Spain: 2 versions of a new itinerary. Please help me figure this out.
 

Ok...my old thread got a bit hijacked with someone else's trip. Hubby and I sat down tonite and came up with two versions of 17 days on the ground in Spain (not including our flyout day).

My first question is: Should we skip Malaga? Actually, it was is question. His reasoning is that it will be early October, the temp won't be beach-hot, it's only 2 nights/1 day, and cutting out those two days would allow us more time in Barcelona and Madrid (which has been added to our trip...I'm actually starting to get excited about Madrid.)

2nd: We can either do 4 full days in Barcelona or 5 full days (one of those is my jet lag day - so a bit bleary for me). I thought if it is 5 we could do a real side trip to someplace like Montserrat - Hubby worried that Barcelona is going to be too touristy (Rick Steves likens the Rambla to Times Square - and we live in NYC and that's the most disgusting part of town there is - (we should know since hubby plays a Broadway show and is there 6 nights a week). He thinks Madrid won't be so 'kitchy/touristy." Does he have a point?

so....here are the two itineraries without Malaga (though not sure that's a good idea):

1. Barcelona: 4 full days
2. Fly to Granda - 3 nights; 2 full days;
3. Train Granada to Sevilla (3 1/2 hours): 4 nights and 3 full days in Sevilla;
4. AVE train Sevilla to Madrid (2-3 hours): 4 days in Madrid and 1 night overnight (I really want this) in Toledo.

OR:
1. Barcelona: 5 full days
2. Fly to Granda - 3 nights; 2 full days;
3. Train Granada to Sevilla (3 1/2 hours): 4 nights and 3 full days in Sevilla;
4. AVE train Sevilla to Madrid (2-3 hours): 3 days in Madrid and 1 night overnight (I really want this) in Toledo.

Thoughts? and thanks!

I would go with the first because I much prefer Madrid over Barcelona, others might disagree. Seville google how to beat the lines.

I haven’t been to Malaga, and while I’m sure I might enjoy it, I would not give up time in any of Spain’s gems for it. But then, since I haven’t been there, I don’t know what I’m missing.

I don’t think you would regret a 5th full day in Barcelona, particularly because you can, of course, use it for any one of several wonderful day trips. Las Ramblas are heavily touristed, but they’re just one set of connected streets and easy to avoid. (Really, just one long avenue that has different names at various points, and at least, unlike Times Square, it is shaded by some wonderful trees.) FWIW, I would encourage you to approach anything Rick Steves says with a heavy dose of skepticism!

If I’m following, the only difference is whether you have one extra night in Barcelona or one extra night in Madrid. Is that right? If art is of interest, give the time to Madrid. If architecture is of interest, give the time to Barcelona.

Or add a day to visit Cordoba, either by spending a night there or by adding a night to your time in Sevilla.

I like your first itinerary. Be sure to hop the train in Seville for a day trip to Cordoba.

kja: i like the way you sorted it - art over architecture - although we are surely going to barcelona to see the architecture - ultimately art and music.

I'm glad my comment helped! Thanks for letting me know.

I am a native NY'er and live in Manhattan and share your view of Times Square. But, Rick Steves books on Spain are lazy and uniformed.

La Rambla is a very touristy strip but right off of it is one the best markets in Europe, La Boqueria. If you can stay in the L'Eixample it is more upscale but with plenty of access to transportation.

Barcelona is one of my favorite cities of any country. There is a joie de vivre that is palpable. The art is in the streets and not in the museums. There is a reason why tourists swarm to the moderisme works of Gaudi. There are thousands of years of history there as it was a merchant/sailing area for many years.

The people who run Barcelona are concerned about too many tourists in Barcelona and are thinking of ways to curtail it, without hurting the merchants and tourist industry.

I have not been in Malaga in many years but the Alhambra is one of the few tourist destinations that lives up to its reputation and we love walking the streets of Sevilla.

more questions and shifting (potentially): i worry that 2 full days in granada is one day too little to walk about and relax. do we really need 3 full days?

FWIW, I'm doing a similar trip with a few other locations in the mix albeit with more time.

As to Barcelona, I decided to scale back there in favor of other locations. For example, I found I could do more interesting (to me) day trips out of Seville and Madrid than I could Barcelona.

But, to each his own. You might prefer Barcelona. Only you will know. Check out Travel+Leisure, Conde Nast, and other sites with forums (anything but Rick Steves). I also like Pinterest because many users include pictures that are uniquely different than the standard 1-2 you often see in travel guides.

If at the end of the day you can't decide between the two choices, pick the one that includes the least amount of travel. You'll want to enjoy a slower pace.

katielj: tell me about your other locations! i think we're keeping it to 4 days in barcelona in favor of another day in madrid and, if i can sneak it in, a 3rd full day in granada. i was tempted to add that extra day to sevilla and i was sorely tempted by ronda.

How are you planning the Toledo overnight ? I personally wouldn't add a 4th night in Granada (we spent three) but perhaps you have specific interests

I also like the first itinerary -- a good balance of each place. Now that you are including Madrid, I think it's good to give it enough time to also take advantage of the visit.

If you do find an extra night, I'd add it to Toledo, not Granada; there's also the temptation to do another 1-night visit to Cordoba, but I think you're wise to minimize the 1-nighters, especially since you are looking for a more relaxed trip.

Between Madrid and Barcelona, I prefer the latter, but they are both wonderful cities with a lot to see. To say that the Ramblas is like Times Square - well, that is silly. It is a tourist but it is also a long avenue going through several areas, and there is much to see both on and off the avenue. Madrid also has its fair share of touristy spots -- they're both large cities and you can't avoid this.

@ebean, unless Madrid proper is a must explore every nook type of stop, you might want to consider a day trip to Segovia. It's not far so you could even decide when you get to Madrid.

I like both Madrid and Barcelona...visited each 8-9 times.
We found 3 nights ( 2.5 days ) in Granada ok, but could have been shorter.
Madrid is a big city with great museums, a splendid Palace, beutifuly parks..
If you are planing a night in Toledo, another night in Madrid might be helpful
( or Seville )
In Barcelona, one can stay away from Rambla...it is a city with many other areas to explore.
in Madrid , visit Retiro park and elegant Salamanca district just north of the park.

I'd skip Malaga and focus more on Barcelona/Madrid. I liked Barcelona a lot and while the Ramblas was touristy, there was so many other parts of the city to explore and the food IMHO was better than Madrid(and I loved Madrid).

IMO, Granada warrants 2 full days. There's certainly enough to do there to add a day, but if you have a day to spare -- and I don't think you do! -- I would (as already noted) add it to Cordoba or Toledo.

ok...see? this thread really helped. i was about to add a 3rd full day onto granada and have been convinced to not do that.

elizabeths: we are going to ave train sevilla to madrid. so that night and then 2 full days in madrid (3 nights). then we're going to check out of our hotel...train to toledo and spend a full day and one night there - i have it in my head to stay at the hacienda del cardinal - then back on a morning train to madrid for one last day there. three days in madrid and one day in toledo.

i might add the extra granada day to sevilla - because that could easily be a day trip to cordoba or such. i considered ronda (i drooled over ronda) but, honestly, it's 2.5 hours back from whence we came. then back again. thinking italica and maybe cordoba as day trips from sevilla.

Here's a trip report for Toledo from a regular poster - his favourite stop in Spain

http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/chap...ing-to-toledo/

I'd add the night to Sevilla but then we LOVED Sevilla having spent 2 weeks (in two trips) there this past 12 months. I'll reply to your other thread regarding restaurants - have a few suggestions.

elizabeths: reminder re restaurant recs!

Done!