Hi there,

I am going on a 2 week Spain/Portugal vacation in September with my boyfriend and I was looking for some suggestions/help with my itinerary as I have never been to either country and don't know what the "must see/do's" are. Here is the itinerary I have planned so far:

-Arrive Madrid
-3 nights in Madrid (incl. a day trip to Toledo)
-3 nights in Granada
-3 nights in Seville
-3 nights in Lagos or Albufeira (we just want somewhere in the Algarve for some beach time)
-3 nights in Lisbon (incl. a day trip to Sintra)
-Depart from Lisbon

Are three nights in each city a good idea? Would it be better to have 2 nights in the Algarve to allow for an extra night in Lisbon? Or should we shorten a day in one of the Spain locations? Also, where is it best to stay in the Algarve? Albufeira or Lagos? We are just looking for some time at the beach to relax and see some great sights on the coast, but we also don't want to spend all of our time sun bathing - we would like to do some sightseeing as well. We are also hoping for some good nightlife.

Also, we are going to be relying on public transportation in Spain, but would it be better to have a rental car in Portugal, given our itinerary/locations?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I love the Alhambra - I think it's the top sight in Spain - but you don't need three nights in Granada. I'd allow one evening and one day - so you can visit the Alhambra in the evening as well during the day. I'd add the time to Lisbon, which is definitely worth longer than you're giving it (click on my name for my Lisbon TR).

The only parts that might be better by car are Seville to the Algarve, which unfortunately would likely incur high drop-off charges, and possibly Algarve to Lisbon - you could consider going via Evora.

There are plenty of beaches in southern Spain.

You must consider traveling time and how much that will subtract from the time in each place. On a trip this short three days in Granada and Sevilla is too much. And what to do you want to see in Madrid?

We went to Spain last year and stayed for 2 weeks. I've never been to Portugal but I must say that 2 weeks wasn't enough for Spain let alone going to a second country. Spain is so beautiful, so much fun, and has so much to see.

We did Madrid in 3 days with a day trip to Toledo. We loved Toledo and Madrid was surprisingly such a fun/modern capitol! After Madrid, I would take the train to Seville and spend 4 days there (with a day trip to Cordoba, you can do that by train too). Seville has so much to do, and really captures Southern Spain beautifully! Also, don't miss walking around Cordoba, seeing the mosque/cathedral and even the Alcazar (which the guide books tell you is too touristee but we loved!). After Seville head to Granada and 3 days is good but some people say that 2 is enough. Granada is more of a city than Seville so it'll be a different experience. After that--- perhaps you can add your Portugal itinerary (I can't help with that part) but I have heard that Barcelona and other areas we didn't visit are beautiful as well!

Happy traveling!

Thank you all for your helpful responses! Since you all seem to agree we are spending too much time in Granada, we have decided to use one of the days we were going to spend in Granada and add it onto Lisbon instead, since I keep hearing there is a lot to see in Lisbon and a lot of good places for day trips.

layanluvstotravel - I am not sure if we can fit in some time in Cordoba, but if the mosque is a must-see than we will try to figure out a stop there if we can. I am also very sad we will be missing Barcelona on this trip, but we will be doing another Spain trip (Barcelona, Valencia, Balaeric Islands) in another year or two.

Does anyone have any suggestions for hotels in Seville? Are any neighborhoods better than others? We were thinking of staying in the Santa Cruz area but now I am considering elsewhere because I have read some reviews that say the area is known for muggings because of all the winding small streets. Is this the case or will we be fine to stay there?

I would also appreciate any hotel suggestions for Lisbon or the Algarve!

Thanks guys!

cchia- we stayed at the Best Western in Seville and loved it! It's in a small neighborhood (not smack in the tourist spots) but off to the side. It was, in our opinion, the perfect location (quiet enough to sleep but you also got a slice of real Seville living but you were still within walking distance of everything). The rooms were clean and just what you want in hotel rooms. There wasn't much in service but, then again, we didn't need anything!

Oh and Seville has many winding small streets that you will get lost in (and then start to gradually figure out). We didn't know there were any mugging problems. We did walk around the Santa Cruz area--- I don't see a reason to stay there (or not to if you find a good deal).

We loved Seville! Have fun! Last thing--- there's a gelato store in Seville (ugh, i forgot the name but if you walk around you are bound to come across it- I think it's a chain) you must have the fig gelato...mmmmmm!

I did a similar trip to you, taking my nephew from Madrid to Southern Spain. You will have to transfer from the express train to a regional train in Cordoba anyway. We took an early express train from Madrid, checked our luggage in lockers at the Cordoba train station and spent the day to see the mosque and environs, and then took an evening regional train to Granada.

Sevilla has got it all. Art, history, architecture and great nightlife (especially in the Arenal, Alameda and Triana districts).

You should definitely go to the Triana district just across the Guadalquivir river from the center: Have a drink along the riverside in Calle Betis. Lots of things happening as the night goes on. Several great flamenco clubs/bars etc.
http://www.sevilla5.com/activities/goingout/betis.html

Casa Anselma is not a bad idea: http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...fe-detail.html

And you could experience world class flamenco at Casa de la Memória. Very popular with tourists, but this is the real deal. The sevillana Pastora Galván, recently voted best female flemenco dancer of 2010 by Spanish critics, has danced here once a week for a long time. Changing artists (dance, song, guitar) every night: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attract...Andalusia.html

Here's a very well informed site about excellent tapas bars/restaurants in Sevilla: http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/

My favourites in town are in the San Lorenzo and Arenal districts north and north-east of the famous and more touristy Santa Cruz district (Eslava, Bodegas Dos de Mayo, El Cairo, Enrique Becerra, Bodega Diaz Salazar, Mesón Serranito etc). Lots of great places in the Santa Cruz district as well. I especially like Las Columnas (Bodega Santa Cruz), close to the Cathedral: good food and great atmosphere.
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletap...ga-santa-cruz/

Great info on Sevilla in general: http://www.exploreseville.com/