip report does not make Tangier seem like TJ Mexico... hummm....

PJTravels

Beware of Ryan Air with a tight itinerary. (There was a mention of flying to Marrakesh.) The last time we ever booked on Ryan was from Sevilla back to London (in order to catch United back to the U.S.) the flight departure time kept changing dramatically. What was supposed to be an evening flight changed to a morning flight. The flight was then cancelled and we were left with the choice of cutting our trip short by a full day or flying into Stansted on the same day we needed to fly out of Heathrow. Call me conservative, but I like to spend the night before an international departure in the departure city. While we knew about the changes in time to adjust our itinerary, it did mean back and forth juggling with hotel reservations as well as losing a day in Sevilla.

Momddtravel2

PJ I think we might take our chances and do a day trip to Tangier... it might be enough to give my dd and dh a little taste of Morocco without taking too much time and $$$. I am still processing through it all... I got a good guide book on Morocco and will see what stirs their fancy...
Thanks for the tip on Ryan Air. I always do worry about the type of things you described. Appreciate the input!

Momddtravel2

We can stay here in Granada on points...
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...ph-collection/

any feedback on the location?

Momddtravel2

Okay... what about something like this:

May 5 depart DFW
May 6 arrive Madrid 10:00 am - train to Seville

May 6-8 Seville - Need advice on hotel ?

Pick up car on leaving Seville? Stop in Coradoba?

May 8-10 - Granada - staying here https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...llection/using points - budget friendly if location is good.

May 10 - 16 - Marabella staying here https://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...-beach-resort/
Do day trips from this base (remember staying here is prompted by the 2 bedrooms and the ability to either use our timeshare or points - thus great for the budget)
Go to Ronda for the day?
Taniger for the day?
Return car (where?) and take train back to Madrid-
May 16 - 19 Madrid - spend 3 nights Madrid...need recommendation on hotel

joannyc

Nice hotel! Hope my Autograph Collecltion in Santiago de Compostela is as nice!

According to google maps, it should be a 25 minute walk to La Alhambra. Less to the cathedral.

We did Alhambra and the cathedral on our own (audio guides) but hired a guide through our hotel to see the rest of Granada. Worked out well.

Which hotels are you looking at in Madrid? I stayed last year at the AC Recoletos which was fine. Staying there again this year on my final night. I didn't want to burn points for the Autograph Collection!

joannyc

Do you have Starwood points? The Hotel Alphonso XIII in Seville is great!

Momddtravel2

Joan - I will check out the AC Recoletos! I would like to stay at as many Marriott properties as possible and like yourself don't want to burn points if need not be... we have a ton right now... I have been hoarding them for the potential trip but this will burn them all up!

When are you going to Spain?

Thanks for the tips on the cathedral and hiring a guide... I will look into a guide.

Would also like to go to Nerja as a day trip from our base in Marbella - appears to be 35-60 minutes away... so very doable...the caves are intriguing and I think my daughter would like them.

jubilada

Re being a pescatarian in Spain. Lots of seemingly vegetarian dishes have pork in them; she needs to learn how to ask about this.

joannyc

Do Cordoba as a stop between Madrid and Seville. I think you can store yor luggage at the train station. See the mezquita and walk around a bit (check your guidebook for what else to see.. I remember some roman ruins but only spent a night there). Then continue via train to Seville. Or do as a day trip from Seville. It is too far out of the way to see leaving Seville on your way to Granada.

I'd recommend a night in Ronda.

We did do a day trip to Tangier. Was interesting but with only 2 weeks, I don't know if I'd do it this trip.

Many people don't like Gibraltar but we did. Spent 2 nights. Hired a taxi driver to be our guide. Loved the monkeys, caves, history!

joannyc

I'm going back to Spain in mid-September for 3 weeks. I"ve been twice before. First time in Andalucia. Last year in central Spain. This year will be NW Spain.

Momddtravel2

<Re being a pescatarian in Spain. Lots of seemingly vegetarian dishes have pork in them; she needs to learn how to ask about this.>

I read this in one of my guide books Jub - Oy. She is a picky little thing!

Joan - we might be wiped out on that first day but can try to see Cordoba that day... I would LOVE to stay the night in Ronda - it looks so pretty and dd is excited about hiking there. Need to see how to fit it in...

I know that Tangier is a bit of a wild card... it might be something I just have to let them "do" as they are both really wanting to... we can play it by ear I think for the time we have...

Ncz

My husband and I took the train from Madrid to Seville and spent 28 hours in Seville before flying to Barcelona. I truly enjoyed Seville and what it has to offer. I was able to see the Alcazar, spend 4 hrs walking around/enjoying the city in the evening + explore the Plaza del Espana in this time span. I am not usually a fan of hectic travel but did not find this too difficult and worthwhile.

Momddtravel2

Joan - I would LOVE three weeks!!! I have a feeling we are going to love Spain!

I am now thinking...

May 6 - arrive 10 am and train to Seville
May 6-8 Seville - hotel?
May 8 Ronda - hotel?
May 9-10 - Granada -
May 11 - 16 Marbella
May 16-19 Madrid... I am open to May 17 - 19 in Madrid as well...

Need to figure transportation out on the ground... when/where to pick up car...

annhig

mom - if you can, do get to Cordoba - I've never been but it looks terrific. [and is the no 1 destination according to TA, if that influences you at all]. if you were going to borrow a night from Madrid, I would spend it here.

The position of that hotel in Granada is fine - there is a bus which will take you all the way up to the entrance of the Alhambra, or the walk is very nice [but I think I would do it on the way back as there is a lot of walking within the alhambra itself].

I would pick up the car as you leave Granada - there is a very nice drive south over the Sierra Madre and then along the coast to Malaga, which you won't see if you get the train.

annhig

PS - the Cadogan guide to this area is excellent.

joannyc

Do you have Starwood points? The Hotel Alphonso XIII in Seville is great!

I'd pick up the car when leaving Seville. Try Kemwel.com or Autoeurope.com sister companies who are brokers. I always get the best price through them.

Unless you want to go to Cadiz where Columbus sailed from to come to America. Then I'd pick it up earlier to drive there.

Momddtravel2

I am rethinking the routing....

No, I only have a few starwood points and amex transfer system to starwood is less than generous. We have a ton of marriott points... the Hotel Alphonos looks amazing. At this point, we are only paying for lodging in Seville and Ronda....but the Alphonos is $$$$.

I got Rick Steve's DVD of Spain and will watch it with the family - while I am not a fan of his method of travel - we like to watch the DVD's to get a flavor/excited about the area...

Am still recovering from surgery so this is a fun way to spend my time before I head back to the trenches of work ...

The caves outside of Ronda look interesting and I think my dd would like to check them out... thinking of maybe a few nights in Ronda - maybe in a villa/rental outside of the city... for hiking and relaxing.... as I said, still really toying with the timing/nights where...

I am not sure if all hotels have released their rooms for May of 2014...but a number of the smaller places are already showing sold out ... (either that or they have not released yet? )

Momddtravel2

Meant to put a link to the caves http://www.cuevadelapileta.org/
Read about them in Lonely Planets guide to Andalucia.

joannyc

Looks cool! I'm going to visit a couple of caves this year also.

You might also be interested in St. Michael's cave on Gibraltar.

http://www.gibraltarinfo.gi/gibralta...aels-cave.aspx