Spain Itinerary - Need Advice
 

My husband and I are going on our 1st trip to Spain in the first 2 weeks of November. Here is our tenative plan. Any help would be appreciated. My husband is adamant about seeing Gibralter
Day 1 - Arrive in Madrid @ 7:00 am. Walking and bus tours of city
Day 2 - Madrid
Day 3 - Segovia(via train) and overnight stay
Day 4 - Toledo(via train) and overnight stay
Day 5 - Toledo
Day 6 - To Seville via AVE train
Day 7 - Seville
Day 8 - Rent a car in Seville(for remainder of trip) and then to Jerez
Day 9 - Jerez
Day 10 - Along Coast to Gibraltar
Day 11 - Gibraltar to Ronda
Day 12 -Ronda
Day 13 - Granada
Day 14 - Granada
Day 15 - Nerja
Day 16 - Torrmolinos
Day 17 - Leave Malaga to Madrid in morning and then home

I know it's alot to see, but I think it's drivable and enjoyable. Your thoughts??

Unless you are flying Business/First Class you might be too jet lagged for much tourism (Madrid: Day 1). I usually try to decompress - maybe do the Bus Vision (double decker) outdoor tour and get my bearings on relative distances and directions (Museo del Prado, Plaza de Opera, Palacio Real etc.).

In general, instead of moving from one hotel to another (4-hotels in 4-days) I think you would be better served if you based yourself in Madrid and did daytrips to Segovia & Toledo. You may even get a better Hotel rate if you stay 3-nights or longer. Any concierge worth his salt could arrange daytrips for you; and, you would be back in Madrid for the nightlife.

AVE does not run to or thru Toledo - you'll have to come back to Madrid's Puerta de Atocha to catch AVE to Sevilla.

November: you can probably use Bancotel coupons for your lodging and save a few euros.

I would not recommend Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol - Marbella is much nicer.

I assume you're flying Malaga-Madrid because it's a long drive and you want to be at Madrid's Barajas airport at least 2-hours before your return flight.

Exhausting! Madrid is a lovely city, and you are cheating yourself to not allow a bit more time there. You can see Toledo in a day trip, using the train, allowing yourself a bit more time in Madrid and save another packing and unpacking. Then take the AVE to Seville. If I'm not mistaken, when you take the train from Segovia to Toledo, you will likely return to Madrid and change trains. I also wonder if AVE stops in Toledo (I don't believe it does)or are you again returning to Madrid to get on the AVE.
Segovia doesn't have that much to see. Could you consider one of those tours that take you to Segovia and Avila? Avila or the Escorial are a bit more interesting than Segovia, but that's me.
Again, if that's doable in a day trip why pack and unpack, take time to change hotels?

What are the Bancotel coupons??? I have never heard of them. Can you give me some information as to where I can get them. Also thank you for your advice!

Nancy,
Go to www.bancotel.com
Sold in bookets of 5. VAT is extra. I see in my directory that in Nov. many Madrid hotels accept them wkds., requiring 1-3 coupons per night (Crown Plaza sometimes accepts them mid-week as do Florida Norte and Praga, requiring 1. but these 2 are just basic hotels and not convenient for touring)
Seville hotels accept them Nov. wks. and other days, from 1-3 coupons per night. Also Jerez, Nerja, Granada, and Ronda.
You won't find the lovely Santa Cruz quarter boutique hotels in the program, just mostly business class hotels, and some are a bus/metro/taxi ride from downtown. One needs to be flexible, not too demanding & creative to reap maximum savings and not have leftover coupons, which negate the savings. It requires work & maneuvering around restrictions, but they are a $ saver if used skillfully.
If you do a text search "Bancotel", you can read lots about them here.

I'd just like to echo NED's suggestions re itinerary:
Unless you're not coming in off an overnight flight, the first day is somewhat of a loss (even when we're lucky enought to upgrade to business, we still aren't 100%),
I'd do as NED says; take Madrid Vision bus to get bearings, then a long walk to wake up down the Castellana (locate Prado, R. Sofía & Thyssen for later visits) or the Palacio Real-Oriente area. Tapas lunch and early dinner (for sit down, the very earliest will be 8-8:30 at places like Finca de Susana, Zerain, Casa Paco, Botín, Taberna del Alabardero-great tapas there). Or drop into Café del Oriente at any time, for anything.

I'd also add days 3-4 to Madrid, doing day trips to lovely, very Castilian Segovia (by La Sepulvedana bus) and Toledo (by train from Atocha-buy tickets then for AVE or better still, at RENFE counter in Barajas upon arrival)-more info in file I sent.

I'd add day 5 to Seville, doing Córdoba, if interested, either as stop on way down (requires 2 separate AVE tickets) or as day trip from Seville (40 min. ride). Or just stay put & soak up wonderful Seville ambience-tons to see/do!

Is husband adamant about a Gibraltar overnight or will a short visit suffice? If the latter..
Day 10, I'd drive from Jerez thru El Puerto (if you didn't do it already from Jerez),
then along Costa de la Luz stopping at Vejer de la Frontera, blindingly white, atmospheric Moorish hill town, Boelio Roman ruins on beach, overnighting in Tarifa (Hotel Hurricane, Sacristía, Dos Mares) instead.

Day 11-morning visit to Gibraltar (park on Sp. side), then up to Ronda

Agree with NED about Torremolinos.
I'd spend last night at the nice Parador Gibralfaro with lovely views and quiet above bustling Málaga rather than in the concrete jungle high rise Torremolinos area.
Are you taking the very early flight or the 8:30? or later? Even in rush hr., shouldn't take more than 25 min. from Gibralfaro to airport on other side, I think.
Marbella is much more upmarket, but you'd be going back west on your itinerary for just 1 night, then back east to Málaga, plus you've had your beach day in Nerja.

Just my thoughts...

I think you've gotten some excellent suggestions. Just want to add that if you don't have a need for 5 Bancotel coupons, you can order less through Petrabax.com. We're going back to Spain in Nov. and only needed 4 and were able to order through this website. (There is a $25 fee for shipping, but it was still worth it for us.)

artlover,
Thanks for the tip! I emailed Luis at Petrabax last week to ask if they sold them individually (web site isn't crystal clear on that), but he hasn't answered yet. I'll need 26 for next spring, so even with the shipping, it may beat the other coupon programs.

artlover and Nancy,
Forgot!
Another new hotel coupon program is Hotel Plus. Their coupons are sold in either booklets of 4 for 100 euros @ 25 euros each or booklets of 10.

Unfortunately their web page is only in Sp. at the moment but if you read enough Sp you can work through it.
www.hotelplus.com

Then there's yet ANOTHER hotel program (argh!) that's an alternative to the coupons-works like a credit card with pin (can be replaced if lost) and is transferable. You buy it at a Spain travel agency, start with a minimum of 40 euros then add, recharge it with any amount you need. Never expires. Called Hotel Pass but brand new on the market, I haven't tested it yet and their online booking only works for those who already have the pass & pin.
Don't bite just yet.

Maribel,
I think you'd really like working with Luis--he's from Spain and seems to be familiar with most of the properties.

So glad you're "back on the board"--guess you were on vacation...have you posted a trip report. Can't tell you how much I value your advise--thank you so much for all the great information you have share.

Best wishes,
Paula

Thanx for all the endorsements, Maribel: Actually, I was going to suggest el Puerto de Santa Maria as an alternative to staying overnight in Jerez de la frontera. The Monasterio de San Miguel (5-star deluxe) accepts Bancotel coupons during off-season and I like that retro-60's All Night Diner in el Puerto (except for the Motorcycles).

Maribel and All

Thanks for the advice. Gibraltar is not a must for an overnight visit, just a short trip should be okay.

for artlover,
Thanks so much for your kind words. I've never done a trip report since our summer trips are 6 weeks long, but I hope to post about some new discoveries in drips and drabs about Northern Spain and southwest France. I'll definitely call Luis!

for NED,
Yep, the Monasterio de San Miguel might be a very good alternative for them. If Bancotel doesn't work for them, the M de SM also accepts 50 euro Weekend Plan coupons every day in Nov, sold INDIVIDUALLY at any Halcon Viajes or Viajes Ecuador travel agency in Spain, and there are tons. No shipping costs, just buy when you arrive. But as with Bancotel, their coupon space is limited, and you must reserve in advance, notifying the hotel you'll be paying with these coupons.

for n_marquis,
In Jerez you can use 50 euro Weekend Plan coupons every day in Nov. at the AC Jerez and on wkds. at the Sherry Park and NH Avenida de Jerez.
Plus you have a half dozen Bancotel choices there, requiring from 1-3 coupons per night, most accepted daily in Nov.

The new, lux Grand Palmera Plaza is beautiful and right across the st. from Sandeman. The new Tierras de Jerez is part of Intergroup, who own Casas y Palacios, of which the Casas de la Judería in Seville is a member.

We did about the same and except that we got a one-way rental starting at Madrid and ending in Seville (we did Granda before reaching Seville). In our car it was most enjoyable and I believe it is perfectly doable in planes/ trains. However, I think that if you are used to driving in America, you may be able to save time/ money and enjoy a lot more in the independence of a car.