Spain Experts - Help with Itinerary
 

My parents and I are planning a trip to Spain during my school's spring break in March. I have the following itinerary planned and would love some advice on it.

Night 1 – fly to Madrid
Day 2 – Madrid
Day 3 – Madrid
Day 4 – train from Madrid to Seville
Day 5 – Seville
Day 6 – rent car for the day and visit Arcos de la Frontera & Cadiz
Day 7 – visit Ronda via bus from Seville
Day 8 – train from Seville to Granada
Day 9 – Granda
Day 10 - fly from Granda back to US with connection in Madrid

This is a most reasonable itinerary.

If you haven't, look at the AVE, high speed train, from Madrid to Sevilla.

And make reservations for the Alhambra.

Sounds like a great plan.

These are excellent sites on Madrid and Sevilla:
http://www.esmadrid.com/en/portal.do
http://www.exploreseville.com/

Sounds good, I like to spend the last few days in Madrid but it doesn't matter.

IMHO you are short changing Sevill- which has more to see/do than Madrid.

Madrid and Sevilla are wonderful and very different cities. Madrid is some 4-5 times larger.

I've previously posted these suggestions for Madrid:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-madrid.cfm

It depends on what you and your parents want to see and experience and your preferred pace of travel, but I must admit that I would find this itinerary far too rushed.

People seem to differ a lot in their reactions to Madrid, but I spent 4 days there and could easily have spent more. For context, I loved the museums there; not everyone wants to spend a lot of time in museums. I wanted at least 2 days in Seville, and would have liked a 3rd. Do I recall correctly that the bus ride from Seville to Ronda is about 3 hours? I'd find doing that and back in the same day a bit much, and it wouldn't give me the time I wanted in Ronda (namely, the better part of a day). And I'm glad I had 2 days in Granada, but know that many people make do with just one. At least you're giving it 2 nights!

Also, I must admit that I can't imagine going to Seville and Granada, but not Cordoba. Many people spend just a few hours in Cordoba; I kept happily busy for nearly 2 full days.

And I can't imagine going to Madrid without visiting Toledo. Again, some people do just a day trip; I found 2 full days barely sufficient for Toledo. I was also glad that I had enough time to visit Segovia, Avila, and Salamanca while in central Spain.

But again, people differ! I don't mean to be critical, but to give you a different perspective. The good news is that all of these places are wonderful - enjoy!

I think you're spending too little time in Sevilla. I havent visited Arcos or Ronda, but I wouldnt take time away from Sevilla for Cadiz. Its a pleasant town but nothing extraordinary. I think it would be much better instead of those detours to go for a day trip to Cordoba.

It is a little too busy for us. I would save Cadiz and Arcos for another trip. Might consider flying home from Malaga. It is an international airport with direct flights to the US and short bus ride from Granada. I would slip Cordoba in on the way to Seville. Skip the hassle of the car rental.

If you plan for day trips to Toledo or Segovia, then you are not giving too much time to Madrid.

I agree with Egbert that it might make sense to spend all the time in Madrid at the end.

Though it would be longer at the beginning, this would be my plan. It looks as if you have only 8 nights in country.

Fly to Madrid and on to Granada.
(You are already at the airport, so fly Madrid to Granada.)

Granada: 2 Nights (1 & 1/2 days)
Rent car in Granada and drive through Ronda (or Arcos) to Seville. Turn in car.
Seville: 3 Nights (two days)
Take train to Madrid, stopping in Cordoba on the way
Madrid: 3 Nights (two days, plus whatever time you have
on the day you fly home)
(Day trip to Toledo from Madrid)
Fly home

Other options: Take day trip to Cordoba (or Arcos) from Seville on the second day in Seville, and take an evening train to Madrid for night 7, so you have a lot of that day in Seville. I don't like the backtracking, and you lose having two whole days in Seville, but you wouldn't have to be dealing with luggage in Cordoba.

You don't have to rent a car from Granada. You can take a train to Ronda.

I would definitely skip Cadiz, and choose between Ronda and Arcos.

It is still pretty rushed.

Personally, I would probably skip all of that day, and go straight to Seville from Granada. I would not miss at least one trip from Madrid: first choice Toledo, second choice Segovia, but many folks prefer the reverse.

Here is the great news. Whatever you decide will be wonderful. Spain is absolutely beautiful - everything from the countryside with olive trees and sunflowers to cities with great cathedrals and art museums. People are lovely and the food is fantastic.

Here was my thinking: my father hates to fly to Europe and immediately travel elsewhere so I thought we could have a few buffer days in Madrid. I hadn't planned on doing any day trips while there, given the short amount of time. As you can probably see, though, the focus of the trip is really Andalusia so perhaps it makes more sense just to fly in and out of that area. So how about this as a revised itinerary:

Night 1: Fly to Seville
Day 2: Seville
Day 3: Seville
Day 4: visit Cordoba
Day 5: Seville
Day 6: Drive to Ronda, stopping at Arcos on the way (stay overnight in Ronda)
Day 7: Drive from Ronda to Granada (return car)
Day 8: Granada
Day 9: Granada
Day 10: Return to US

You have been wise changing your original plan, driving to Ronda, stay the night and then continue driving to Granada is the best option.
Do you have any special reason for visiting Arcos? Because if not, you better skip it. The main feature in Arcos is the gorge, and you have one in Ronda. It is not the same, but very similar; Navigating and parking in Arcos is not for beginners.
My advice: Drive from Seville towards Ronda on A-375 and then A-376 till you get to A-374 (past Puerto Serrano). then turn left to Algodonales and Ronda. Before Algodonales, you can take a short detour to Zahara on the right, you'll enjoy it if the weather is good. Check my post "Pueblos Blancos Trip" for further directions and info. If you go to Zahara, go back the same way towards Ronda, do not go to Grazalema, a terrible winding road all the way up. If your father is like mine, you'll regret it.
Once in Ronda you'll find there is enough to see.

Check this report by fellow fodorite Isabel: Southern Andalucia Photographic Trip Report - Malaga, Ronda and Gibraltar
Includes the link to an excellent photographic report:
http://www.pbase.com/annforcier/spai...onda_gibraltar

For such a shortr trip you are spending too much time in Sevilla. You should consider adding Malaga.

Personally I Ike the revised trip. I don't think 4 nights in Sevilla is too much with one day devoted as a daytrip to Cordoba and another day that will likely be jet lagged. Worst case if you feel like you've seen enough of Sevilla you have several other day trip options you can do if you feel like it (Cadiz, Arcos, Carmona, Jerez, Sanlucar, etc...)

IMO much better!

So looking at the flight prices, it's substantially cheaper (about $300 less per ticket) to fly into Seville and out of Malaga, rather than flying out of Granada. Suggestions on this? I really want to spend the last few days in Granada. Is it doable to drive from Granada the day of the flight, assuming I book an early afternoon flight?

Have you tried all of the small carriers like Vueling, Ryan Air, there might be one or two others. Granada to Madrid should be cheap. It's possible to drive, it's about 5.5 hrs. so you would have to give yourself plenty of time. It's a long boring drive.