Spain: Granada or Sevilla ??
Nov 16th, 2005, 10:37 AM
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Spain: Granada or Sevilla ??
We will be travelling to Spain 26th december to 1st january to south Spain with 2 kids aged 10 and 4. We were wondering to pick Granada and/or Sevilla. Any suggestions ? Any hotels on average budget? Could you take both with total 6 nights/5 full days or just one ?
Nov 16th, 2005, 12:57 PM
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I would definitely agree with Eloise that you can, and IMO should, do both. The Alhambra is, I think, clearly the highlight in Granada and that can be done in a full day.
Seville has much more to offer overall and several days could be spent there, depending on your specific interests.
Seville has much more to offer overall and several days could be spent there, depending on your specific interests.
Nov 17th, 2005, 10:43 AM
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thank you very much.
I might do Granada first and spending 31st dec in larger Sevilla or viceversa ?
Any hotel suggestion for our family ?
We are looking for a two double beds solutions.
I might do Granada first and spending 31st dec in larger Sevilla or viceversa ?
Any hotel suggestion for our family ?
We are looking for a two double beds solutions.
Nov 17th, 2005, 10:56 AM
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My trip to Granada and Sevilla was 15 years ago, so I do not think my hotel suggestions will be up-to-date, but here is where I stayed:
Granada: Melia Granada (one of the Melia chain of hotels; good location downtown; I also spent two nights at the Alhambra Palace up next to the Alhambra grounds)
Sevilla: Inglaterra on Plaza Nueva (good location between Sierpes and the shopping district on one side and the Cathedral/Alcazar/Juderia on the other)
Neither Melia nor Inglaterra was particularly charming but both were well maintained and professionally managed. Alhambra Palace had a lovely terrace with views over the city and the Guadarrana mountains but it was trying too hard to be a "grand hotel."
There are at least two other hotels on or next to the Alhambra grounds (in addition to the parador, which one has to book months in advance). The Hotel America is small and inexpensive, and I unfortunately forget the name of the other. If you search for <"Alhambra" "hotel"> (without the arrows), it might come up.
I would guess that you are right and that there is more happening in Sevilla on New Year's Eve than in Granada.
Granada: Melia Granada (one of the Melia chain of hotels; good location downtown; I also spent two nights at the Alhambra Palace up next to the Alhambra grounds)
Sevilla: Inglaterra on Plaza Nueva (good location between Sierpes and the shopping district on one side and the Cathedral/Alcazar/Juderia on the other)
Neither Melia nor Inglaterra was particularly charming but both were well maintained and professionally managed. Alhambra Palace had a lovely terrace with views over the city and the Guadarrana mountains but it was trying too hard to be a "grand hotel."
There are at least two other hotels on or next to the Alhambra grounds (in addition to the parador, which one has to book months in advance). The Hotel America is small and inexpensive, and I unfortunately forget the name of the other. If you search for <"Alhambra" "hotel"> (without the arrows), it might come up.
I would guess that you are right and that there is more happening in Sevilla on New Year's Eve than in Granada.
Nov 17th, 2005, 11:44 AM
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Agree with five full days you can (and should) do both Granada and Seville. I was there about a month ago (click on my name for the trip report). Train between them is 3 hours/19 euros. Very convenient.
As for hotels, I really liked Casa De La Maestro in Seville and really disliked the Vincci Granada in Granada. Highly recommend using Maribel's guide to Seville to help plan your trip (http://www.maribelsguides.com/). I found it invaluable in planning mine.
As for hotels, I really liked Casa De La Maestro in Seville and really disliked the Vincci Granada in Granada. Highly recommend using Maribel's guide to Seville to help plan your trip (http://www.maribelsguides.com/). I found it invaluable in planning mine.
Nov 17th, 2005, 12:16 PM
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Fabio--We just returned on Nov. 7 from 11 days in Spain with 5 kids, ages 11-17. We did Granada and Seville, and places in between. I would strongly recommend Granada over Seville. Granada has everything Seville does but in a smaller, easier to navigate (ie walkable distances)setting, and is much much prettier and more exotic-feeling than Seville because it's set in the Sierra Nevada mountains and everything is more concentrated and vibrant.
Our kids LOVED the old moorish quarter with the meandering streets and interesting shops, (like a mini khan khalili- the cairo market) and the walk up to the san nicolas mirador (the overlook to the alhambra) was so much fun we did it twice in one day! ANd up at the mirador were musicians and a general fun party atmosphere. We HAD to return for the night view of the Alhambra! Wandering around the plazas at night was wonderful and entrancing for the kids.
We didn't have time to check out the caves in Salamanca (a section of Granada) but that sounds like an interesting thing for kids too. We found kid-friendly places to eat in the Plaza Nueva and Plaza Bib Rambla and there were jugglers and other street performers in Bib Rambla that the kids enjoyed.
We were in Granada 3 nights, then drove to Lanjaron into Alpajurras to the little mountain towns of Bubion and Calcierias (sp?) which were beautiful and fun for kids to roam around in, and they loved the mountain views and thrilling drive.
We then drove back thru Lanjaron down to the coast, spent a night in Nerja, a day in Gibraltar (which was the highlight of the entire trip for the kids- one word- monkeys! The tunnels and the view were also highlights) that night and a half day in Tarifa and a day and a half in Ronda and then 4 days in Seville.
If you'll have a car a good 5 day trip would be to stay in Granada 3 days, then drive into the alpajurras for part of one day, then down to the coast that same evening, and spend the next day along the coast. If you can fit Gibraltar in I would strongly recommend it if your kids are interested in monkeys that jump into the car. it's also a pretty impressive geography lesson.
In Granada we ended up at a somewhat pricey hotel- I think we got the last 2 rooms available in the entire city bc it was a holiday weekend. On the whole trip we always got 2 triple roms and then squeezed 3 people into/onto 2 twins pushed together (pretty much my 12 yr old daughter and i shared a twin more or less...)
In Granada i think a hotel near the Plaza Bib Rambla would be perfect. Close enough to walk everywhere. Around Plaza Nueva it's pretty loud/rowdy at night.
Our kids LOVED the old moorish quarter with the meandering streets and interesting shops, (like a mini khan khalili- the cairo market) and the walk up to the san nicolas mirador (the overlook to the alhambra) was so much fun we did it twice in one day! ANd up at the mirador were musicians and a general fun party atmosphere. We HAD to return for the night view of the Alhambra! Wandering around the plazas at night was wonderful and entrancing for the kids.
We didn't have time to check out the caves in Salamanca (a section of Granada) but that sounds like an interesting thing for kids too. We found kid-friendly places to eat in the Plaza Nueva and Plaza Bib Rambla and there were jugglers and other street performers in Bib Rambla that the kids enjoyed.
We were in Granada 3 nights, then drove to Lanjaron into Alpajurras to the little mountain towns of Bubion and Calcierias (sp?) which were beautiful and fun for kids to roam around in, and they loved the mountain views and thrilling drive.
We then drove back thru Lanjaron down to the coast, spent a night in Nerja, a day in Gibraltar (which was the highlight of the entire trip for the kids- one word- monkeys! The tunnels and the view were also highlights) that night and a half day in Tarifa and a day and a half in Ronda and then 4 days in Seville.
If you'll have a car a good 5 day trip would be to stay in Granada 3 days, then drive into the alpajurras for part of one day, then down to the coast that same evening, and spend the next day along the coast. If you can fit Gibraltar in I would strongly recommend it if your kids are interested in monkeys that jump into the car. it's also a pretty impressive geography lesson.
In Granada we ended up at a somewhat pricey hotel- I think we got the last 2 rooms available in the entire city bc it was a holiday weekend. On the whole trip we always got 2 triple roms and then squeezed 3 people into/onto 2 twins pushed together (pretty much my 12 yr old daughter and i shared a twin more or less...)
In Granada i think a hotel near the Plaza Bib Rambla would be perfect. Close enough to walk everywhere. Around Plaza Nueva it's pretty loud/rowdy at night.
Nov 18th, 2005, 09:11 AM
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When we went to Gibraltar we parked our car in La Linea and walked across the border and then hired a guide to drive us around. As you enter Gibraltar, at the "border crossing' the guides will offer their services. We had the guide drop us off at the top of the rock (at the siege tunnels, after we had seen everything else) and then we took our time walking back down to the town, and took a bus back to La Linea. If you get a guide then you don't ride the cable car, which might be something you really want to do. The walk back down was a good chance for kids to get alot of "monkey time".
