Spain Itinerary This July
 

We arrive in Barcelona. Our proposed itinerary is:

Barcelona
Sun July 10 - Thurs July 14 -

Fly to Malaga
Transport to Nerja
Fri July 15 - Sat July 16

Train to Granada
Granada Sun July 17 - Mon July 18

Train to Madrid
Madrid with day trip to Toledo
Tues July 19-Fri July 23

Is this too many day in Madrid, are we making a mistake not going to Sevilla? We are in our 60's and active, but is this just too ambitious? We would love to hear experienced travelers thoughts and suggestions.
Thank you,
NEK

You can't get to Granada from Nerja by train. You'll have to take the bus or do a private transfer.

As far as taking the train from Granada to Madrid, it's doubtful that the new high-speed line will be ready by late July. Renfe is still showning the bus-train combination on that route. You would be taking the bus from Granada to Antequera-Santa Ana, and the train from there to Madrid.

Since it probably won't be any hotter in Madrid then Sevilla, I'd spend the time in Madrid. There are a number of excellent restaurants to choose from where you can sit around for a few hours enjoying lunch during the heat of the day, and more tapas bars in the evening for you to do a tapas stroll.

You might rethink Nerja. No swimming there since the sewage treatment plant has yet to be built. It was supposed to be ready for this summer, but, I guess, the manana attitude prevailed. Look at Almunecar, La Herradura, and Salobrena.

Or, you could stay in Malaga and take the train to Granada.

There's no direct train from Málaga to Granada.

IMO yes it is way too much traveling within the trip. However that is how most of us Americans like to travel so it can be done. Seville is a far more interesting place than Nerja. Keep in mind that most of Spain will be as hot as West Texas in July. It can be unbearable and many people stay inside during the afternoon.

>many people stay inside during the afternoon< That's one reason lunch lasts at least two hours!

It would be too rushed for me, but that's irrelevant -- the question is whether it will give you the time to see and do what YOU want, and do decide that, you would do well to pull out a calendar and plot things out. Get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, check their opening/closing times on the internet, and mark them on a calendar. 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.

Make sure you can get tickets for the Alhambra, preferably for both the daytime and for the Nasrid Palace in the evening.

As for Madrid, I wanted 4 full days for the city itself, and 2 full days (and nights) in Toledo.

As for Sevilla, it is magnificent, and nearby Cordoba is amazing, but only you can decide what to visit and what to skip.

Hope that helps!