We are adventurous senior citizens planning a three week trip to Spain in Sept. We love established and outsider art; the buz of the big city and the off the beaten track hometown stuff. We travelled Germany for 23 days with a backpack each and a car for 4 days-the rest was train.Please comment on our plans and offer travel suggestions.Madrid (5days); train to Granada (2days), Cordoba (2 days), Serville (3days). Fly or train to Barcellona for 4 days. Do we need a car?

Vueling flies Granada to Barcelona.
I would take a fast train from Madrid to Cordoba, then to Seville, bus to Granada, and and fly from Granada to Barcelona.

www.vueling.com
You don't need a car IMO , unless you wish to drive from Seville to 'white villages" (on the way to Granada).
You'll have to leave the car in Granada.

Some suggestions off the beaten track:
Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca (around 160 kilometers from Madrid)
www.march.es/arte/ingles/cuenca/index.asp

Picasso's barber museum at Buitrago del Lozoya (around 75 kilometers from Madrid)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ob...so-819668.html
http://www.madrid.org/museo_picasso/...cion/todas.htm

Thank you both for your suggestions.Do you both agree with the number of days I have suggested or would you stay longer or less in any of the places.I loved the suggestion of the trips from Madrid. Do you have any suggestions for Barcelona?

Most visit Toledo and Segovia from Madrid.there is more..
From Barcelona, we visited Girona but there are number of other possibilities: Sitges, Tarragona, Montserrat etc.
I think the time you allocated is rather good.
Buy Alhambra tickets ahead of time.
I have not been to Cordoba in years - one day may be enough.
Madrid is a huge city with world class museums, if that is your interest. Barcelona also has a lot of wonderful art . There is a ton of information on the board about Spain. Just search for info.

5 days in Madrid may be too much, unless you spend a day in Toledo (easy day trip) and another in El Escorial or Segovia. One night in Cordoba is sufficient - the centre, where all the sights are, is quite compact. Your itinerary only adds up to 16 days, so I presume you are building in several days touring with overnight stops? Then spend a night in Cadiz or Tarifa and another in Ronda or another white town. You don't want a car in Granada or Seville, but otherwise it's handy for exploring Andalucia and rental is among the cheapest in Europe. You can do the same for a few days in Costa Brava.

Assuming the days you state are whole days, I would definitely take a day from Cordoba (and possibly one from Madrid) to spend time in some of the white villages and perhaps a bit more time in the Granada area visiting the caves, etc. Don't miss Toledo and Segovia - you can easily spend a whole day plus in each place. I haven't made it to El Escorial, but it is on the list for my next trip to Spain.

Agree with Danon on the sequence of things: Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, fly to Barcelona. A car is nice between Seville & Granada.

One thing everyone is agreement on is cut a day off Cordoba and a day off Madrid.

Works well with me.
Thanks all.

Does anyone have suggestions of places to stay or eat in this itinerary?

there are a number of trip report re Spain, and wonderful
Maribel's Guide.

http://www.maribelsguides.com/

Hi; Having just returned from Spain and Portugal, our hotel in Seville recommended a restaurant that was excellent and the cost was minimal. Web site www.vineriasantelmo.com While this site is in Spainish, if you consider the restaurant, it will give you the address. I had 'grilled pork filet' and it was a great dinner. They have a menu in english. iris1745/dick

Iris thanks I always appreciate the links to the retaurants.
I see the place looks homey but the menu is quite sophisticated....

If anyone wasnt to see it look at Carta the on each item & a photo will appear
The pork must have been a menu del dia?

Been thinking spain late sept but worried on traveling alone any suggestions

Mediaqueen try making a new post I think you will get better ifo that way...

mediaqueen,
I am assuming you are a woman? As a woman I can tell you there is nothing to worry about. I ahve done it several times and enjoyed it.

There are also some good trip reports out there from a single woman...look for magellean's report

I travel to Spain twice a year and usually go solo.

I've never had a problem. In fact, I feel much more comfortable and safe in Spain then I would traveling around the US solo.

We'll be taking the tour of the White Villages from Seville on Sept. 23rd. and we are looking for more people if you'd like to join us.

Millie

I am glad Revulgo mentioned Cuenca. It is a beautiful town with a modern art museum. For some reason, it is often overlooked.

Be sure to read about Gaudi and Puig before vsiting Barcelona. There is a sense of style there that is not found elsewhere. The art is in the design. You must be a Picasso fan to visit the museum there since it concentrates on his earlier years. The three major museums in Madrid are worth the time and effort. The Reina Sofia will have more contemporary Spanish art than the others.

And the way your trip is structured a car is more of a burden than a help.