We have the following planned:

1: Madrid
2: Madrid
3: Madrid
4: Madrid
5: Sevilla
6: Sevilla
7: Marbella
8: Marbella
9: Marbella
10: Granada
11: Barcelona
12: Barcelona
13: Barcelona
14: Barcelona

What do those familiar recommend for travel between :
-Madrid-Sevilla
-Sevilla-Marbella
-Marbella-Granada
-Granda-Barcelona

We don't have lots of time to spare obviously -- but we're unsure if train or plane is better for Madrid-Seville and Granada to Barcelona. We're also unsure if train or car is better for Seville-Marbella and Marbella to Granada.

Thanks for any advice. Also, itinerary can be tweaked a bit. We may be a day too long in Madrid...

We have always done road trips in spain - but then we haven;t gone from the south to the far north in the same trip.

I would rent a car from Madrid and drive south, tour there and then fly from Malaga to Barcelona. Also - unless you are heavy duty beach people I would do less time in Marbella and cut back one day in Barcelona - so you can really see Granada and also see Cordoba - which is NOT to be missed.

The Ave from Madrid to Sevilla is fantastic, fast & relaxing. I went 1st class & even thought the food was ok for train food. You might also make a stop in Cordoba for a few hours at least & see that it is on the way.

Madrid-Sevilla AVE train.
Get car when leaving Sevilla to do the southern area and end up in Granada with one less day in Marbella, perhaps, adding it to Granada after longish drive.

Then fly Granada-Barcelona?

More time in Granada and less in Marbella....

nytraveler (in pertinent part) writes: "We have always done road trips in spain - but then we haven;t gone from the south to the far north in the same trip. "

I don't consider Barcelona to be 'the far north' of Spain. I have visited Barcelona several times; but my heart is in Northern Spain (San Sebastian west to a'Corunha Autonomous Communities: Pais Vasco, Cantabria, the Principality of Asturias and Galicia). But that's a whole 'nuther trip or several.

I would recommend AVE Madrid-Sevilla, Renting a Car on the way out of Sevilla (at Santa Justa RENFE Station), driving to Granada.

I don't know how you think Marbella is worth 3-days: It has no historical value; a beachfront community of Condominiums and it didn't exist before the early 1960's. I would substitute a day or two in Malaga (which does have history)

You can either fly or take an overnight train to Barcelona from Granada.

Thanks for the replies. Marbella is only because we have a friend there and are spending time with her. Nonetheless I agree we should clip a day and add it elsewhere. So...train from Madrid-Sevilla, and plane from Granada to Barcelona.. for sure..? So then just Sevilla-Marbella-Granada... is car best here, or train?

I think you should consider driving & see the white villages on the way...

Do a search on pueblos blancos white here there is alot of good info. Josele did a report on that.

AVE train whenever possible. Cut out Marbella altogether and spend at least 3 nights in Sevilla and 2 in Granada. I would also cut out Barcelona but people seem to like it.

They have FRIENDS in Marbella.

Well you can consider Barcelona wherever you want - but it's in about the northernmost 15% of Spain geographically - which to me is the far north.

It's not anywhere near Madrid - which is the center - and is quite near the French border.

Not saying someone shouldn;t go there - we have done trips across the north and loved it - but north it is.