progol

I'm planning on purchasing airline tickets shortly for our 3 week trip to Spain next May and am trying to decide on the dates. It could be either May 3 to May 24 or May 10 to May 31.

I was wondering if there is any reason to choose one set of dates over the other. If anyone has any thoughts, let me know!

Thanks!

Paule

Sassafrass

There is not a big difference, but I would go as early as possible, especially if you plan on much walking because Spain gets so warm early. May should be perfect though, especially gardens and flowers.

progol

Thanks, Sassafrass. Earlier is my inclination, too. The only issue, really, is a family member's birthday. My question really is to determine how much do I want to rock the family boat!

I've been looking at the historical weather reports for May and it can get pretty hot during the month.

kja

If it doesn't make any difference in terms of the patio festival, the advantage of going earlier is a somewhat lower chance of uncomfortable heat. The advantage of going later is an extra half hour or so of daylight in the morning and also in the evening. If you were to chose the later schedule, could you work south to north? Could you do north to south with the earlier one?

nytraveler

IMHO do south to north at either time. And go as early as possible. We have been in Andalusia twice in April and the temps were well into the 80s - and Madrid was 99 when we got there at the end of the month. I would not want to go a single day later.

progol

Thanks, everyone. We're pretty decided we'll go at the earlier time.

I'm not sure what you mean by south to north travel, though--within Andalucia or within Spain? We are going to Andalucia mostly, though I plan to start in Toledo and end in Madrid. I'm not sure how much wiggle room I'll have with the itinerary, though, once I set the dates. I do plan on going to the patio festival in Cordoba, and have configured the itinerary to get us into Cordoba at the beginning of the second week of May. So the itinerary is unfolding, and, I hope, very nicely. The weather, however, I can't plan!

Thanks for the feedback-- it is very helpful.

Paule

kja

"I'm not sure what you mean by south to north travel, though--within Andalucia or within Spain?"

I meant within Spain -- Andalu[S]ia is generally MUCH hotter than central Spain (Toledo or Madrid). If you can put the majority of your time in Andalusia at the START of your trip, that would be good.

progol

Thanks for the clarification. We will start out in Toledo and end in Madrid, but most of the trip will be focused in Andalusia, so I will simply pray for moderate weather!

Sassafrass

Toledo is so very close to Madrid, it would probably be better to do it with Madrid. If you are flying out of Madrid, do them both at the end of the trip.

Where else are you going? Depending on where you are going, you might want multi-city tickets.

Hope you are going to Granada. I have been there only in late fall, but the guides said the gardens of the Alhambra were at their peak in mid-May.

Cordoba is so close to Seville, you could see Seville first, then Cordoba for the festival.

progol

Sassafrass,
seeing Toledo and Madrid together was in my original plan, but it works out better to do them separately for timing. Initially, I planned to fly into Madrid and out of Malaga, but now we'll fly r/t to Madrid.

I have another thread about my itinerary, but I'll share it here, too (since you asked!):

20 nights, as follows:
Arrive in Madrid, train to:
-Toledo (2 nights)
Train to:
-Seville (4 nights)
Train/bus to:
-Cordoba (3 nights, will include the Patio festival)
Train/bus to:
-Granada (3 nights)To see the Alhambra, of course!
Pick up car, stop in Antequera, drive to:
- Ronda (3 nights)1 day Ronda, 1 day for Pueblos Blancos drive + Pileta Cave. Then scenic drive to:
-Malaga, 2 nights
Train to
-Madrid, 3 nights

Overall, I feel pretty pleased with this. I rather like not being in a rush and spending time in places. I know that Madrid deserves more but I've even added a day to Madrid from my initial itinerary.

I thought Toledo would make a perfect place to get over jet lag, and giving 2 nights to it allows us to adjust and then see the major sights on the second day. It makes sense to see Madrid & Toledo together logistically, but separating them works in the itinerary better, and at least, the travel inconvenience is at the beginning of the trip when we are fresher (and still in a blur!).

Thanks for your help - it's always appreciated when someone takes the time to write back.

Paule

progol

Sassafrass,

You mentioned multi-city tickets-- what are you referring to? Train tickets? We will be taking the train multiple times during the trip.

Thanks again for your help.

Paule

kimhe

May is serious festival time in Andalucía (especially Córdoba and Jerez) and Madrid, so you might take that into consideration. Perhaps the best time of year to go to Andalucía, full spring blossom and the summer heat is still some weeks away.

All these festivals are primarily local events and offers an excellent opportunity to get under the skin of things and experience the local, food, wine, music, dance and festive culture.

In May, all Andalucian towns - but especially Granada and Córdoba - celebrate the "Cruces de Mayo": http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/spani...es-de-mayo.htm

Córdoba in May is something special, the "cruces" celebration is followed by the patio competition leading on to the flamenco inspired Feria by the end of the month.

Córdoba patio exposition and competition: http://www.andalucia.com/cities/cordoba/patios.htm

The Feria in late May: http://www.andalucia.com/festival/co...pring-fair.htm

In Jerez, you have the horse fair Feria de Caballo de Jerez: http://www.andalucia.com/festival/jerez-horse-fair.htm

May is also the month of the San Isidro festival in Madrid, the huge celebration of the city's patron saint: http://www.madrid-guide-spain.com/san-isidro.html

progol

Thanks, kimhe,
I'm planning to go to the patio festival in Cordoba; I don't think my dates work out for the others but I'll check.

I like the idea of the patio festival, where it is not one "event" to watch but a way of interacting with the town itself.

Paule

Sassafrass

By multi-city, I meant flying into one city in Spain and out of another. Many people fly into Barcelona and out of Madrid, etc.

You could have flown into Malaga, bused to Granada, rented a car for rural areas, returned it in Seville, and taken the train to Cordoba and Madrid. However, what you have works too.

I find making an itinerary for travel in Spain is a little less straightforward than in some other countries. Planning for a particular event adds another consideration. Sometimes, we do what we want to do and make it work as best it can. It seems I have done that more in Spain than any place else.

Spain is so beautiful, you will love it.

yorkshire

Your itinerary looks great, the only minor hiccup being that you have to backtrack from Toledo to Madrid to get your train to Sevilla, but that is not that big of a deal. Just wanted to make sure you know the train line is different.
I accidentally caught a festival in Ronda--definitely a memorable experience!

progol

Sassafrass, as I said earlier, my original plan was to fly home from Malaga; however, after reading reviews of Iberian, I decided to keep it simple (and cheaper) and just fly R/T to Madrid. Your suggestion is a good one, though, if I was to fly multi-city.

Yorkshire, yes, I thought about the backtracking from Toledo to Madrid -- it's a minor trade-off that we'll have to make. Fortunately, it's a short train ride back to Madrid, and we should be relatively "fresh" as it's the beginning of the trip.

Thanks again for all the comments and feedback!

Paule