Sending out a SOS for Final Itinerary Decision for 10 nights in Spain
Mar 24th, 2010, 05:46 PM
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Sending out a SOS for Final Itinerary Decision for 10 nights in Spain
In May we will be spending 10 nights in Spain as part of a 3.5 week trip to Europe/Morocco. Here is our almost final itinerary:
3 nights Barcelona (side trip Montserrat)
3 nights Madrid (side trip Toledo)
2 nights Seville
2 nights Granada (take 7:10 train last day to Algeciras)
1 week Morocco (via Algericas ferry)
1 week Netherlands/Belgium
The only thing we're having a hard time with is we kind of would like to maybe fit in a night in Ronda on the way between Granada and Algeciras. It will give us a small city feel (which is missing in our current trip) and it will cut up the long 4.5 hour train ride from Granada to Algerciras.
Do you think Ronda would be worth a visit at the expense of a night at one our cities in Spain? If so which one? We can't change the non-Spain portions of our trip because they are all booked already.
It may help to know that we are go-go-go types when we travel (as you can tell) and love to just get a quick feel for a city. Love history, architecture, beautiful scenery, and taking in new cultures. We aren't huge museum types but will hit ones that are "can't miss" and we not huge shoppers but we like to stroll around and get "lost" when possible.
Literally we've been struggling with this one question for weeks now and it's really the final major piece we need to decide on our trip so any help is appreciated!
3 nights Barcelona (side trip Montserrat)
3 nights Madrid (side trip Toledo)
2 nights Seville
2 nights Granada (take 7:10 train last day to Algeciras)
1 week Morocco (via Algericas ferry)
1 week Netherlands/Belgium
The only thing we're having a hard time with is we kind of would like to maybe fit in a night in Ronda on the way between Granada and Algeciras. It will give us a small city feel (which is missing in our current trip) and it will cut up the long 4.5 hour train ride from Granada to Algerciras.
Do you think Ronda would be worth a visit at the expense of a night at one our cities in Spain? If so which one? We can't change the non-Spain portions of our trip because they are all booked already.
It may help to know that we are go-go-go types when we travel (as you can tell) and love to just get a quick feel for a city. Love history, architecture, beautiful scenery, and taking in new cultures. We aren't huge museum types but will hit ones that are "can't miss" and we not huge shoppers but we like to stroll around and get "lost" when possible.
Literally we've been struggling with this one question for weeks now and it's really the final major piece we need to decide on our trip so any help is appreciated!
Mar 26th, 2010, 03:04 PM
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Anyone have any thoughts? Lately we've really started leaning towards the idea of taking a night off of Madrid, maybe removing Toledo to do so.
Would love to hear from others who've been to these places on what you would do with this setup!
Would love to hear from others who've been to these places on what you would do with this setup!
Mar 26th, 2010, 03:42 PM
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well, I personally would not skip Toledo, but then it's my favorite city!
your schedule is already busy but I have not been to Ronda and it's actually on my agenda as well. so, I am not sure what to tell you on that. we are renting a car from Sevilla on our way to Malaga and hopefully stopping in Ronda on the way. maybe you could do something similar?
your schedule is already busy but I have not been to Ronda and it's actually on my agenda as well. so, I am not sure what to tell you on that. we are renting a car from Sevilla on our way to Malaga and hopefully stopping in Ronda on the way. maybe you could do something similar?
Mar 26th, 2010, 04:50 PM
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My daughter and I did a whirlwind independent trip (with public transportation) to Spain that went like this: Madrid - 3, Cordoba - 1, Ronda - 1, Seville - 1, Granada - 2, Madrid - 1, Salamanca - 2, Madrid 3 (daytrips to Segovia and Toledo).
We didn't intend to include Sevilla, but my daughter decided while in Ronda that she really wanted to go there, so I refigured and added it in. I think our itin went like this:
Arr. Madrid day 1 - walk around (Puerto del Sol, Palace, Plaza Mayor), day 2 - Prado, day 3 - sleep in, relaxed lunch, Reina Sofia Museum (Picasso's Guernica), get train tickets for the next day, day 4 - early AVE train to Cordoba, see the old city and la Mesquita, day 5, early train to Ronda, sightsee in Ronda, day 6, more sightseeing in Ronda, then catch bus to Sevilla. Get in late, Post Office stop, eat dinner, see Catedral lit up at night, day 7 - Alcazar in a.m., Cathedral, la Giralda in afternoon, quick stop at Plaza d'Espana, then a bus to Granada, getting in early evening, day 8 - full day at the Alhambra, day 9 - Cathedral, Chapel with Isabelle and Ferdinand's tombs, the Albaycin (Moorish quarter), 5PM bus to Madrid, getting in quite late (but we already had booked our hotel again or that night), day 10 - bus to Avila for sightseeing, then continued to Salamanca, day 11 - Salamanca sightseeing, day 12 - bus to Madrid, Thyssen Museum in the afternoon till evening, day 13 - day trip to Segovia, day 14 - daytrip to Toledo, day 15 - fly home.
See what I mean by whirlwind???
There wasn't much time for relaxation, but we fit a lot in and had a great time. Since we traveled in the off-season, we didn't prebook hotels, so just adjusted the itinerary as we went along. That's why we had the strange order of Cordoba-Ronda-Sevilla-Granada.
So, back to Ronda...since we were traveling by public transportation, we were sticking to good size cities, and I wanted to see one of the pueblos blancos, plus I had a thing for seeing the bridge at Ronda. So I got Ronda and my daughter got Sevilla.
I'm really glad we went there. It did ilve up to my expectations. I think a single night would be sufficient, if you have a full day, or an afternoon and the next morning - something like that. We saw the bullring and la Casa del Rey Moro, which is really cool. You descend via stone steps (a little dicey...) through the rock to the river bed. the bridge is lit at night - good photo op. Next morning, we went to the little museum in the bridge and then found a great path down to a place where I could get great photos looking back and up to the bridge and town. Not having a car, that was really fun for me to be able to take that hike and get the postcard view.
Can you steal a night from either Morocco or Netherlands/Belgium? Don't forget to account for the travel time between places and the associated tiredness and reorientation.
We made do in Sevilla with just one night, but I'm sure many would think that was really giving it short-shrift. Personally, although I was glad to see the great stuff we saw there, but I agree with you that it's nice to get to a smaller place here and there. Sevilla is a huge city. Granada and especially Cordoba are much smaller, but still not as small as Ronda, by far. If you go to Ronda, check out the Hotel Royal. Easy walking to the old city (like a few minutes) and a terrific value - very clean, modern, pleasant, and reasonable.
Hope I didn't bore you with the itinerary. It helps me to see what others have done in a certain amount of days, so I thought that might help you envision what it might be like.
I'm a big art lover, that's why I needed the time in Madrid; if you're not, maybe you don't need as much time there. Try to see Guernica if you can though; so historically important and emotionally charged.
BTW, I'm going to Barcelona myself and hoping to do that daytrip to Monserrat. That looks like a pretty cool setting and it has a black Madonna.
We didn't intend to include Sevilla, but my daughter decided while in Ronda that she really wanted to go there, so I refigured and added it in. I think our itin went like this:
Arr. Madrid day 1 - walk around (Puerto del Sol, Palace, Plaza Mayor), day 2 - Prado, day 3 - sleep in, relaxed lunch, Reina Sofia Museum (Picasso's Guernica), get train tickets for the next day, day 4 - early AVE train to Cordoba, see the old city and la Mesquita, day 5, early train to Ronda, sightsee in Ronda, day 6, more sightseeing in Ronda, then catch bus to Sevilla. Get in late, Post Office stop, eat dinner, see Catedral lit up at night, day 7 - Alcazar in a.m., Cathedral, la Giralda in afternoon, quick stop at Plaza d'Espana, then a bus to Granada, getting in early evening, day 8 - full day at the Alhambra, day 9 - Cathedral, Chapel with Isabelle and Ferdinand's tombs, the Albaycin (Moorish quarter), 5PM bus to Madrid, getting in quite late (but we already had booked our hotel again or that night), day 10 - bus to Avila for sightseeing, then continued to Salamanca, day 11 - Salamanca sightseeing, day 12 - bus to Madrid, Thyssen Museum in the afternoon till evening, day 13 - day trip to Segovia, day 14 - daytrip to Toledo, day 15 - fly home.
See what I mean by whirlwind???
There wasn't much time for relaxation, but we fit a lot in and had a great time. Since we traveled in the off-season, we didn't prebook hotels, so just adjusted the itinerary as we went along. That's why we had the strange order of Cordoba-Ronda-Sevilla-Granada.
So, back to Ronda...since we were traveling by public transportation, we were sticking to good size cities, and I wanted to see one of the pueblos blancos, plus I had a thing for seeing the bridge at Ronda. So I got Ronda and my daughter got Sevilla.
I'm really glad we went there. It did ilve up to my expectations. I think a single night would be sufficient, if you have a full day, or an afternoon and the next morning - something like that. We saw the bullring and la Casa del Rey Moro, which is really cool. You descend via stone steps (a little dicey...) through the rock to the river bed. the bridge is lit at night - good photo op. Next morning, we went to the little museum in the bridge and then found a great path down to a place where I could get great photos looking back and up to the bridge and town. Not having a car, that was really fun for me to be able to take that hike and get the postcard view.
Can you steal a night from either Morocco or Netherlands/Belgium? Don't forget to account for the travel time between places and the associated tiredness and reorientation.
We made do in Sevilla with just one night, but I'm sure many would think that was really giving it short-shrift. Personally, although I was glad to see the great stuff we saw there, but I agree with you that it's nice to get to a smaller place here and there. Sevilla is a huge city. Granada and especially Cordoba are much smaller, but still not as small as Ronda, by far. If you go to Ronda, check out the Hotel Royal. Easy walking to the old city (like a few minutes) and a terrific value - very clean, modern, pleasant, and reasonable.
Hope I didn't bore you with the itinerary. It helps me to see what others have done in a certain amount of days, so I thought that might help you envision what it might be like.
I'm a big art lover, that's why I needed the time in Madrid; if you're not, maybe you don't need as much time there. Try to see Guernica if you can though; so historically important and emotionally charged.
BTW, I'm going to Barcelona myself and hoping to do that daytrip to Monserrat. That looks like a pretty cool setting and it has a black Madonna.
Mar 27th, 2010, 12:26 PM
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Thanks everyone for your help with this, especially MECindylou. You didn't bore me at all, it's exactly the type of thing I was looking for!
So let me ask you this, if you take your art lover hat off for a second...how would you pick between the 3 options now that you've been? (All options will start with an early AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid for day 1)
1) a night in Ronda with no side trip to Toledo while in Madrid so that can get 1.5 to 2 days of sightseeing there
2) a night in Ronda with only about 1 full day combined for Madrid in the daytime. (basically 2 nights in Madrid with a side trip to Toledo)
3) no Rhonda, instead get 1.5 days of sightseeing in Madrid AND a side trip to Toledo, plus 3 nights in Madrid
It sounds like you would choose #1 or #2, but you didn't say much about Toledo so not sure which.
Take time away from Morocco or Netherlands/Belgium is not an option or we would likely have done that. We have a private tour already booked in Morocco and we already have our flight from Casablanca to Amsterdam booked.
So let me ask you this, if you take your art lover hat off for a second...how would you pick between the 3 options now that you've been? (All options will start with an early AVE train from Barcelona to Madrid for day 1)
1) a night in Ronda with no side trip to Toledo while in Madrid so that can get 1.5 to 2 days of sightseeing there
2) a night in Ronda with only about 1 full day combined for Madrid in the daytime. (basically 2 nights in Madrid with a side trip to Toledo)
3) no Rhonda, instead get 1.5 days of sightseeing in Madrid AND a side trip to Toledo, plus 3 nights in Madrid
It sounds like you would choose #1 or #2, but you didn't say much about Toledo so not sure which.
Take time away from Morocco or Netherlands/Belgium is not an option or we would likely have done that. We have a private tour already booked in Morocco and we already have our flight from Casablanca to Amsterdam booked.
Mar 27th, 2010, 07:39 PM
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I'd vote for option 3, but that is just me 
I MUST see Toledo!!!! I am spending 5 nights in Madrid with two side trips to Toledo and Segovia. Toledo, to me, is the most picturesque city in Spain. However, it's been nearly 30 years since I was in Spain so.....even so, I have fond memories of my many trips to Toledo while living in Madrid as a student.
I MUST see Toledo!!!! I am spending 5 nights in Madrid with two side trips to Toledo and Segovia. Toledo, to me, is the most picturesque city in Spain. However, it's been nearly 30 years since I was in Spain so.....even so, I have fond memories of my many trips to Toledo while living in Madrid as a student.
Mar 27th, 2010, 09:06 PM
#11
I'd take time from Madrid to make sure I saw both Toledo and Ronda. I didn't especially care for Madrid, but I loved both Toledo and Ronda. Although I did see Toledo during a major festival, I think I would have liked it anyway, and the cathedral is one of the best in Europe. I wasn't very impressed with the palace in Madrid, and I don't care for Spanish art - too many martyrs.
Mar 28th, 2010, 02:03 PM
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LOL, I see there is a definite a consensus forming, oh wait...not really
As expected everyone has their own opinion based on their own tastes...at least I think this shows that we likely can't go wrong with whatever we choose! Either way all this information has been enormously helpful! While we still haven't made that final decision just yet (we agreed tonight we make it final) we know have a better idea of the factors in play to help fit within our tastes. So again a big thanks to everyone!
As expected everyone has their own opinion based on their own tastes...at least I think this shows that we likely can't go wrong with whatever we choose! Either way all this information has been enormously helpful! While we still haven't made that final decision just yet (we agreed tonight we make it final) we know have a better idea of the factors in play to help fit within our tastes. So again a big thanks to everyone!
Mar 28th, 2010, 02:08 PM
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Oh I forgot to mention one thing we have done is taken Toledo out of the equation to be dropped. We are definitely going to go to Toledo for sure now based on the comments here and reading some other trip reports.
We also looked into take a night out of Granada and just taking a late train to Ronda and then from there a later train the next day to Algeciras. Unfortunately the limited train options from Ronda to Algeciras combined with the ferry schedules makes this pretty impossible as we'd likely be taking a 9pm ferry which is too late since our destination isn't Tangier.
So by process of elimination we're down to less sightseeing in Madrid, but with a night in Ronda vs a more leisurely/relaxed time in Madrid with ability to see more sights, but no Ronda.
We also looked into take a night out of Granada and just taking a late train to Ronda and then from there a later train the next day to Algeciras. Unfortunately the limited train options from Ronda to Algeciras combined with the ferry schedules makes this pretty impossible as we'd likely be taking a 9pm ferry which is too late since our destination isn't Tangier.
So by process of elimination we're down to less sightseeing in Madrid, but with a night in Ronda vs a more leisurely/relaxed time in Madrid with ability to see more sights, but no Ronda.
Mar 30th, 2010, 05:20 AM
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joannyc, hmm that is a great idea! I think I'll definitely look into that option! Did you by chance make that drive yourself?
ps- we decided on 2 nights in Madrid and 1 night in Ronda. Already booked our hotels for those cities!
ps- we decided on 2 nights in Madrid and 1 night in Ronda. Already booked our hotels for those cities!
