skiobx

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments…Think I'm narrowing it down based on the suggestions -- I was looking at flights from boston and was thinking about flying from Boston to Malaga (with a short layover in Madrid). My thinking was a direct flight to Madrid gets us in at 6:30 am, which is obviously early but if we continue on to Malaga we arrive 9:00, where we would pick up a rental car.

Flight from Boston to Madrid to Malaga - pick up rental car
Malaga - Costa del Sol for a few days (day trip to Granada?) even though it will only be late May
Drive to Seville for a few days - Cordoba
High Speed Train to Madrid - Prado, Flamenco, trip out to Toledo
Direct Flight from Madrid to Boston

Is this still too broad??

ribeirasacra

arrive at 6.30 am get to Malága by 9.00 and pick a hire car with jet lag? Honestly that is not a wise move.

skiobx

Didn't necessarily mean we would pick it up the same day we arrive…just that we would have one available and to travel to Seville

Robert2533

The Iberia flight, Boston-Madrid-Malaga, that would get you into Malaga at 08:50, but the flight arrives at T4S and the Malaga flight departs from T4. If you have to clear passport control and customs in Madrid, making the connection would take a lot of luck.

danon

It is a rushed Itinerrary but if you are interested in seeing only the highlights and like moving around
......
Malaga is a lovely Andalucian town on the sea...maybe a bit of a beach time.
If you drive to Granada, stay overnight and continue in the morning to Cordoba .
visit the Mesquita, , stay for a while and continue to Seville.
Malaga 2 days ( including arrival)
Granda one daY , drive from Malaga and Alhambra ( and night)
Cordoba one day ( travel from Granada, Mesq., arrival in Seville)
Seville one full day ( 2 nights)
Madrid 3 days ( 2.5 with transfer from Seville)

flufffluff

This thread has been helpful to me. I have been putting together a 12 night itinerary for my husband, 21 y.o. "child" - a soon to be college graduate Spanish/Econ major with the attention span of a gnat - and me. My goal is to make this a fun, stress-free event - hitting the "must sees" but keeping things fun and interesting and avoiding museum fatigue. We live in the DC area and have access to wonderful venues. We are taking the train and intercountry air - NO CAR - and I've signed up for a tapas and wine crawl, a flamenco show, and a cooking school that involves a visit to the market, and making and consuming paella, tapas and sangria. I'm still looking to add similar "fun" events. I think the idea of Madrid OR Barcelona PLUS Seville is perfect, giving two unique flavors of Spain.

Ozarksbill

So skiobx, looks like you are touring Andalucia plus Madrid. Seems danon has a good plan. Similar to our tour in October from Boston it would look like...and I did a Fodors travel report. You might also be interested in the various Fodors discussions about Goya and flamenco and duende. College aged sons should enjoy it, too.

As for the fluffluff quip about a trip with husband and 21 year old, I'm puzzled that he is soon to be a college grad and yet has the attention span of a gnat. I am wondering how you know about gnats. I do gnat know much myself.

skiobx

I read your trip report ozarksbill - it was very informative!!! Fluffluff, I would greatly appreciate learning your itinerary.....I've heard the best flamenco is in Seville and will be looking for the best place to go., we too will be looking into a wine /tapas tour -- keeping all the men well fed and hydrated is key to a happy trip.

Ozarksbill

Oh I like that keeping all the men well fed bit. As I reported the food in Spain has lots of those tapas and seafood and such goodies as the churros con chocolate. As for flamencos venues, you can do a search on Fodors for commentary and I would direct you to comments by kimhe in another Spain report and also under duende. Just ask the question and you may get an answer.

flufffluff

Here is a rough itinerary that may keep everyone happy - husband and 21 y.o. held captive with parents 12 nights (May 26-June 8):
Madrid 3/Seville 3/Granada 2/ Barcelona 4 - main tips: see the tourist sites very early or very late to avoid the hoards, embrace the eating patterns, bring a chip credit card, the best wine to order is "un criaza", try the sherry - dulce (sweet) and fino (dry)
I'd welcome any other ideas to prevent museum/cathedral fatigue!

3 nights Madrid (Sercotel Suites Vienna)-
Go to TI Center - find out about walking tours. Go to El Corte Ingles Dept Store - supermarket in basement (cafeteria on 7th Floor)
PM: The Tapas and Fine Wine Tour of Spain (a bit pricey but I think
worth it for a true "orientation.")
HOHO Bus ....Prado (focus on 4 main Spanish artists) / Royal Palace/walk El Rio (best new paseo benind Royal Palace). Toledo?
Day 4: AVE Train to Seville / 3 nights America Hotel (B&B)
Seville - orientation walk/Flamingo in PM Alcazar/Cathedral/Sambra performance
Day 6: TRD Train to Granada for 2 nights at Dauro Granada
Orientation walk/ Alhambra visit / in evening walk to Albaicin and dine at restaurant overlooking Alhambra at night. Explore city.
Day 8 Fly to Barcelona / 4 nights Regencia Colon B&B -
Signed up for this cooking class: http://www.travelbar.com/es/activiti...king-class.php -- check out beach area, main sites, maybe day trip to Montserrat or Sitges/ Picasso Museum - Gaudi sites - HOHO Bus

skiobx

Aw ---- you're the best!!!!