knickc

Hello,

We are first time visitors flying into Seville from Barcelona and have about a week to make our way to Madrid. I had been thinking that picking up a car at the Seville airport would allow us to explore the sherry triangle, perhaps Cadiz too, and then visit Seville, Córdoba, and Toledo. But I'm wondering if that's too much moving around, and also if having a car will be more trouble than it's worth in terms of parking, urban traffic etc. I'm comfortable driving in Europe but if it would be just as easy to get around by train that would be great.

Thoughts? Any feedback on our itinerary would be appreciated too.

Thanks.

kja

Visiting Seville, Cordoba, and Toledo could easily take a full week; no car would be needed and -- as you note -- having a car could make your life much more difficult. The trains in Spain are excellent.

No time for Granada?

RonZ

Trains see www.seat61.com

cdnyul

Car. Can't speak for the trains, never having taken any in Spain.

We have visited all the places you have mentioned plus many others in-between.

Traffic or parking have never been a problem.

Mark

november_moon

It is easy to get around does by train, and it's easy to get around by car, so I think it's really a matter of preference. Do you want to visit just these towns and cities or do you want to stop and visit places en route?

knickc

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like an even split. RE Granada, yeah I would like to go there! I wish we had more time. But we are considering flying to Grenada instead and driving from there to Seville. In that case probably not enough time to visit the sherry triangle.

Nelson

If you decide on a car, then consider looking for hotels not right in the narrow centers. In spite of what cdnyul says, we found driving through could be a nightmare. Probably he drives better than us!

But alternating one way streets unknown to the GPS, and folding in side view mirrors to make tight turns was a bit out of our comfort zone in a few spots. We visited some places you couldn't get to at all by train, and that was way cool, but you mentioned cities where train travel is easy, and your time is limited.

Have a great trip what ever you decide.

Nelson

If you decide on a car, then consider looking for hotels not right in the narrow town centers. In spite of what cdnyul says, we found driving through there could be a nightmare. Probably he drives better than us!

But alternating one way streets unknown to the GPS, and folding in side view mirrors to make tight turns was a bit out of our comfort zone in a few spots. We visited some places you couldn't get to at all by train, and that was way cool, but you mentioned cities where train travel is easy, and your time is limited.

Have a great trip what ever you decide.

RonZ

Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba on the way to Madrid easily take up a week, figuring a half day relocation each time. Toledo is a very easy day trip from Madrid. Quick train schedules here:

http://driventoit.blogspot.com.au/

Christina

I don't understand why you would even want a car in Seville itself, what would you do with it? You'll have to get a hotel on the outskirts, also. Cordoba is easy to visit from Seville by train, I think it's only about 45 moinutes or something and it's just a local train. Cadiz is also just 1:45 by direct train, but depends what you want to do there.

Toledo is the one place you mention that's a bit off the beaten track as far as trains go. It's not on the main train line from Seville to Madrid, so you have to go to Madrid to get there by train, then transfer.

So that's the one where you might want to drive. I could see better getting a car when you are leaving Seville, not when you are arriving. Maybe you could do all the non-Seville travel then, depends what you want to do in Cadiz and how much time. You only have a week anyway, to me that would only be Seville, maybe day trip to Cordoba and a couple days in Toledo.

knickc

Yes, picking up a car while leaving Seville makes sense.

Nelson - yes, had to pull the mirrors in often when we drove in Italy and France. Some in the UK too, though that's not the most difficult thing about driving there.

kimhe

As kjs says, the trains in Spain are excellent, and the high speed AVE line takes you from Sevilla to Madrid in 2h 30 mins. Córdoba is also on the AVE line between Sevilla and Madrid.

Cádiz is an easy bus or train ride from Sevilla, Toldeo is an easy train or bus ride form Sevilla. Absolutely no need for a car if you're visiting these five cities.

PalenQ

Seville to Ronda to Granada is a neat driving route - from Seville via the iconic perched white villages en route to Ronda - superb town from a visual standpoint - deep gorge bisects it.

But if you have only a week and want to see Seville, Granada, Toledo and Cordoba you have little time to explore between them so maybe take the super-fast AVE trains Seville-Cordoba-Madrid-Toledo - Granada may be hard to fit in - off the other neat linear train line. Drop Cadiz- OK place but no time for it.


Anyways for lots of good dope on Spanish trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

danon

Train service in Spain is excellent...we never drive, but I am sure ther are advantages ...
If you drive ,it is probably easier to stay in big hotels on the edge of town( as suggested).

PalenQ

It used to be years ago the Pain in Spain was mainly on the train but yes as danon says trains today are amongst the very best and fastest in Europe.

Much of the interior IME of Spain is dull - semi-arid with little vegetation and distances between key sites are long. Cars however are great for a small area like Andalusia if you are spending several days there and not covering much distance each day.

kja

With only a week and so many wonderful destinations (too many?) in mind, I am not convinced that having a car would be better than taking advantage of Spain's wonderful high-speed trains. JMO.

cdnyul

Interesting that people are comfortable giving advice about something they have never done.

There are hotels in Seville and Cordoba that have both parking and proximity to all the usual tourist places. Both are part of the Eurostars group.

The driving distance between Seville and Madrid is about 550 kilometers, so you don’t need to carry too many survival rations.

In between those two cities are a wealth of other cities, places, national parks, castle ruins and scenic roads just a turn or a road less traveled away.

If you do choose to drive, from Merida take the EX 102 to Guadalupe and then the CM 4100 to Oropesa and decide for yourself how barren, dry and dull Spain is.


Mark

Nelson

<i>> Both are part of the Eurostars group.</i>

Indeed we rented our car in Cordoba for the road trip part of our holiday, and stayed in the Eurostars Palace for exactly the reason that it was easy to drive to/from and had convenient on site parking. It's also near the train station.

Yet it's less than 200 meters to the Puerta de Almodovar and the narrowing winding streets of old Cordoba. It's also close to the train station.

So there are decent options if OP decides on a car.

Egbert

Cars are a hassle in those places. Public transport is too good. I don't like staying in hotels on the outskirts. I like to stay in the Old part of town when I'm in Europe.

emily71

Seville to Madrid utilizes the marvelous AVE high speed trains. Comfy seats, free headphones and radio/movie- for me it's a no brainer. Take the train.