It's my birthday tomorrow and I just booked 7 nights to Spain during my kids February break .... been pondering for a while but usually do more research before booking tickets! But you know... my birthday I booked into Malaga and out of Madrid. Last year we were in Barcelona and Costa Brava. We had tons of fun hiking in Costa Brava, hanging out in cafes, wandering Barcelona, some sites and museums but a lot of soaking up the atmosphere, a few personal and interesting tours. Oh and they loved 1 night in a Parador and have asked for another. I totally know this is not enough time, but with the kids ages 16, 13 and 10 we have to work in our fun where we can.

I think that Madrid will just be two nights at the end. Just a taste. We'll be back for sure. The rest of the time would be Southern Spain.

I booked to fly into Malaga thinking it would save us some time to be open jaw.... but I'm thinking, having read about great trains to Seville I should rebook to go in and out of Madrid.

If I flew into Madrid I'd land at 9am (direct from JFK). Flying into Malaga I land at 3pm (having transferred through AMS). I'm realizing we won't want to see much of anything in Malaga so we'd either need to stay the night there and move on. Where as I think we'd want to stay in Seville. So land in Madrid - Train to Seville and stay there for a couple of nights before other parts of the itinerary.

I haven't thought too much about the rest of the timings. 3 nights Seville - 2 nights up for grabs in Andalusia (Granada? Parador in Ronda) and 2 nights in Madrid....

Thanks for any thoughts.

Glad to be back traveling again

for Granada or Ronda you can make the Malaga arrival work by transfering from there (long travel day admittedly) then go to Seville then Madrid. If you fly in/out of Madrid you'll be backtracking at some point. Happy birthday

Looks like decent trains from Granada back to Madrid.
Thing that makes me wonder if worth flying to Malaga is that we're unlikely to want to stay in Malaga? So if both involve traveling on probably better to do from madrid... and earlier in day. Still thinking through.

Thanks for thoughts. As I investigate our itinerary I wish I had 3 weeks! But I know we'll be back...

Just an FYI that the train connection between Granada and Madrid is actually part train, part bus, as the train line is currently under construction (although it was originally supposed to be completed by now; perhaps it will be by February). We took this journey in March. You first board a bus arranged by Renfe (that you catch at the train station) and then change to a train at Antequera. It runs rather smoothly.

You can also take the Alsa bus between the two; they offer both regular and premium service. We considered that option, but the train ended up being a bit cheaper for the departure time we wanted.

I think you can make either itinerary work. Even if you go straight to Seville from Madrid, I don't know that you'll get there much earlier than 3 p.m. by the way, so the earlier arrival in Madrid wouldn't make much difference to me.

I probably miss something here, but if you don't care that much for Malaga and rather want to start in Sevilla why don't you fly to Sevilla (via X) and back to NYC from Madrid?

Are you asking whether to cancel? Frankly, I would -- this itinerary will not give you enough time in Andalusia, IMO. But if you have already committed, I'm sure you'll find ways to have some great moments.

no I'm definitely going. More about if we should fly into Malaga. But seems that we're likely not to see anything Malaga and just transfer from there so perhaps better to just fly in and out of Madrid on direct flights.

I went ahead and made the change. In and out of Madrid.

More time is surely better but long swaths of time are often not possible at my stage of life. I say better to go and enjoy with what you have. I mean a full week of holiday. What a wonder!

<we won't want to see much of anything in Malaga>

??? Málaga is Andalucías "city of culture with its so-called 'mile of art' being compared to Madrid, and its dynamism and fine dining to Barcelona."
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/andalucia/malaga

3000 year old Málaga city is also lots of historic sights right in the heart of town, the Roman theater, the Moorish Alcazaba Palace fortress, the huge 16th Century cathedral the Picasso birth house etc etc. Málaga is laid-back Andalucian atmosphere, the best café, tapas bar and restaurant scene and my favourite city in the region after much travel in Andalucía the past 15 years. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...pt-secret.html

And fabulous hiking around Málaga. The spectacular Torcal limestone mountain (on a clear day you can see to Morocco) and Caminito del Rey (The King's Path) are only two extremes in a great hiking area.
Torcal: https://www.spain-holiday.com/Antequ...tequera-malaga
Caminito del Rey: http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/#1

Hiking in Málaga: http://www.malagaweb.com/andalucia/n...aga-mountains/

The wonderful Axarquía region in Málaga, just east of the city itself, one of Europes warmest and most sunny winter climates: http://www.rusticblue.com/andalucia_...a_axarquia.php

I hadn't researched Malaga and only thought of the airport. Now I see that I could have a wonderful trip there too. I am intent on Seville and will make sure to include Malaga soon.

And Sevilla is also a plain fantastic city, in many ways the undisputed queen of the cities in the South of Spain.

In your other thread, you say you like art musuems. Then you should see the excellent Fine Arts museum in Sevilla, one of the best in the country: http://www.museosdeandalucia.es/cult.../MBASE/?lng=en

But the Hospital de la Caridad might give you the ultimate Sevilla experience. As Sevilla as it gets even though it's not on many tourists route. The 17th century repenting benefactor/co-founder Miguel de Mañara was - according to himself - and previous to his 'awakening', "the most evil man that ever lived". All the paintings he commisioned from some of the most famous golden-age arists (Murillo, Valdés Leal, Zurbarán etc.) for the hospital and it's adjoining church dealt with the theme of death and redemption. The hospital, the church, the paintings and Mañara's grave are all in Calle Temprado, 3 close to the Maestranza theater and the Torre del Oro.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/seville/sights/411842

Here is a fine intro to the life of Miguel de Mañara and the Sevilla of his time, "the century of splendour and decadence, the sunrise and sunset". http://www.santa-caridad.es/en/vener...fe-and-legacy/

... and here's the correct link to the Hospital e la Caridad: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/spain/s.../411842/360736

Among many other paintings you'll find Valdés Leal's famous In Ictu Oculi and Finis Gloariae Mundi here (1671-1672):
In ictu oculi (In the blink of an eye): http://www.artehistoria.jcyl.es/v2/obras/10662.htm
Finis Gloriae Mundi: http://www.artehistoria.jcyl.es/v2/obras/10663.htm

And a fabulous tapas scene in Sevilla. Azahar lives here and knows everthing there is to know about tapas bars and restaurants in Sevilla. Her guide, district by district, is pure gold: http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/restaurants/