MinnieEngelbrecht

We are three friends, my husband and I and my sister, 55+ and have a route planned but would like you to fine tune it for us, with suggestions and recommendations of where to do what and what not to do!
We are not sure if we can do the whole trip with public transport, and if so, by bus or by train? Would you recommend us hiring a car? People are telling us that parking might be a big problem and that some of the hotels/B&B's do not have secure parking which means that we will have to park in parking garages which might be far away from the hotel, and will be additional costs - please advise.
We fly to Barcelona on the 12th of July and will then stay with South African friends in Sitges from where we will do day trips to Barcelona . I want to scuba somewhere in Spain ? at L'Estartiet?....do you have any info on this ? and we are planning to do a sleep over in Girona then?
Then our planned tour is as follows: 20/07 and 21/07 VALENCIA;
22/07 and 23/07 GRANADA
24/07 and 25/07 SEVILLE
26/07 and 27/07 CORDOBA
28/07 TOLEDO
29/07 SITGES
30/07 MONTSERRAT.
We are totally confused at the moment and any info will be appreciated!
Looking forward to hear from you.

kimhe

Be aware that Granada, Sevilla and Cordoba usually are some of the warmest places in Europe in summer. Long inland and not unusual with temperatures over 100F. Toledo could also be very hot, so prepare for 7 days of extreme heat 22-28/7.

Would perhaps concentrate on just two cities in Andalucia, and for me it would be Sevilla - the undisputed queen of the cities in the South - and Cordoba, once the most advances city in Europe. Both cities are also on the high speed AVE Train line. And so is Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid (with a short 30 min ride to Toledo).

Means that you can do almost all your traveling with the super fast and very comfortable AVE high speed train, just excellent. http://www.spain.info/en/reportajes/...velocidad.html

You can save lots of money (up to 50 %) if you buy your train tickets online in advance: http://www.renfe.com/

IMDonehere

The Toledo-Sitges leg will involve a few modes of transportation. Check Vueling to see if there are easy flights.

A car will be a burden for this trip.

There really isn't a B & B tradition in Spain.

haven't a clue as to scuba diving

chapla

With three of you I think a car would be great,so much more convenient!You will be able to find parking.Going back and forth to get to the train station,looking for the hotel will eat up so much time/energy.
The heat will sap your energy so make sure you get an early start every day.Load up on water and make sure the hotels all have A/C
I definitely think Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla are a must,worth a visit and doable
I think Toledo makes no sense-totally not doable on this trip.

Sofiekup

Alsa.es is a buscompany that sometimes has good deals fot traveling by bus, I could often be the cheapest option. With that being said I think it might be nicer to rent a car, it gives you more freedom and indeed with the high temperatures traveling by public transport might take up too much of your energy! I wouldn't worry too much about parking, it really won't be a problem

Granada, Sevilla and Cordoba are indeed must-do's, the cities are so beautiful, but yes, it WILL be hot!
A nice way of discovering the city then could be by e-bike. You'll be able to enjoy the city a lot more with a lot less effort than walking, don't underestimate the heat! More info about that you can find here: http://bit.ly/1TaxOn5

Taltul

Having done Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla (but in October), I would say that they are all wonderful places. However, if you are using public transportation (Renfe), the line to Granada is still not finished so you will have to get off at Antequera and be bussed to Granada and back to continue by train. (No big deal - it takes just as long as the train was supposed to and the bus is provided by Renfe).
We travelled everywhere by train and it was fantastic. But you must buy the tickets in advance (online). Even the Spanish do that.

buzzcolin

From Barcelona you can take the very nice Renfe train all the way to Cordoba. One of my favourite places in Spain. Narrow cobbled streets, the beautiful Mesquita and such a rich history. We stayed in an old convent in the old town. Simple, charming and clean. From there you can take the train to Ronda (another must see town in Andalucia) and then on to Seville. Or you could go directly from Cordoba to Seville.
It will be VERY hot! We were in Seville in May and the temp was 40 degrees C at 7.00 pm. I have been told the best thing in Granada is the Alhambra and it is very crowded in high season. Standing in queues in high temps may not be the best!
Where are you flying out of. Make sure that whatever accommodation you book that they have aircon. We rented an apartment in Seville which was fantastic and the air-con really was amazing in the hot weather.
I booked all our trains on line. They are extremely efficient, clean and on time! Ole!!