This is great news - 2 more days. I'd not try to include Madrid as 2 days are not enough to do it justice unless you were willing to shave time off other places (whichnpersonally I wouldn't advise).

I'd add the 2 days in Malaga. You could fly from BCN to Malaga, then bus to Granada, rent car for white villages and Ronda, then fly to Paris from Sevilla. Or you could do this in reverse: BCN, Sevilla, Ronda, Granada then Malaga.

Thanks guys, Malaga it is!
So I would only need a car literally to do the white villages for the day from Ronda? I am so used to having a car (particularly in France) that this feels quite odd but it seems public transport is easier here?
Do the buses/trains have adequate storage for reasonable sized luggage? As we like to self cater we usually end up carrying around various bits and pieces from place to place.
If we did decide to go with a car, would it be a real hindrance? And, would a round trip starting and finishing in Malaga or Sevilla be reasonable as car hire options seem to be easier that way rather than one way drop offs.

Lastly, any pros and cons for which city to start and end with (if we don't do loop that is.)
Many thanks again.

Personally, i think you should stick to two cities. You want to visit every museum and landmark for pics. You also want to immerse yourself into the culture and understand how things work over there. Basically, you want to soak everything in. I regret going to 4 cities in 9 days. Have you thought about just going to Sevilla and Granada? Those two cities would be worth the 12 days you spend in Spain. You can always visit the other cities for another trip.

I might add that fitting a day trip to Cordoba would be fine also

inquisitive: I believe the OP has planned a daytrip to Cordoba.

ozgirl - a car would be a hinderance almost anywhere except for the white villages. Trains and buses have plenty of room for luggage - believe me I am an overpacker and have never had a problem. Your car will basically be sitting the entire time (in Malaga, Granada and Sevilla) while you're paying for the rental and the parking. It can also be a hassle driving into the cities and trying to find your hotel. Bus and train are so much easier as it will get you right to the station where you can grab a cab (if you need to). The places where you'll need public transport (Malaga to Granada, Sevilla to Cordoba) have very frequent and timely buses and trains. The train from Sevilla to Cordoba is much faster than driving. If you do decide to get a car you can probably drop off at 2 different points (Sevilla/Malaga) without a fee). But do factor in the cost of parking in the cities (it can be expensive).

Thanks CathyM, so really just hire in Ronda for a day do you think? And, any thoughts re where to start/finish or no difference?

If you plan to spend 2 nights in Ronda and use as a base to visit the white villages I'd suggest renting a car in Granada on the day you are departing and drive to Ronda. Keep the car for the 2 days you're visiting Ronda as it is difficult to really explore the white villages using public transportation. Keep the car until you get to Sevilla. You could possibly drop the car off at the main train station, Santa Justa, which is located outside of the old center and isn't as difficult to get to.

In other words (assuming you wanted to use Malaga for the additional 2 days):

-Barcelona: 4 nights; fly to Malaga
-Malaga: 2 nights; bus to Granada (1 hr, 45 minutes)
-Granada: 2 nights; rent car when leaving
-Ronda: 2 nights; explore white villages by car
-Sevilla: 4 nights; drop off car on arrival; daytrip to Cordoba

You could do in reverse flying from BCN to Sevilla and then ending in Malaga for 2 nights. I just thought it may be nice to have the 4-nighters spaced apart.

There's many ways you could logistically slice this - this is just my recommendation. Others may have alternatives.

Sorry I wasn't clear earlier.

Hi CathyM, that sounds perfect, absolutely a good idea to separate the 4 night stays.
Will start looking at flights, car and accommodation now - so much easier when you have the 'backbone' sorted to move on!
Thank you.

Hi cathym and others. Advice please on a minor alteration to plans - due to 'a long story', we will only have one night now in Ronda from Cathym's above itinerary.
Should we still hire the car from Granada to Sevilla (given that we won't have the one day of 'white village touring' from Ronda?) Is the drive from Granada to Ronda and then Ronda to Sevilla worth the effort of hiring the car or should we just stick to train?
Both drives don't appear particularly long and possibly could still afford some meandering on the way perhaps?

I think a car will certainly give you the freedom to take this part of the trip at your own pace. it might give you some unexpected photo ops you will be sorry to miss on public transportation.

You can go to the caves at guadix, and also stop over at charming Carmona. There are serval small towns on the way to Sevilla that merit a short photo stop if nothing else.

A local also has suggested Antequera in the past as a wonderful town. I have nto been there and do not have it geographically in my mind right now, but take a look to see if it "fits" into your schedule and itinerary. It looks like a wonderful trip with great suggestions here from all the responses I have read! Enjoy!

I can't say what will suit you best, but I can say that I found it easy to take a train from Granada to Ronda and then a bus from Ronda to Sevilla.

ozgirl,

i haven't read the whole of this thread but see that you itinerary in spain is now Barcelona, Granada, ronda and Seville.

Presuming that you're going to have a car in granada, you could do worse than stay at the hotel used when we stayed there - the hotel Guadelupe - which is right opposite the alhambra, and has discounted parking in the alhambra car park right opposite. it's a very reasonable comfortable place and there's a bus to take you down into the town [and more importantly to bring you back up] from right outside the alhambra ticket office.

which brings me to another topic - do prebook your alhambra tickets, including the night-time trip as well as the day-time one. we weren't sure about doing it twice, but we were very pleased that we went at night as well as during the day - they let far fewer people in, and the alhambra lit up at night is unforgettable.

"the alhambra lit up at night is unforgettable"

Oh my word, I bet it is! Such a beautiful and mystical place during the day, can't imagine going at night...

and the gardens are lovely too - you have to walk through them to get to the Nasrid palace which is the only part of the Alhambra which is open at night.

Thanks for those comments -lincasanova, I hadn't come across Guadix before, looks interesting but alas heading in the opposite direction.. Antequera however looks spot on en route to Ronda.
Annhig, we already have Granada accom sorted but thanks for the tip.
I had also thought about including Zahara, Grazalema and/or Arcos on the day we drive Ronda to Sevilla but not sure which of them to prioritise?

I'd stick with the rental car even if it is just for one night. If you don't rent a car and only have one night in Ronda then it will just mean you can visit Ronda and see a little between Ronda and Sevilla on the bus.

Antequera is a nice town - you can also visit as a daytrip from Malaga. If I had to choose between Zahara, Grazalema or Arcos I'd personally probably choose Zahara. Arcos is larger and is a little off route. Grazalema is tiny and very pretty but the drive is very windy. Zahara is directly on route to Sevilla. Just my thoughts - I'm sure you'll get all kinds of opinions. You could probably visit both Grazalema and Zahara along the way from Ronda to Sevilla.

Thanks CathyM, just needed some validation!!! So maybe Antequera on the way from Granada to Ronda and Zahara from Ronda to Sevilla then?

I can also recommend Antequera. Known as "the heart of Andalucía" or "the crossroads of Andalucía". Almost right in the middle of the Sevilla, Córdoba, Granada, Málaga rectangle. Here you'll find dolmens (some 5000 years old burial chambers), Roman baths, a Moorish Castle, Gothic churches, Renaissance fountains and baroque bell towers. Antequera was the first of the Granada emirate towns to fall to the Christians in 1410.
http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/antequera.html

I love the terrace in the corner of the peaceful square in front of the Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor, the first partly Renaissance-style church in Spain (built 1514-1550). Up here it's totally peace and quiet. Next to the recently excavated Roman baths beneath and looking up on the 13th century Moorish alcazaba/fortress. Great views over unique landscapes (the spectacular Torcal limestone mountain etc.). http://www.wild-about-travel.com/201...ing-antequera/