DD McCall

Hi Folks,<BR>I'm considering taking a 2 week Spanish course in Andalucia (combined with 2 weeks in Barcelona) in May or Oct., but cannot decide between Sevilla and Granada. I've heard people say they prefer Granada, but would I be missing somethig if I didn't go to Sevilla? Any thoughts?<BR><BR>Also, I'll be starting the trip with 2 or 3 nights in Madrid. Any recommendations of budget to reasonably priced hotels near Plaza Mayor or Puerta del Sol? Thanks.

r

DD; Would you mind telling me with which school you will be studying Spanish in Spain? How did you hear about them?<BR><BR>And by the way that's a tough choice. They each offer different things: Sevilla or Granada. Sevilla is a bigger town than Granada. They both offer lots of Andulusian flavor. I will be interested to hear what others think.

rob

I would go to Sevilla. There is so much more to see and do there. Granada, however, has the Alambra, which you shouldn't miss. I would suggest doing Sevilla (you will love it) and plan a 1 or 2 day trip to Granada to see the Alambra. I spent 3 months in Sevilla and would do it there all over again in a heartbeat over any other city. I have never met anybody who didn't love Sevilla. <BR><BR>I wonder, did people love granada or love the Alambra _in_ granada? Because without a doubt the Alambra is one of the most fantastic sites in the world. But the city itself is ok. Sevilla is great.

Julie

Go with Sevilla if you must pick. It has much more variety and so much charm. The Alcazar will give you something of the flavor of the Alhambra. It also has wonderful gardens like the Alhambra. Granada, on the other hand, will not provide you anything approximating the Bario Santa Cruz, the great Cathedral or other magical sites of Seville.

will

For Madrid, you might try the Hotel Plaza Mayor. I stayed there last year & was satisfied. Their web address is www.h-plazamayor.com. I think they were around 60 USD/night for a double. They're only a block off the Plaza Mayor on Calle Atocha.

lisa

Personally, we enjoyed Granada much more than Seville. We loved the "city energy" of Granada, we enjoyed the tapas bars at night and loved not only the Alhambra, but also the cathedral, the Albacin, and other sights. So many of the sights there relate to Isabella and Ferdinand, who lived in Granada and sent Columbus on his trip to the New World from Granada.<BR><BR>Seville is also enjoyable, but we found many of the sights there similar to those in other cities. The shopping in Seville is great and there are probably more fancy restaurants. We found Seville *very* difficult to navigate and, yes, we are experienced travelers.<BR><BR>I would have a difficult time choosing between them. Could you split your available time between the two cities?