Revised Itinerary - 4/8 - 4/16
 

I want to thank all of you in taking the time to respond back. Based on feedback, we redid the itinerary - and here is what we are thinking.

Apr 8 - Fly into Madrid. High speed train to Seville.
April 8 - April 11 - In Seville. We do a day trip to Cordoba on one of those days.
April 11 - April 14 - Malaga ( my husband WANTS to go to Malaga. For him this is a check since he had the option to go there when he was teen, and apparently this is on his check off list.
April 14 - April 16 - Madrid. Iberia as $48 one way ticket from Malaga to Madrid.

Now, we have to figure out if we want to do the car drive from Seville to Malaga - that way we still get to drive and do our own pace.

Would love to hear back on this revised itinerary,

Thanks

D

Are you going to see the Alhambra as a day trip from Malaga then? I can't imagine going to Andalucia and not seeing the Alhambra...

Sundriedtopepo - Absolutely!!! My next post will be asking for recommendations for which tour guide to use to do the day trip to the Alhambra :)

If you just want to go as fast as possible between the two take the train or bus-if you want to say take a few days drive -go by the famous perched white villages - Ronda- Granada and end in Malaga, returning the car.

I drove once from Malaga to Granada on a day trip and it was a nice scenic drive thru some mountains. Book an entry time for the Alhambra.

I'm not sure I'm following this itinerary --

It seems that you have two days in Sevilla, one of which you plan to use for a day trip to Cordoba? Could work, but you would not have much time to see anything in either city.

You then have 2 days in Malaga, during which you plan to take a day trip to Granada? Again, not much time anywhere. And FWIW, the Alhambra is not well suited to a day trip IMO -- it easily merits a half-day or more during the day and also a separate evening visit. Your call, of course.

And then 1 day in Madrid, I assume to make sure you are there the night before your flight? That's wise, but again, gives you very little time.

I'm not sure how much of an advantage a car would be -- you don't exactly have time to dawdle with this itinerary...

It is best to count days only once (never the same day as 2 places)

Apr 8, arrive Madrid, train to Seville, nt. Seville
Apr 9 & 10 Seville (2 days)
Apr 11, travel to Malaga (1/2 day Malaga)
Apr 12 & 13, Malaga (2 days)
Apr 14, travel to Madrid (1/2 day Madrid)
Apr 15, Madrid (1 day)
Apr 16, depart Madrid

Put another way
Seville, 3 nts, 2 days
Malaga, 3 nts, 2 & 1/2 days
Madrid, 2 nts, 1 & 1/2 days

If your husband is set on Malaga, that may be best. If so, then you are set with what you have, and truth is, I have not been to Malaga so my opinion on that doesn't have credibility.

However, I have been to Granada and the Alhambra. It is, in my opinion, one of the great architectural treasures in Europe, if not the world. Also, in April, the gardens of the Alhambra are at their peak. You will be so close, it seems a shame not to have time for it.

If Malaga is a must, maybe you should consider replacing Seville with Granada. I think the Alhambra is the single best sight in Spain, and the evening tour is magical, but needs to be supplemented by the day tour plus the gardens, so you really need two nights.

3000 year old Málaga is wisely on your husband's check out list, a fabulous city and tons of things going on here now. Lonely Planet, New York Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Condé Nast now all point towards Málaga, "Spain's new creative heart": http://www.cntraveller.com/recommend...u-centre-guide

Alhambra could be done as a day trip from Málaga, 90 minutes with Alsa bus, leaves all the time. Go in the morning, be in Granada by ten, tour Alhambra and have lunch around 2-2:30 before going back to Málaga. Or perhaps also see the cathedral and the Royal chappel (very much part of the Alhambra history) before going back to Málaga in the evening.

If you come back to Málaga really late, you can relax and rewind with dinner and some drinks in emblematic Bodega El Pimpi. Then you also have views of the lit Moorish Alcazaba Palace/fortress, a few hundred years older than Alhambra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ60p6dyFEs

Désirée got all the information she needed and made a choice. I think we should respect this choice even if we would do the trip in another manner.

You problem is Malaga, Seville, Cordoba, Granada and Madrid are all good visits. I would use the train as much as possible, this whole visiting things by car is .... well it is .... unnecessary. Especially as getting a car into most of these cities is a real pain.

Let loose your home cultural needs, step into a new continent and do the local thing, take the train and don't tip. :-)

Driving in Europe can be fun if not in a hurry- freeways are a bore and side roads can be tediously slow and yes in cities cars are a problem.

But experiencing Europe by car is neat too- in Spain bring a spare pair of spectacles if your license requires them as that I guess is the law. And get an International Driving Permit I guess.

The only place I would rent a car is to drive from Seville to Malaga so you can stop in some of the smaller white villages. Cars are a major hassle in Seville, Granada and Madrid. I would rather stay in Granada than Malaga but if your husband insists than so be it. I would drop the big bucks on a good tour company that handles everything taking you to Granada, drops you off at the Alhambra and takes you back. The Alhambra is not a great daytrip but if it's your only chance avoid all of the headaches by having someone take care of everything.

Again, thank you for your thoughts. I will do the guided day trip for Granada. Pick up car the day we leave Seville, and drop it up in Malaga...

Appreciate all your responses. Thank you so much!!!