christine_nicole106

Hello! This is my first post so hopefully I can get some help with questions I have

My fiance and I are trying to plan our October honeymoon in Spain! We would like to stay for 12-13 nights and start in Barcelona, spend a few nights in Granada and Seville each, and head back to Barcelona for the last 4 days or so.

We will be going near the end of October (arrive the 21st)- what will those cities be like around then- weather-wise?

Any tips as far as must-see sites, hotels, restaurants? Should we book our train tickets between cities in advanced?

nytraveler

Rather than go in and out of Barcelona I would start there and then head south - coming home from Malaga (open jaws tickets should not be any more expensive then Barcelona roundtrip - you look under multi-destination trips for fares.)

Barcelona should be warm and the south will probably still be quite hot - but you can get average temps by month on weather.com.

CathyM

I'd spend at least 4 nights each in Barcelona and Sevilla (although you could easily spend a week in each) and 2 in Granada. If you can get an open jaw out of Malaga or even a connnecting flight from Sevilla or Granada it would be better than returning to Barcelona for the flight home. For the remaining 2-3 nights you could simply add time to Sevilla and Barcelona (if you don't want to move around too much) or overnight in Cordoba (versus a must do daytrip from Sevilla), Malaga, Cadiz, Jerez or spend a couple of days in teh white villages (if you have a car).

christine_nicole106

Hi to you both! thank you for your responses!

Is there a reason why we shouldn't go in and out of Barcelona? I think our travel agent originally had us go south to Marbella, and fly out of Madrid back to the States. We live in TX. I'm thinking that's because there isn't an international airport out of the smaller cities?

CathyM

Why spend a half day backtracking to Madrid and split your Barcelona time ? You should be able to get a flight from Sevilla or Granada connecting through Madrid to return home. It will likely not cost more than the flight from Granada or Sevilla to return to Barcelona would cost you. SMS for Malaga if OU decide to spend a couple of days there.

danon

At that time of the year, you might have some rainy weather in Barcelona and even in Granada.

christine_nicole106

Our travel agent moved some things around for us and it looks like we will be starting in Malaga

Malaga: 4 nights
Seville: 3 nights
Granada: 2 nights
Barcelona: 3 nights

I'm pretty happy with this new itinerary. Any special restaurant or tapas & wine tours to suggest?

Also, is it more cost-efficient to purchase train tickets (between cities) ahead of time or while we are in Spain?

BigAleinstein

I would move one day from Malaga to Sevilla and another day to Barcelona. I understand tne first day is jetlag, but Sevilla and Barcelona are two of the great cities of Spain.

There is a very good airline within Spain called Vueling. It is a discount airline and they charge for luggage depending on size and weight but it is relaible and safe. The southern cities you can either go by train or bus. The buses are good as well.

Does you travel agent know Spain?

angy400

I have been to Seville numerous times in October and November..the weather has always been really nice. Light sweater, if even that during the day. Barcelona last year in November was sometimes rainy and humid or very nice and sunny. Leave heavy clothing at home!

angy400

Also , as you are in Texas American Airlines flies direct to Madrid out of Dallas

danon

I would also move one day from Malaga to Barcelona.
Malaga is lovely but rather small.....much more to see in BCN.

CathyM

I'd agree with moving time from Malaga to Sevilla and Barcelona. Is your time in Malaga in the city itself? Hopefully and not at one of the many concrete cities in the Costa del Sol. Hopefully your travel agent knows Spain. If not you could easily plan this one on your own.

Egbert

4 nights in Malaga would be too much for me, I don't know why the travel agent did that. Subtract two and add them to
Seville and Barcelona.

christine_nicole106

Hi everyone THANKS so much for your feedback!
Here is how our current itinerary looks:

Malaga (4 nights)
Seville (3 nights)
Granada (2 nights)
Barcelona (4 nights)

It sounds like I should ask my travel agent to take off a night from Malaga and move it to Seville? I like the idea of 3 nights rather than just 2, since we will need some downtime after the wedding before all the site-seeing.

We are staying at Tryp Guadalmar in Malaga.

christine_nicole106

Does anyone strongly recommend us staying only 2 nights in Malaga and moving nights to any of the cities above? We will definitely be adding at least one night to Seville, but we could even add a night to Granada, Barcelona..?

danon

I would not add time to Granada

Personally, I would move one night to Barcelona - It gives you 4 ( 5 nights)
days in Barcelona. - the largest and most interesting of the cities , IMO
3 nights in Seville seems fine, unless you wish to make a day trip to Cordoba.
then add a night .

Viajero2

No Madrid? ...I would start by switching travel agents.. (are those still around?

With 10 days I would start in Barcelona (4 days; eastward destination always first and work your way west...basic travel logistic). Then AVE to Madrid (4 days), and AVE to Seville (4 Days). Fly back from Seville or Malaga.

Day trips from Madrid-- Toledo and Segovia.
Day Trips from Barcelona-- Montserrat, Cadaques, Tarragona
Day Trips from Seville- Cordova, Route of the White Villages
Leftover days-- go to Granada-- easy day trip from Malaga.

CathyM

I agree with danon and would add a night to Barcelona and Sevilla and spend 2 nights in Malaga.

I'd also reconsider the Malaga hotel. Is there a reason why the travel agent has booked a hotel by the airport and not in the old town of Malaga? Does your travel agent know Spain? I'd question this and make sure you are not getting generic places without any character. If your travel agent doesn't know Spain I'd find one that does or plan this on your own.

BigAleinstein

Yikes. Your hotel is 11 miles from the Alcazaba in Malaga. Get a travel agent who knows Spain.

christine_nicole106

I'm debating switching travel agents now! Before I do, here are the hotels she has drawn up for us for the rest of the trip:
Seville: Melia Lebreros
Granada: Barcelo La Bobadilla
Barcelona: Tryp Barcelona Condal Mar

Any feedback?
The reason we are working with a travel agent (this one was rec'd by my wedding coordinator) is because my FI is studying for his license exams, and obviously I'm already busy with wedding planning.. We just don't have the time and energy to plan ourselves but don't want to get stuck with bad hotels!!