Spain Itinerary advice - 11 days
 

Hello all. Looking for advice/comments on my proposed itinerary for my first trip to Spain. I know it's ambitious...

1. Fly into Madrid, arrive early am.
2. Madrid
3. Madrid - day trip to Toledo
4. Early train to Granada
5. Granada
6. Train to Seville via Cordoba
7. Seville
8. Seville.
9. Early am flight to Barcelona
10. Barcelona
11. Fly out of Barcelona late am.

I have already booked my international flight, flying out of US into Madrid and then leaving from Barcelona to US. I know trying to do both big cities and Andalucia is alot but I just wanted to get an overview of Madrid & Barcelona and couldn't imagine not visiting both. Now am trying to book trains/flights during the trip and hotels. Really open to any and all advice! Especially for budget hotel rooms in these cities. Thanks!

Just realized I can't count very well, I actually have an extra day. We flight out of Barcelona on day 12. So, let me know where you think I should add it. Also, forgot to mention the trip is mid-late September.

You have packed a lot of destinations in your 12 days - but it is doable and looks like a "best-of-Spain"-type trip.

Do not forget to reserve online tickets for the Alhambra in Granada ASAP.

Mid-September will still be hot in Andalucia.

Where to add the extra day? - I would not add another destination, better take the extra time to explore either Madrid or Barcelona in a more relaxed way. Both cities are equally attractive, maybe the extra day in Madrid is better for accomodating after a long flight.

In Madrid, see the Royal Palace, the museums, the parks, the splendid squares and boulevards, old town, take your time for dinner and be aware that life in Spain is mostly nocturnal.

I would have added an extra night to Sevilla, the queen of the cities in the South if not all of Spain.
http://www.andalucia.com/cities/sevilla.htm
http://www.exploreseville.com/

Budget hotel rooms in great locations in your cities. All are basic, but ensuite bathroom and good value.

Hostal Orleans in Barcelona: http://www.hostalorleans.com/
On the edge of the wonderful El Born area, close to "everything" and ten minutes walk to the Barceloneta beach. http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...s/el-born.html

La Perla Asturiana in Madrid. http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/la-p...FYHwzAodLWcA8w
Next to majestic Plaza Mayor, 300 meters from vibrant Plaza Santa Ana and the heart of the city Puerta del Sol.
http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-mayor.html
http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-santa-ana.html
http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/puerta-del-sol.html

In Sevilla there are plenty of choices in the beautiful but very touristy Santa Cruz district. I like to stay a little north of this area, in the much more local feel part of town around what the sevillanos call centre. From basic and good value Hostal Museo it's a ten minutes walk to the cathedral and the most famous sights. http://www.hostalmuseo.com/
Next to the Fine Arts Museum, one of the absolute finest in Spain. Among other things, there are some fabulous Zurbarán paintings here. http://www.google.no/search?q=museo+...w=1600&bih=805

In Granada there are several affordable and totally fine places along Cuesta de Gomerez, the road leading from central Plaza Nueva up to Alhambra. Pensión Britz is one of several options: http://www.pensionbritz.com/

Newly renovated Hostal Rodri is also an excellent and affordable option in the middle of everything. A double with private bathroom will be 43€ in the high season. http://www.hostalrodri.com/?lang=en

I would add the extra night to Madrid or Barcelona.

Enjoy!

I would add the extra night to Barcelona.

I think I will probably add the extra day to Madrid to allow for recovery from jetlag, I can never sleep on planes. Do you think considering a (half?) day trip to Segovia is worth it or just enjoy Madrid?

Traveller, thanks for the tip on reserving tickets for the Alhambra, I had no idea!

Kim, thanks for all the hotel recommendatation, I will definately be looking into those!

Also, do I need to reserve train tickets in advance? I was on the Renefe site and notice tickets for tomorrow were the same price as my trip in 6 wks. I thought there were advanced web fare discounts available but couldn't find any. I would prefer to buy them at the train station to allow for more flexability in our travel dates, however my spanish is not the best so maybe it would just be easier to have the tickets in hand?

I am so excited, hard to pick from all the amazing things to do in Spain!

Use to be huge train ticket discounts if you buy them on-line on renfe.com in advance. Six weeks might be a bit too far into the future, the discount tickets will turn up.

And Madrid is a wonderful city. I would have stayed and enjoyed the fantastic museums, the tapas bars, cafés, restaurants, theaters, parks and nightlife. Always updated info on http://www.esmadrid.com/en/portal.do

Emery,

I'm a big fan of Madrid, so I would say just enjoy Madrid. In addition to the fabulous museums, I love taking time to enjoy their beautiful Retiro park.If weather is nice while there I strongly recommend you spend a couple of hours strolling and sitting down at one of the cafes there and people watch.

I agree to skip the Segovia trip and stay in Madrid - there is a lot to see and to do in the capital city.

Here is the website for the Alhambra tickets:

http://www.alhambradegranada.org/en/info/ticketsale.asp

You get a ticket with a time window. Without a prebooked ticket it is usually not possible to visit the Alhambra - for me the greatest attraction in Spain.