Spain Portugal 2015 schedule
 

Hi all me and my wife have travelled to Italy, Germany and France and wanted to try something new. Spain/Portugal have been a little out of the way and I have been saving them for a separate trip. I think the time has come. So after weeks of research and late nights online this is what i got

Arrive Portugal from Canada (Porto)
3 nights in Porto (Braga, Duoro river)
Pick up car and drive to Madrid
3 nights madrid (Toledo)
2 nights Granada
2 nights Seville (white towns)
3 nights Algarve
1 night Lisbon
Fly home from lisbon

We are in our 30s and like food, scenery and architecture, not really beach lovers.
We start and end in Portugal to avoid charges with rental car.
Also thinking of staying just outside larger cities and busing or training in to avoid parking hassles and fees.
So what do you guys think? open to all suggestions.
Thanks

To save travel time, you might want to consider flying into Porto or Lisbon, departing from Madrid.

Depending on the time of year, you could arrive in Porto, take the train to Lisbon and then take the train down to the Algarve.

As far as a car goes, you want to avoid the steep drop off fee, picking up in Portugal and dropping off in Spain, so you can take the train to the Spanish border and take the bus or use a private transfer to Sevilla, picking up a car when leaving Sevilla. From there you can visit Granada, then up to Toledo, dropping off the car in Madrid.

2 nights in Granada would be one too many for most folks - not that Granada ain't nice but IMO there are far nicer cities - as cities go - than Granada - I'd add another day into Seville and day trip to Cordoba, to me one of the finest cities in Spain and also has a former mosque now turned into a stunning cathedral - very close to Seville - maybe hit it when coming from Granada to Seville.

For not really beach lovers why 3 nights in the Algarve, mainly blah beach resorts catering to hoards of British and northern Europeans - add a day at least to Lisbon and hit Evora en route from Faro to Lisbon.

Some Algarve towns are neat old towns - I loved Tavira and Lagos - but many other resorts are just high-rise tower blocks along nice beaches.

Trying to avoid one night stops Maybe take a day from the algarve and add it to lisbon.
Is there a town I could use as a base for Andalusia to take day trips to seville Granada and white towns or is the area to large ( as a canadian a one and a half hour drive is easy practically my morning commute)

Hi from Lisbon

Don't waste your time in Algarve if you're not a beach lover... The Vincentine Coast (Costa Vicentina) is much more pristine and free from resorts (see Natural Geographic Travel August 2014 - they did Lisbon-Sagres, you can do the opposite). Several stops in small coast villages as Odeceixe, Zambujeira do Mar, Vila Nova de Milfontes or Porto Côvo.

The Alhambra is one of those tourist destinations that deserves its reputation. I agree do not visit the Algarve unless you are considering retiring there.

A car is unnecessary and a burden in Madrid and the other Spanish locations. Consider the trains especially the high speed AVE from Madrid to the south.

The historic old cores--and staying in them--is what makes travel in Spain so special. If I had to stay in a big hotel on the outskirts just to have parking...I would reconsider my plans.

<Is there a town I could use as a base for Andalusia to take day trips to seville Granada and white towns or is the area to large>

Antequera is the answer. Great little town in itself with tons of hisory. One hour drive to Granada, a little more than an hour to Sevilla and white towns all around. http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry....era-spain.html

Lovely, little Archidona is for example only ten miles from Antequera: http://www.andalucia.com/province/ma...idona/home.htm

Alora is "next door": http://www.andalucia.com/province/malaga/alora/home.htm

So is Ardales: http://www.andalucia.com/province/ma...dales/home.htm

Alhama de Granada is also within easy reach from Antequera: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...d-of-town.html