Mlhduck

Hi! I have a trip to Spain planned next month! I will be flying into Barcelona from the US and currently just have a one way ticket from London back to Denver booked as I can find cheap flights from Spain to London depending on where I end up! My travel dates will be leaving from US (Feb 15) arriving Barcelona (Feb 16) and then leaving London AM of March 6. I have roughly 17.5 days in Spain assuming I take a late night flight to London on Feb 5. I have the Rick Steve's Spain book and have been going off of his recs for how many days to spend in each city/area as well as reading other blogs, etc! This is my tentative itinerary but may drop some places pending feedback! Thanks in Advance! PS... Nothing is set (plane/train tickets etc) in stone aside from flights to and from the US!

Feb 15: Leave Denver, CO USA
Feb 16: Arrive Barc 3pm-ish
Feb 17-20: Barcelona
Feb 20: Depart Barc and fly to San Sebastian/Bilbao (1.5 hours and 36$ one-way or 5.5 hr train 25.9 Eu)
Feb 20-22: Bilbao/San Sebastian
Feb 22: train to Madrid (~5 hr, ~36 Eu) or (1 hr, $46)
Feb 22-26: Madrid with side trip to Toledo
Feb 26: Train from Madrid to Seville with stop in Cordoba for half-ish/full day
Feb 26-March 5: ???? (Seville- I want to spend three full days here?)(Grenada?) (Rhonda/Arcos del la Frontera?)
March 5: Catch late flight ~2100 back to London
March 6: London --> USA

This is where I need some more help/opinions! Andalucia Day/Holiday is Feb 28 so I would like to experience a Spanish holiday if possible! So should I get to Seville on the 26 and head to Rhonda for a couple of days, then to Grenada and back to Seville to end there and fly back to the US? I beleive I read Seville is the main "city center" of Andalucia and should be celebrating but was just wondering if heading to Rhonda/ Arcos de la Frontera would be better/worth it or I should spend a couple days spread elsewhere instead?

A little about me and my travel: I can do an energetic/extensive trip or a relaxed trip... can do both! I do like some museums but do not travel to specifically go to museums as I do get bored with them if that is all the trip consists of! I also do solo travel so museums aren't as interesting when there isn't anyone to discuss anything with! I am a foodie and love to eat, experience the local drinks/beverages and can also post up in a coffee shop with a good book and hang out for a couple hours. Love to sit in parks/plazas to people watch and experience the different cultures one country has to offer! I can wander streets for hours! I love to take the local cooking classes as we do not get those here in the US! Love to do some hiking and watch great sunsets with a bottle of wine!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated! I understand this is an aggressive itinerary and some will say no way and some will say yea it's doable!

Robert2016

Nothing set in stone except your flights? So, assuming you have no hotel reservations, you'll be missing the Sitges Carnival, which ends 14 Feb, as does the celebration in Barcelona, so that shouldn't have any impact on the price of a hotel room.

For Barcelona check out" www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/ and www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com

Dia de Andalucia is a newer festival to celebrate Andalucia's autonomoy. It's a public holiday, but as it's not a traditional holiday, you may see some green and white flags, but not much else.

For Sevilla, check out: www.exploreseville.com and www.sevilla.net

For what to do in the Basque country, check out: www.basquecountry-tourism.com and tourism.euskadi.eus/en/

Pack a lunch for your train ride from Bilbao to Madrid. There is no dining car.

To plan you time in Madrid, check out: www.esmadrid.com and www.maribelsguides.com/mg_madrid.pdf

If you have the time, then yes, you should spend a night in Córdoba.

PalenQ

Book train tickets ASAP for discounted fares that are limited in number but often much cheaper than full-fare walk-up tickets. www.renfe.com is the site to do that yourself - many folks find problems doing that however but lots of didactic help on that from www.seat61.com - general train info also at www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

KarenWoo

I recommend spending 1 or 2 nights in Cordoba if possible. It was one of our favorite cities. The Mezquita is amazing, the Alcazar has beautiful extensive gardens, and we loved walking around Cordoba. It's so pretty with its white washed buildings, narrow lanes, potted plants on the outside of the buildings. The Roman Bridge is beautiful lit up at night with spectacular views of the illuminated Mezquita. Modern Cordoba, just outside the walls of Juderia, is pretty with terraced pools, lovely landscaping, and pretty lampposts. We had one of our best meals at Regadera, along the river.

I also recommend 2 or 3 nights in Granada. The Alhambra is spectacular; we did both a day time tour and night time tour!

We spent 4 nights/3 days in Seville, and it was a good amount of time. We saw what we wanted to see. We did not take any day trips from Seville.

kja

While it depends on your interests, I would strongly encourage you to consult a guidebook or two OTHER than Rick Steves’s, which is, IME, extremely “thin” in its coverage. I found the Rough Guide and Michelin Green particularly useful for Spain.

I must admit that your plan sounds unpleasantly rushed to me, but my opinion is irrelevant – what matters is whether you can see and do what YOU want in the time you have. Here's what I recommend: Get some better guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library) and plot your wish list on a calendar. Each time you propose to change locations, pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.). Then see how things fit together. BTW, note that many things in Spain are closed on Monday, and often for all or part of Sundays too; and many things in Spain will also be closed daily for a very long mid-day break.

BTW, I’m not sure I would want to visit Bilbao or San Sebastian in February, but maybe that’s just me.

Robert2016

Both Bilbao and Donostia are fine in February, the weather is just like being in the Pacific Northwest; for us it’s like being at home, but with a little better cuisine (except for the Salmon) and excellent, if not a lot less expensive, wines.