Six Nights in Spain
 

Hello, I am looking for suggestions on how to spend six nights (six full days) in Spain.

• I am traveling with my middle-aged parents at the end of January into February.
• We are interested in seeing some art, museums, and churches; but enjoying the sunny outdoors.
• So far, Valencia is at the top of our list, with Málaga, Calpe, Alicante, Seville, and Barcelona also in the running.
• Of note is that we are renting a car and would be willing to take a train or drive long distances, but we would like to make the most of our short stay in Spain (it is our first time in the country). We would even consider driving or taking a train far north or east to western France, but think it makes more sense to stay in the South.
• We are flying into Alicante airport.

Flying out of Alicante as well?

Yes, and see edit to the post on dates (end of January to beginning of February).

Alicante to Seville is 6 hours (I'd take the train as the car will take longer no matter what Boogle says) note that the train takes you via Madrid
Madrid is only 2 hours plus by train so I might look more at Madrid
Valencia by train is less than 2 hours

I do not quite see how six nights can possibly give you six full days. It can give you five full days and part of two other days, but neither of those would actually be full days. Either way, this is a very short time in winter when it is colder and days are shorter. Perhaps you are arriving from some other place in Europe, so no jet lag to consider, but if you are coming from a longer flight, the first day may be jet lagged so not much value for sight seeing.

Curious, why fly into and out of Alicante? It is too far for most day trips and wastes an enormous amount of time to backtrack for the return flight. I think you will have to pick one other place and go there for a few days, then return for the last night in Alicante before the return flight. Pick a place that really excites you and will work by train or a short flight. Except for Valencia, almost any place is going to take at least a half day or more getting there and another half day or more returning, so there is a full day eaten up.

You probably will not benefit from a car because you will want what daylight hours you have for sightseeing and not be driving at night in unfamiliar areas. Driving in cities in Spain can be a nightmare, speaking from personal experience. By train, you can arrive late and get a taxi to a hotel, IME, much easier than looking for a place or parking in a strange city.

Alicante has a beautiful promenade along the waterfront with a lovely mosaic pavement lined with great trees and a fabulous food market. It has a nice pedestrian area with a ton of restaurants and wonderful ice-cream. Offhand, I do not remember what else we did the day we were there (fortress or something with views), but it was warm weather so will be different for you.

That is the very coldest time of the entire year in Valencia, but could do a day or two there. Plenty of museum type things.

Barcelona would be great for three days of amazing architecture if you do not mind the four to five hour train trip.

Seville would be nice, lovely, old world ambiance, carriage rides and good food, but long trip. Could do a day trip from Seville to Cordoba though, to see the great Mezquita, about an hour by train. Look into flights to Seville.

Madrid (highest capital in Europe) will be quite cold, but has great, world class museums and an easy, short, thirty minute day trip to Toledo by train or bus.

What is your travel itinerary before and after this? It might be useful to know, IDK.

Since you're flying into Alicante, simply take the train north to Valencia, where you can happily spend your 5.5 days. It's a wonderful walkable city, filled with fine museums and monuments, great dining and beach walks at La Malvarrosa, although both in Alicante and Valencia it won't be, of course, swimming weather.
The Euromed train will get you to Valencia in under two hours.
www.renfe.com

If you do rent a car, please note that the autoroute from Alicante, through highly overdeveloped Benidorm, just is not especially scenic.

I did graduate work in Alicante and do find the city very attractive, but you don't need 5 nights there to see the city well, including a trip up to the wonderful Santa Bárbara castle overlooking the city. it does have a great tapas bar vibe at night, but so does Valencia and an even more wonderful Mercat Central.

Madrid, although it's the highest capital in Europe, won't necessarily be quite cold. This past December was the warmest December in record, last December was also quite mild (but rainy),and I've been in Madrid in February with unexpected temps during the day well into the 80s---I can no longer expect very cold weather in late Jan. or early Feb. from very recent experience, since Spain in general is warming up (warmest year on record in 2022) but still...

So, I suggest that you spend your time in Valencia----plenty to keep you busy, a very dynamic city, and more reliably, more predictably warmer weather.

But if you do want to go to Madrid, the high-speed and comfortable AVE from Alicante will speed you there in 2.5 hours.

Agree with spending most or all of your nights in Valencia but make time for Teruel and Albaraci, a short drive.