Spain: Villa or Multiple Hotels?
 

About 6-10 of us are going to Spain in October 2010 for two weeks. We are interested in seeing Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Rhonda, and Sevilla (also are very open to your suggestions). Our first thought was to fly into Barcelona, go to Madrid, and then get a villa somewhere to make day trips to Granada and Sevilla. Is Spain just to big for a villa? Should we just move towns every couple of days?

To put it simple: it is too big. Seville is aboput 3 hours from Granada via motorway. If you stay in a villa around Antequera (midpoint), you are 90 mins to each place plus parking issues and the occasional jam. You have to choose a city and see the daytrips that can be done from there.

That is a big group and I would plan for a max of three (3) home bases; Barcelona, Madrid, and somewhere in Andalucia, preferably Seville, three (3) days min at each with the extra day at the group's preference. Day trip from there.

There are many ways to do this; you could rent adjacent apartments in each city. In neither of these cities you want to deal with a car/van. So plan for public transport with the occasional day rental of a van if you must; i.e. a day to drive around the Pueblos Blancos (Vejer de la Frontera, Arcos de la Frontera, Grazalema, Ronda).

BTW, I have had great luck with vrbo.com and holiday-rentals.com.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, that really gives me some direction. I'm going to look at apartments and narrow down our itinerary to 3-4 places.

If you want to enjoy Granada and you do stay elsewhere - don't drive in. You'll spend the rest of your day looking for a parking place anywhere near the center.