Trip to Spain First week of May 2014
 

We are planning our first trip to Spain and would love suggestions on coordinating our 13 days there.
We are arriving and departing via Madrid. Interested in Seeing Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada, Cordoba, possibly a side trip to Tangier, Toledo, possibly Cuenca, and some of Madrid.

Not sure on how best to realistically schedule timing and locations but understand I will probably have to fly between Barcelona and Malaga.

Help with Scheduling, sites to visit, and timing would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

I'm sorry - but the itinerary you've laid out is for about 22 to 25 days to actually see anything. You just have too much in too few days - and will spend a lot of time just getting from one place to another.

In only 13 days - and does that include the day you land and the day you depart - I would do either Madrid and Barcelona/north - OR Andalusia and Tangier (if you must)

Hi; Agree you can't do it all, but you can do three major destinations.

Fly to Madrid [4 nights] Visit Toledo and you could consider Segovia or Avila.

Train to Seville-about 3 hours [4 nights] Visit Cordoba

Fly to Barcelona-about 1 1/2 hours and add three hours for airport and travel to and from the cities. Any number ig interesting day trips from Barcelona.

www.maribelsguides.com for information

Yep, make a list. Determine which places you want to stay, and which you want to pass through. Eliminate accordingly. I suggest either Madrid and part of Andalucia or Madrid and Barcelona.
Like this:
Arrive Madrid depart for Cordoba
Cordoba 2 nights
Sevilla 3 nights
Granada 2 nights
Madrid 3 nights (day trip to Toledo)
Cuenca seems to be a bit of an outlier, as to me it is too far for a day trip from Madrid. I'd cut that and pick one more place in Andalucia (or longer in fewer places). The number of days above is just an example, and you should adapt accordingly.

Cuenca is a quick 51-minute train ride from Madrid. The high-speed line was added a few years ago. You can go down to see the hanging houses, visit the cathedral and a few of the museums, have lunch between visits, and be back in Madrid in time for tapas.

http://www.adif.es/en_US/infraestruc...n_000383.shtml
http://turismo.cuenca.es

Thanks for the correction, Robert--I mistakenly thought Cuenca was hours away.

Another good day trip from Madrid is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Escorial