Totally revised Spain itinerary - advice
 

I’ve been planning a 10 day trip to spain in June and having a lot of trouble deciding where to go and how long to stay. I just want to see it all!!
But I think I’ve narrowed it down enough now, what do you think?
Madrid 3 nights
Granada 1 night - for the Alhambra
Sevilla 5 nights -with day trips to cadiz, jerez and ronda

Sounds good - a few suggestions: You might want to do a night or two in the white villages (Ronda, etc) or Cadiz instead of day tripping from Seville. Seville is a big city, complete with traffic. Taking 3 day trips could be a pain. It might be a nice change of pace to stay in a more rural setting one or two nights. Also 3 nights in Madrid might be too much unless you are planning a day trip to Toledo.

Great!! I really appreciate the feedback the planning can be so confusing.

I think I'll knock a night off Madrid and Sevilla, Then spend two nights in Cadiz, visiting Jerez on the way and keep the one day trip from Sevilla to Ronda.

zootsi brings up a good point: traffic in and out of the city.

If you have a car, I would recommend going to Segovia. But I am biased and love that place for a day visit. Search it and you will find my ideal itinerary.

Claire

I'm not sure how welcome this dissenting view is going to be, but:

Two days are not enough in Madrid, in my opinion. If you are at all interested in art, Madrid has three superb museums: the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofia, in addition to many house museums, interesting churches, etc.

Also indispensable is a day trip from Madrid to Toledo. Toledo is almost untouched by time, a tiny town that overflows with fascinating art and architecture.

Sevilla does not merit five days; I'm not sure it merits four.

Cordoba and its Mezquita - a huge, sprawling mosque with a Catholic cathedral plunked into it - is as unique and unforgettable as the Alhambra in Granada. It should be on your list.

I admit I do not know Cadiz and Jerez. Ronda is good for a day, for the old bullring and, above all, its unique geographic formation.

Well lucky museums are not our thing so I'm not worried about madrid.

Cordoba was on the list but I've been told it not worth more than a day. Maybe I can add it as day trip between Sevilla and Granada, would that be doable?

Really I'm trying to avoid packing and unpacking as much as possible

I don't know how you travel, because whether I am day-tripping or moving around, I am still packing and unpacking the same amount.

Cordoba is for sure worth the visit, particularly for the Mosque/Cathedral and for eating. . . el Churrasco was one of my most memorable meals ever.

I personally think that Segovia is better than Toledo for a day trip. . . and I agree that Madrid is expendable, especially if museums are not your thing.

Are you driving? If so, then you can do a really nice circle: start Madrid, go to Cordoba, continue on to Granada, then head to Cadiz passing by Ronda, From Cadiz (which is not passing, but a nice respite), you go to Sevilla via Jerez. I would spend the night in Jerez and get happily plastered tasting sherries.

Claire

no car just plane trains and buses :)

I had an unforgettable meal in Cordoba at El Caballo Rojo, just off the Mezquita square.

I'm not looking at a map, but according to mappy.com it's about 2.5 hours from Granada to Cordoba and another 2 hours from Cordoba to Sevilla, so you could fit in the Mezquita and lunch on the day you go from Granada to Sevilla.

Uh-oh, that is going to make your travel in Andalucia considerably more complicated.

You'll have to try to plot it out at
www.renfe.es.

I don't remember which cities it was between, but there was one train trip that called for a transfer in Bobadilla, which, as far as I could tell, consisted mainly of the train station, with a few houses thrown in...

Sometimes a bus is much faster and less complicated, but I don't know a single good Web site for buses in Spain.

That changes everything, Jibboo!

I would say that the circle I proposed still stands. Ronda and Cadiz are going to be harder to get to (smaller place and further distance), and I usually do Andalucia with a car, but in the transport experiences I have had (mostly between Malaga and other destinations, all by bus, and one train trip with my Dad), things were accessible.