My husband and I are going to Sevilla mid March 2000. We will visit with our son who is spending his junior year at University <BR>of Sevilla. I am hoping to spend 10 to 12 days there. I thought we would spend four or five days in Sevilla and then try to travel through <BR>the southern coast. What would you suggest? My son has traveled to Malaga and Mallorca and has raved about both places. <BR>He is 19 years old and seems to be spellbound with everything he has seen. We are excited just listening to him. Although I <BR>think the foods are beginning to get to him. Any advice on itenary, hotels, restaurants, sites to see would be much, much <BR>appreciated. <BR> <BR>We so love staying at Inns and B & B's here in the USA. I was also wondering if there was anything equivalent to that sort of lodging in Southern Spain? Also keeping in mind neither of us speak Spanish. <BR> <BR>Thank you. <BR> <BR>

ET, <BR>Start your planning by searching this forum under Spain and you will have a wealth of info. which basically will suggest to you the following: <BR>If you have only 6 to 8 days available to travel from Sevilla then rent a car only when you are literally leaving Sevilla as a car in town would be more a liability than an asset. Spend your time seeing the Pueblos Blancos (2 - 3 days) which would include Arcos de la Frontera, Ronda, Zahara, Grazalema, El Bosque, to name a few. Maybe use Ronda as a home base for this time. Then I would suggest travelling farther east to Granada which merits another 2 days with possible stops at Mijas (near the coast) but most people on this forum (including myself) hate the Costa del Sol (Malaga, Torremolinos, etc...) as being totally overcrowded, built up, ugly and filled with British fish and chips shops. After Granada you might consider passing through Jaen for an afternoon or so, then farther NE to Baeza and Ubeda (incredibly beautiful Renaissance towns) and then West to Cordoba for a day. These are definitely the Andalucia highlights. Obviously if you choose this you will miss Madrid, Barcelona, Mallorca and many other things but for many people (including myself) it is far more enjoyable to have a more leisurely paced trip than the hectic mad dash to cover an entire country. Good luck! Please write me directly if you want hotel/restaurant suggestions for these places. Also, If your budget allows, the National Parador system of Spain is an incredible value for lodging and dining. Maria

Thank you for a great response. I am definitely going to rule out Costa del Sol. Hoping for more info as far as day trips from Sevilla as I must remain there for five or six nights while my sons attends university there. I will travel to Ronda and Granada and then on to Spain. Thank you. Et <BR>

I don't know if you need a hotel recommendation in Seville, but if so, stay at the Taberna del Alabadero. Only about 7 rooms and more like an inn--get a larger room since you'll be there for a while. It was our favorite lodging in Andalucia. We had great fun one evening eating standing up at the bar at the Bar Miami in Seville in the Triana district--fabulous seafood and lots of locals. Don't miss Granada--I thought it more picturesque than Seville.

We just got back from 12 days in Andalucia. Although I agree with the negative comments on the Costa del Sol, we enjoyed the parador in Nerja and the little town as well. I would do Cordoba as a day trip by train from Seville. It's only 45 minutes on the AVE train. We spent a night in Arcos but I don't think it was worth it. Parking was horrible since the only lot in the old town was full. Driving into the old town, where the hotels and parador are, was also challenging since the roads are very narrow. Ronda on the other hand was a breeze and we enjoyed two nights there at the parador. From Ronda we went to see the Pilatus caves which were quite interesting. Don't worry about not speaking Spanish. Get a phrase book and learn some basic words, just in case. Also remember that if you want to stay at the paradors you should book far in advance. If they are full, continue to refax them, since openings do occur and they go to the next person who is asking. Although our initial attempts to get into the parador in the Alhambra were unsuccessful (5 months in advance), two weeks before the trip we got reservations. Have a great time! Marija

I personally thought Mallorca was one of the most beautiful places I have been, esp. if you like the sea. We stayed in Palma for a few days and was kinda bored with it. Then we decided to rent a car and drive north. The roads are very curvy, and the views impressive. We stayed in this little "beach" town. (Can't think of the name right now.) It was complete with a boardwalk where there were tons of little shops, inns, and restaurants. When I say boardwalk, don't think big and commercialized, think small (in height) and quaint. We stayed at a hotel that had about 4-5 floors and our room opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the boardwalk. It was wonderful. I don't think it cost very much either - maybe $90/night?? I can't remember the name of the place right now, but if you are interested, I can check at home. My only concern for you would be the weather there that time of year. We were there in July 1997. I would also recommend Barcelona, as there was just so much to see and do there!