Would the Spain experts please help me flesh out this itinerary?

We have 8 days in Spain . We are 4--dh and me (40s), his parents (late 60s), and will have access to a rental car. We are flying in from Asia.

We've decided to limit ourselves to Sevilla and environs and Valencia (purpose of trip is conference here). From the 4th to the 7th, I would like to visit the sites around Sevilla enroute to Valencia like Condoba, Hill towns, Granada? Please suggest something--and perhaps places where to sleep too? We have 3 nights (from March 4-7) to sleep at different towns and we don't mind doing a short drive tour for now as this is the only time our schedule will allow.

March 3- Arrive Sevilla
4
5
6
7- arrive (driving) Valencia by noon for conference
8- (any suggestions for inlaws not attending conference?)
9-
10-
11-Depart Valencia

Thanks so much for any input you can share!

Vicki

Can't help you with the planning but a little tip for the future - put more spaces in your titles so that the Fodors software can cope

Hmmm, my first thought is that with not much time and jet lag too, I would base in Seville...right in the Santa Cruz part.

We booked into the hotel Armadeus, but I do not think they have any openings.

You can easily take the early train to Cordoba. Get Maribels guide for Seville which says it all in a nutshell.
http://maribelsguides.com/#sevilla

Check out these sights and to book hotels:
http://sevilla5.com/

http://www.exploreseville.com/index.htm

( call Jeff on skype) if you want.


I would do tapas and Flamenco every night and maybe a day trip to the nearby ruins or dancing horses if you were feeling very ambitious.

Or just the basics if you were in a more mellow mood.

Now remember, I have yet to even GO to Seville yet, so this is all based on reading and what I think I would do.

Hope that helps a little! Have fun!!

Thanks for tip Jeff!

WTnow, thanks for finding my post and responding with all those websites. I will research them in a bit.

Hope I can get back to you incase we find some time to drive through a hill town or two before we make our way to valencia.

Thanks!

i would go to granada on way to valencia and enjoy the alhambra. to be so close and not indulge yourself would be a crime.

then to valencia it is 5 hours (without a lunch stop)

so you still have time to mosey along.. take the interior or coast route.

if you go north and interior, stop at jaen and úbeda. two great paradors there to eat at or sleep over.

if you take the coast route, you should stop at altea or javea/denia. nice beach towns, if the weather is good.

when is this conference?

for activities for your in-laws, there are personalized tours around, a hop on/off bus and plenty of museums.

I second the Granada idea.

to get the full effect of the alhambra, you should go both at night and in the day - it really isn't overkill to do this as the atmosphere at ngiht is magical.

You will need to book in advance.

We stayed at the hotel guadelupe which is just opposite the alhambra. a very nice large and quiet room with big full bathroom for just 60E. Parking is in the alhambra car park oppsite, and the entrance is about 100m away.

To get into town you can either walk down the hill or get the bus. For coming back up, the buses leave every 5-10 minutes or so from the square.

Two nights there would be best, but you could do it in one by arriving early enough to see the alhambra at night [dinner afterwards, this being spain, where no-one eats before 9pm], then going back as early as possible the next morning, and leaving after lunch. There is a cafe outside that does snacks or a kiosk inside, as well as the parador if you want to splurge.

Good luck!