Thanks for previous advise to skip the south. I am now planning to do Madrid for 4 days, San Sebastion or Bilbo for 2 and Barcelona for 3. We plan to do day trips by train and then rent a car to drive to San Sebastion and then to Barcelona. I would appreciate any comments and let me know how the driving is. Are there highways or small country roads?
Do you know how long it will take to drive? We feel this way we will get a better of the country. Thanks for your help
EJS

How many days on the ground do u have? If it is 9 days, then I think you are doing too much. With 9 days u could do Madrid with day trips from there and Barcelona. Or do Madrid and NSpain (Bilbao &/or SS.)

R u driving from Madrid to San Sebastian or Bilbao?

Agre with yestravel, seems like too much traveling around. I would just do Madrid and Bilbao/ SS (or are you flying home from Barcelona?).

We have 9 days on the ground. How long is the drive to bilbao and Biloa to Barcelona? We are flying home from Barcelona.
We like to see the country and small towns, not just the big cities.
Thanks

Go to google maps and put in your destinations to determine mileage and drive time. Outside of both Madrid and Barcelona there are small towns u could visit. U could spend a couple nights on the coast outside Barcelona or check out Girona and the surrounding areas. Lots of charming small towns within easy drives of Barcelona.

If you go to viamichelin.com it will give you driving routes and times - as well as expected delays due to construction, accidents etc - for any sizable towns. But if you are driving do make sure you have very good quality small scale local paper maps (you can get Michelin maps at any large book seller) - so you are prepared when the expected occur.

IMHO you are not leaving yourself enough time to do this - even based on highway driving.

Madrid to San Sebastian is about 5 hours - not stops, while San Sebastian to Barcelona is about 6 hours, ditto. So each is essentially taking a full day of the very few that you have.

I would fly or take the train. I would not drive if you only have 9 days.

With that little time, you do not want to see random towns, but ones that offer somw reward.

Thank you for your help. We will probably leave Bilboa and San Sebastion off for this visit and concentrate on Madrid and Barcelona with day trips. EJS

Good idea!
Many small , lovely spots to visit from Madrid and Barcelona.