Spain in 8 days
 

My husband and I are looking for a trip in March and have 8 days. We are interested in seeing history...ancient ruins, palaces, museums. We are fine to skip art and music related sights. Thinking about Madrid, Seville, Toledo, and Barcelona. Appreciate your help!!!

Eight days is very limited to see a whole lot. Will you have eight nights or does that include travel at either end? I might suggest the following. Use open jaw and fly into Madrid and home from Malaga. In between, 2 days in Madrid, day trip to Toledo, train to Seville for two days, train to Granada (Alhambra) 3 days, and early morning bus to Malaga and flight home. Tight trip but some variety and efficient use of time.

fmpden's itinerary seems doable... but still rather busy, depending on where you arriving from and when you have to catch your flight home. With only 8 days, I'd stick with Madrid and Sevilla, unless you're willing to add one night for Toledo and two nights for Granada.

I'd either do Madrid (w/daytrip to Toledo) and Barcelona or Madrid and Sevilla. I wouldn't attempt to visit Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla in one 8 day trip. Personally fmpden's itinerary is doable but I wouldn't want to do it - far too fast for me. 2 days in Madrid w/1 as a daytrip to Toledo means only 1 (probably jelagged) day for Madrid, 2 days for Sevilla is about 2 days too short and doesn't allow time for a daytrip to Cordoba and 3 days for Granada is actually 1 more than I'd budget. Another idea would be to focus the entire trip in Andalucia and do 4 days Sevilla, 2 Granada and 2 in Malaga or white villages.

With only 8 days, you might want to consider (a) Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, and maybe Avila; (b) Sevilla, Cordoba, and Grenada; or (c) Barcelona and surrounds. Just something to think about...

Oops! I meant to say: (b) Sevilla, Cordoba, Grenada, and maybe Ronda

Thanks for all the tips. The flights I have been looking at get us to Madrid about 8am on a Friday and then leaving Madrid the following Saturday morning. So 8 nights. But my husband suggested we arrive 2 days earlier. Checking with potential child care since we will have 4 kiddos under the age of 7. :) We plan to move fast to see a lot...just our personalities. After talking last night, we like the idea of Segovia, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Seville...covering the southern part and leaving Barcelona for next trip. Still might have to add the 2 days to get all of this in.

Barcelona and Madrid should offer plenty. You could split time between the two with a day trip to Toledo or Sevilla. It'd be a better use of 8 days IMO

If you want to visit Segovia, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, and Sevilla and could add a couple of nights then it would be fast paced but work. I'd head immediately to Sevilla for 4 nights. If you can book a connecting flight to Sevilla with a good connection time and little price difference that would be great - otherwise it's easy to get to Atocha station from the airport and then take the 2.5 hour train to Sevilla. From Sevilla train or bus to Granada for 2 nights. Then train from Granada to Madrid with a stop en route in Cordoba. 4 nights in Madrid w/Daytrips to Segovia and Toledo. I wouldn't attempt this in 8 days but if you're able to add 2 days it would work.

FWIW: I also pack a lot in, and I would have found your itinerary extremely frustrating. I spent 4 days in Madrid, 2 in Toledo, 1 in Segovia, 2 in Granda, 3 in Sevilla, and 2 in Cordoba. But it depends on what you want to see and experience. To each his/her own! At least you'll see some wonderful things no matter what you choose.

If you are going to Granada, you absolutely have to use an open jaw ticket. You are short on time so you are going to burn a day, a day and half return to Madrid. Waste of critical time and money. Malaga has an international airport with direct flights back to the US. Take advantage of that. Everyone has their opinions and preferences but four days in Seville is a lot. Personally I don't know what I would do for four days.

fmpden-which airlines fly direct from the US to Malaga in March? I'm curious as I visit Andalucia every spring and have never been able to fly direct. Delta has flights from JFK to Malaga but only in the summer months.

As for 4 nights in Sevilla, after a daytrip to Cordoba then it's really only 2.5 days in Sevilla. Plenty to keep busy in Sevilla for 2.5 days. The Cathedral, Alcazar and Santa Cruz barrio will take up a good day. I just returned from 6 nights in March and am going back for 4 in September! In the rare chance you feel like you've seen enough in Sevilla there a many daytrip options (besides Cordoba) that are very easy using public transportation - Carmona, Jerez, Sanlucar, Cadiz, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Ecija, Osuna, Arcos, Ronda, etc....