We are a senior couple planning a Spain two week trip in May using public transportation. Plan to fly to Madrid and out of Barcelona. Goals are Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and perhaps the Costa Del Sol for day trips and finally Barcelona. Any ideas on how to make this manageable for true senior citizens or other suggestions

That's just too much for 2 weeks - esp considering how hot it will be in the south.

I would do either Madrid to Barcelona - or just do Andalusia and the Costa del Sol.

Otherwise you'll have a wonderful tour of the airports and train stations of Spain - and see very little else.

It is possible, of course, but you are stretching it a little. Most seasoned travellers think Spain is at least a 3 visit country to see just the highlights of each area because of the diversity and distance between its regions.

Concentrating on areas, Madrid can serve as a base for Toledo and Segovia and Cordoba could for Granada and Seville since it is in the middle, but it is probably the least interesting of the three to base yourself in. If you want to include the CDS, then separate stays in Seville and Granada, doing Cordoba from one of them and the CDS from Granada makes the most sense.

Here is my suggestion considering the time you have available

Madrid - 5 days Toledo and Segovia as separate day trips
Seville - 3 days Cordoba as a day trip
Granada - 3 days CDS as a day trip
Barcelona - 3 days

It's not ideal, but then what is and we don't know your interests or personal circumstances; trip of a lifetime and you will never get a chance to come back, maybe?

Too often people respond telling posters they are nuts when they just don't know what the poster's interests or tolerances are. I do believe that some people like to keep moving and see as many places as they can in a short time. It's not my preferred method - hence the minimum recommendation of 3 nights in each locale to try and bring some relative "calm" to the adventure.

Good luck,

You ask "how to make this manageable for true senior citizens" - answer: by cutting back.

Be based in Madrid for a week, including the day you fly in and aren't worth much but have to keep moving until nightfall; the week incuding daytrips to Segovia (a must, look it up!), Toledo, possibly Avila, El Escorial, Aranjuez...

Then take an early train to Cordoba, spend the day looking at Cordoba (nice but not all that time-consuming) and take a late train on to Sevilla.

Spend two full days there, two or three days based in Granada (has much more to offer than the Alhambra - check out the surroundings when you get there - you might want to rent a car for a day, or local travel agencies may have enough coach and bus options for you to suggest), then back to Madrid for a day and a night ahead of your flight back.

That's four hotels to check into and out of - forget Barcelona, and the Costa del Sol (too overrun by Germans and Brits and others anyway - not much beauty there, just crass commercialism), they just doesn't fit in unless you lengthen your trip by a week.

I'm no expert on Spain, but trying to do 7 locations in 14 days is just too much traveling anywhere. While technicall possible, you will spend a greatest percentage of your time checking in & out of hotels, moving town to town, on trains, busses, or in airport. I'd cut your chosen destinations at least by half.

You have some excellent advice here nana. Is your flight a done deal?

I did it in feb 08 on a 12-day trip, which included Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Seville, Cordoba & Granada. It was all by public transportation. It was a bit tiring for me at the end of the trip, and I'm someone who travels at a relatively fast pace (I'm in my 30s). You can take a look at my trip report for some ideas:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35111933

Definitely scale back - you don't want your wonderful trip to be a blur and that's what it will be if you try to hold to your proposed itinerary.

agree with nytraveler

but, it is true that some people like to be on the move , have no interest in spending much time in museum and galleries, go on day trips - one after another, are not bothered by hot weather or jet lag, don't mind changing hotels every 3 days etc...

You decide what pace fits you.

For me, making a trip manageable is to think about priorities so that inherent uncertainties do not lead to regrets and fatigue.

I have done similar itinerary in similar number of days and it was a piece of cake although it was in late March. I used public transportation.

Obviously, I could not do everything, but it was not necessary for me to do everything. I thought about what I wanted to do and prioritized activities and sequenced them in a logical order. I don't like to be rushed. When I visit museums, I linger around as long as I care to stay. If I spend more time than planned, I don't do things at the bottom of my priority list. If I end up spending less time, I already have a list of additional activities logically situated and opening hours already noted that I can take advantage of using the new found time.

My thought: you might want to trim the "Cordoba/Granada/Seville" and Costa Del Sol legs from this trip, especially as you've already set up flights in and out of the other two major cities. I'd think you can see Madrid, Toledo, and Barcelona at any pace you choose and that'll be plenty, especially if you're self-described "true senior citizens." Maybe 5 days each in Madrid and Barcelona and 1 or 2 days in Toledo will work. The historic section of Toledo is very hilly and cobblestoned, so 2 days there may be wisest from a pacing standpoint given your limitations.