Request for comments on Andalucia itinerary
 

Greetings,<BR><BR>I'm planning the itinerary for my (regretfully short) honeymoon. We are arriving in Malaga on a Sunday around noon local time, driving to our timeshare in Marbella, and then spending the week touring Andalucia, leaving on Saturday morning. So we have basically Monday-Friday for our touring. Here is the preliminary outline I have come up with. I am more than happy to receive suggestions or comments, as my fiancee and I have not previously visited Spain. If you think a particular visit would be a waste of time, then please let me know, like I said, we're open for suggestions. :-) Oh, and the timeshare we are staying in was given to us free of charge, so we hope to not spend money on other lodgings and spend it on other things instead.<BR><BR>We are definitely interested in seeing ancient ruins, particularly Roman, Moorish architecture, landscapes, and eating some good food.<BR><BR>Sunday: relax and rest and hang around our timeshare and the immediate area.<BR><BR>Monday: Tour around Marbella and the Malaga area in general.<BR><BR>Tuesday: Visit Ronda, Ronda la Vieja, and the Pueblos Blancos.<BR><BR>Wednesday: Visit the Roman ruins in Italica early in the morning, then spend the rest of the day in Sevilla.<BR><BR>Thursday: Visit Granada and the Alhambra<BR><BR>Friday: nothing planned as yet, suggestions are welcome<BR><BR>Saturday: time to leave! :-(<BR><BR>Again, any suggestions, questions, critiques are welcome. We do not have our hearts set on any particular thing, although we really would like to see Italica and the Alhambra.<BR><BR>Thanks!<BR><BR>p.s. Apologies for not putting accents on any of the words, I have no idea how to make them and I'm not sure I would get them right anyway! :-)

Hi, I suggest to go after Sevilla to Cordoba, it's a worth place to visit...<BR><BR>As well from Granada visit LAS ALPUJARRAS, and Sierra Nevada in a clear day you can see the sea...<BR><BR>Enjoy your Honeymoon!!!<BR>AH! for good food in Sevilla la Taberna del Alarbadero, place where the tourist don't go...in the stree called Zamora..I loved it.

Anyone else? I know I have read about others in here visiting Andalucia, you must have some tips. :-)

prwood,<BR><BR>I know you want to avoid this, but I would REALLY recommend that you spend the night in Seville. If you must do Sevilla in a day, perhaps you can take a tour from Marbella - at least you can rest on the ride there and back. Otherwise, I fear that you will be a complete wreck at the end of your day. This reasoning also holds for Granada, although it is more doable than Sevilla IMO.<BR><BR>My itinerary would look like this:<BR><BR>Sunday: R&R<BR><BR>Monday: Explore Marbella & area<BR><BR>Tuesday: Granada & the Alhambra<BR><BR>Wednesday: Drive to Seville via Ronda<BR><BR>Thursday: explore Seville and return to Marbella in the evening on the expressway (autov&iacute;a)<BR><BR>Friday: R&R or pueblos blancos if you still have the energy<BR><BR>BTW, you should purchase your Alhambra tickets in advance on the internet or at a BBV bank branch once you arrive in Marbella. Choose a realistic time slot - you don't want to miss it because you got caught in a traffic jam... You can still enter the Alhambra grounds as soon as you arrive - the time slot only applies to the Nasrid Palace.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

Another vote for Cordoba. If you're interested in Moorish architecture, the Mezquita is something you should make every effort to see.

Seville is kind of a lot to do in one day, unless you leave really, really early. And you are running, running, running every day. I would do Marbella on Monday, Seville on Tuesday & Wednesday, Ronda on Thursday, Granada on Friday.

Thanks for the advice folks! We definitely don't want to become two wrecks on our honeymoon!<BR><BR>If you're recommending staying overnight in Seville, can you recommend a good hotel that is not too expensive?<BR><BR>Any advice on parking in the major cities? We just booked our car rental yesterday, a Renault Megane Coupe. :-)<BR><BR>I did find a place online where we can buy Alhambra tickets in advance, so hopefully we will be doing that in the next couple of days.<BR><BR>Also, any advice on roads to avoid, things NOT to do, any attractions or exhibits that are tempting but not really worth the time? Bad restaurants?<BR><BR>We received advice from a friend that the site of the '92 Expo in Sevilla was really not worth the trip.<BR><BR>Also, any honeymoon-specific tips? Any particularly romantics spots, restaurants, etc - that you would recommend? Or tips on how to get a little extra-special treatment on planes, etc?<BR><BR>Thanks much folks. :-) We'll be arriving in Spain one week from today, October 27, and we're very excited. :-)

I agree with Ellen and think her itinerary suggestions are the best. You are really short-changing both Seville and Granada -- our two favorite cities. Ronda is a day, but not more, but the drive is lengthy. Plus, you don't want to be racing around and running yourself ragged on your honeymoon -- TRUST ME! We also honeymooned in Andalucia and thought it was fabulous.<BR><BR>As for accommodations in Seville, this may be pricier than your preference, but we stayed at Casa Imperial. A little outside Santa Cruz area, but an easy walk, a beautiful hotel and great service.

Ah, yes, as for parking in major cities -- let the hotel valet park the car. They often have car parks underneath the hotels and they are difficult to navigate (very tight). Seville, in particular, is a difficult city to get in and out of (and find your hotel). Just be sure you inspect the car when you pick it up from the rental company and note any damage to it and be sure to inspect it after each valet parks it -- we learned this lesson the hard way!

American chiming in here - I would definitely recommend staying the night in Seville. I just got back from 2 weeks in Spain & Portugal and Seville was my favorite city. You can skip the expo, but I loved the Plaza de Maria Luisa (something along those lines) which is not only beautiful (and great architecture), but also where Star Wars: Episode 2 was partly fimed. Also, you can take in a flamenco show or see a bullfight (or at least see the museum which I thought was great!). As for my $.02 - I would pass on Cordoba - we found there wasn't much to see/do - and ended up sitting around a cafe for most of the day we were there. Enjoy!

oh yeah - and another tick for Seville is the supposed (that's a whole other story to research) tomb of Christopher Columbus.

Ooops, I should have said we were arriving in Spain one MONTH from today, October 27, but I think you probably figured it out.<BR><BR>I definitely feel the mood of everyone strongly suggesting that we not run ourselves ragged, and I will definitely take that into account. I am going to re-work the itinerary a little bit and I'll post something back here a little while. Thanks again! :-)

One question, if I stay just one night at a hotel in Sevilla, can I book a room at a hotel there online? Or do I need to call for reservations?

prwood,<BR><BR>Don't worry about a language barrier re hotels in Seville - they will all have someone who speaks English! If it's a cost issue, you can probably reach most places by e-mail if they don't have a web site. <BR>www.viamichelin.com<BR>has pretty complete hotel listings with e-mail addresses.<BR><BR>In any event, always request a written confirmation by fax or e-mail to avoid possible confusion.<BR><BR>Andre

Andre:<BR><BR>I'm not too worried about the language - my fiancee speaks Spanish very well, and I am somewhat competent, though not as good as she.<BR><BR>I was more concerned about room availability - will it be easy to get a room when I'm over there, on the spot, or should I book a month ahead of time from here in the US.<BR><BR>Another question - I am looking at the Michelin Road Maps, and map #446 for Spain seems to be fairly out of date at most places - I have heard that a newer version is available, but most places seem to have versions that were published in the early 90's. Is there a place I can buy the latest version over here in the US, or should I wait and buy one when I get over to Spain?

prwood,<BR><BR>I would DEFINITELY book the hotel ASAP. The nice yet affordable places book up very fast. There's lots of Seville hotel info on the board.<BR><BR>Have you tried Amazon for the map?<BR><BR>Andre

Here are some hotels with rooms available. Can anyone comment on these? Since we already have one week at our timeshare already paid for, we don't want to spend too much on extra lodgings. Prices listed are for one night in one standard room with two occupants.<BR><BR>1. Hotel Becquer 119.95<BR> <BR>2. Silken Al-Andalus Palace Hotel 99.95<BR><BR>3. Hotel Abril 65.95 <BR> <BR>4. Hotel San Gil 139.95 <BR><BR>5. Hotel Occidental Sevilla 139.95<BR> <BR>6. Tryp Macarena 129.95 <BR><BR>7. Melia Sevilla 169.95<BR> <BR>8. Gran Hotel Lar 109.95 <BR> <BR>9. Nh Plaza De Armas 119.95

p.s. Those prices are in USD.

I agree that you should stay in Seville. It is a beautiful city and lively. I just came back and stayed at the Don Paco Hotel on P.Jeronimo Cordoba 4-5, fax 34 95 4222824. There are lots of tour groups in and out of the hotel, but it is comfortable and in a good location for walking. The river cruise is nice and relaxing also.

I received this email from Maribel, for some reason she couldn't respond to this thread, so I am posting it here for everyone's benefit. Thanks Maribel for your insight! :-)<BR><BR>----<BR>prwood,<BR>Please make sure to book ahead, as Andre wisely tells you!<BR>If you need emails, do a Google search on each hotel, look at the Michelin<BR>site, or I may be able to find them for you in my Official Hotel Guide.<BR><BR>Since you're only spending 1 night, I'd be sure to choose something as<BR>central as possible, if you can, so that you can maximize and efficiently<BR>use your sightseeing time. You can always use a taxi, of course, but by<BR>walking, you'll soak up the flavor of the city so much better. The<BR>Occidental, San Gil (nice), Tryp Macarena, Melia Sevilla, Plaza de Armas and<BR>Lar are all somewhat-to very removed for walking to the sights. From your<BR>list, I'd choose the Becquer.<BR>www.hotelbecquer.com<BR><BR>For a more inexp. option, have your tried the Hotel Amadeus (new last yr.)<BR>or the Hosteria del Laurel in the Santa Cruz Quarter, or the Hotel<BR>Maestranza (4 yrs. old)?<BR>www.hotelamadeussevilla.com<BR>www.sol.co m/hotel/hosteria-laurel/<BR>www.hotel-maestranza.com<BR>