We're spending 22 nights in Spain in November until the first week of December. Flight to Seville is booked, as well as hotels/apartment.

5 nights Seville
3 nights Granada
14 nights Madrid

I've read the Spain threads and trip reports which helped a lot in planning. Thanks to all those who asked and answered questions! I have many questions of my own (interested in food suggestions!) as I continue planning but I'll start with Alhambra and Mezquita.

I'm booking our tickets to Alhambra for November 22 (Friday). Do you usually start with the Nasrid Palaces? We will not start early this day (we are on vacation after all!) so I'm looking at 12:30PM tickets for Nasrid Palaces then visit the rest. How long does it usually take to visit everything? I can also get a later ticket and start with Generalife, etc. All time slots are still available.

Is a night visit worth it to you? Nasrid Palaces or Generalife or both? I see the tickets are separate for the two. Luckily, our 2 full days in Granada are on a Friday and Saturday so we can go on a night visit.

Re Mezquita. Our full days in Seville are from Sunday to Wednesday. Planning on a day trip to Cordoba on either Sunday or Monday but leaning towards Monday. Last ticket on a Sunday morning is at 10:30AM according to the calendar. Any suggestions for lunch? Nothing fancy, budget is 30€-40€.

Just some thoughts from my particular perspective:

Your itinerary strikes me as quite imbalanced. I love Madrid -- but 14 nights there, and no nights in Cordoba or Toledo or...? I'm sure you have your reasons.

Re: the Alhambra. i spent nearly 8 hours on site during my daytime visit and would have loved more time if it had been possible. Most people spend less time. As for the evening visit: Magical! Unlike the day, when there were crowds everywhere, there were few people in the evening. I could smell the flowers! I could hear every echoing sound of a drip of water! Totally awesome. FWIW, I was glad I saw the Nasrid Palace first during the day; as a result, I wasn't trying to orient at the same time as experiencing the evening visit. When I went, there was no option for an evening visit to the Generalife. If there had been, I would have grabbed one for the night before my main visit.

I was glad to have 2 full days in Cordoba. Many things in that city are closed on Monday, so even if my primary objective with that city were to see the Mezquita, I would not choose a Monday. JMO.

Hope that helps!

From Madrid you can easily visit : Salamanca, Aranjuez, Escorial, Segovia, Cuenca, Zaragoza, Alcala de Henares…
I even went to Valencia for a day with a friend who wanted to do it. ( not my first visit) .
Salamanca is a stunning city …stay a night or two if you can.

Thanks kja! Itinerary does look imbalanced! I should have mentioned that I'm going to a language school for 2 weeks in Madrid. Ideally, I would have liked at least 3 weeks.

Very helpful feedback on Alhambra! We will do the night visit to Nasrid Palaces the day after the main visit. I was mistaken and Generalife night visits end a week before we get there. We probably won't spend 8 hours but we anticipate spending a long time. Is bringing food allowed?

Good point about visiting Cordoba on a Monday. The plan is to do a day trip to Cordoba and at most 1 more, Jerez or Cadiz DIY or Ronda, etc through a group tour. We want to be flexible so trying to hit Cordoba early in the stay. Then we might do another day trip or just stay in Seville. We've been to Seville 10 years ago.

Thanks danon. I will only have full days free on a Saturday and a Sunday so we'll probably visit Toledo and/or Segovia. Nothing set yet. I'll check the places you mentioned for a future trip. Valencia might be a good option for my next month long trip in Spain.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites near Madrid https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...lECTl11bLNmJz4
Tips on Segovia https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...0WmUToNfxbzK-g

waboss,
I second all that kja has told you about the Alhambra, especially the night visit to the Nasrid Palace after a day visit.
While the night visits to the Generalife do end on Nov 14 (Fri/Sat only) and don't start up again until April 1, thankfully the night visits to the Nasrid Palaces don't end but instead, from October 15 to March 31 are given only on Friday and Saturday nights from 8:00-9:30. Info here.
The night visit to the Nasrid Palaces can be magical and with fewer crowds (capacity controlled), similar to the magic of the one-hour sound and light Soul of Córdoba evening visit to the Mezquita (also capacity controlled)

Some people stay in the Alhambra complex for the entire day, for some it is a 3-4 hour visit, depending on one's interest.
Yes, one can bring food in, and here are the places where "picnicking" is allowed:The complex has the following rest areas:

• Partal Gardens
• New Gardens

Additionally, there are other rest areas where eating is allowed

• Plaza de los Aljibes
• Gardens facing the cannons
• Plaza de la Alhambra (Entrance Pavilion)

A recent question here on the forum has been "can one leave the complex and then return on the same day"? Here is the answer from the official web page.

I try not to visit Córdoba on a Monday because.... the following monuments are closed: the Palacio de Viana with its beautiful succession of interior patios (open Mondays only in March, April, May), the Julio Romero de Torres art museum (wonderful little art museum, an "easy see", paintings of one of Spain's great portrait artists and native son), the Alcázar gardens, the Museo Taurino, the synagogue, the Archaeological Museum, the Casa del Sefarad plus the Medina Azahara complex outside of town.
Here´s the pdf of monument-museum opening hours, which may change monthly. The one currently available online is for September.

For day trips from Sevilla, I´ve done Jerez (1 hr) and Cádiz (1 hr. 45) by MD train, but the Cádiz trip makes for a slightly longer day, just so that you'll know.
And there's the temptation while in Cádiz to take the nice 30-min. catamaran ride over to El Puerto de Santa María for a stroll around or a sherry bodega visit. But this catamaran doesn't run if the bay experiences rough seas. One can also reach El Puerto from Cádiz on the Cercanías (commuter) train in 36 min.
Or I just take a long and lovely stroll in Cádiz all the way around the malecón through the gardens of the Alameda and past two fortresses for beautiful photo ops.
Cádiz also has an important and impressive Phoenician and Roman collection in its museum.

Jerez is for sherry tasting, the Tues-Fri horse ballet at the Real Escuela, a visit to the Alcázar, the cathedral with its impressive art gallery and a flamenco session at Tabanco Los Pasajes.

Because bus service to Ronda from Sevilla is limited and the bus journey more than 2 hours one-way with only 2 morning departures on Damas at 9 and 10 am (2 hr. 55 and 2. hr. 15) and only 2 returns, at 3:30 and 6:30 (taking 2 hr. or 2 hrs 45).

I'd suggest that you skip Ronda unless you want to take the quite lengthy, 10-hour small group tour offered here, by Naturanda, a tour company based in Sevilla. Please note that this tour is not only to Ronda, but time is spent along the way at an olive mill in Zahara de la Sierra, the village of Grazalema for a lunch stop and finally an after lunch arrival in Ronda.

All that said, I would recommend only 1 or 2 at the very most day trips from Sevilla, as I think you´ll find more than enough sightseeing opportunities to fill very happily your days. For me (but maybe not for you), 4 full sightseeing days in Sevilla would be a bare minimum, but some visitors don't have the luxury of that amount of time.
You might enjoying reading this TR if you haven't already seen it.

The night visit to the Alhambra is absolutely worth it. There are fewer people, and it is quiet, and as kja states, you can hear the running water. So peaceful and so magical.

As to how much time at the Alhambra, that depends on your interests. We spent about 6 hours here. First we visited the Nasrid Palace, which I think is the best way to do this. This is a timed ticket. So if you are elsewhere on the Alhambra grounds, you would have to be checking the time to make sure you don't miss your admission time. Not enjoyable, IMO. So, first visit the Nasrid Place. We had lunch on the grounds, in the partal gardens, I think. We purchased ready made sandwiches the night before. We took our time because the Nasrid Palace, Generalife Gardens, and the Alcazaba are all so interesting. You will want to take photos and savor every moment. We also stopped for drinks at the hotel on the grounds (forgot the name). You should not rush through the Alhambra.

If you can find the time somewhere, I would spend a night or two in Cordoba, another lovely city that is also magical at night.

KarenWoo,
You perhaps stopped at the little Hotel América for drinks on their geranium, ceramics adorned indoor terrace, as it´s the first hotel you see on the left going up the Calle Real on the way to the Parador de San Francisco at the end of Calle Real, or perhaps you stopped for drinks on the outdoor terrace of the Parador's café.

Revulgo, nice work on the maps! Do you have a link to the Madrid one? I think the old one doesn't work anymore.

Maribel, thank you for the tips! I use Google maps heavily while planning and during trips and I have a lot of your restaurant recommendations added. We're staying in Lavapiés in Madrid near Tatema so we're excited to try that!

We've booked the night visit to Nasrid Palaces the day after the main visit. Great point on Cordoba on a Monday. We can leave early on Sunday from Seville to catch the 10:30am Mezquita visit. I see a train arriving at 9:22AM at Trainline. Renfe isn't working for me, site or app. Alcazar and Catedral on Seville are open on Monday so I think this all works out. We're interested in visiting Archivo de Indias, which is closed Monday but we can come back another day.

I'm intrigued with Cadiz but 1h 45min each way seems long. I plan on staying in Cadiz in a future trip though. The Naturanda tour is better than the one I found. 10 hours is long but might be our only option in seeing the white villages since we won't have a car. Agreed on doing 2 day trips at the most. I've seen the TR from lrice, thanks.

KarenWoo, I agree! If we come earlier than our timed entry, we'll visit Alcazaba as it's near the Nasrid Palaces but definitely won't do Generalife first. Planning on bringing sandwiches too. Thanks!

I've seen recommendations on taking an alsa bus from Seville to Granada. How about from Granada to Madrid? Travel time is 4h30. The AVE train at 3:21PM takes 3h36. Both are direct. AVE is more expensive. I see 3 trains Granada-Madrid on Nov 24 on Trainline. Will more be added? I can't access Renfe.

Yes, the Alsa bus is fine from Sevilla to Granada as there are more frequent departures than the train (I can't assure you of on board toilets, however, but it's only a 3-hour ride).

From Granada to Madrid I've only taken the train (and plane when I landed from the US in Barajas and connected straight to Granada) and never the bus. I've just checked Renfe for next week and also see only 3 direct trains, at 6:56 am, 3:21 pm and 7:25 pm. So no more direct trains will be added. Many complain about the scarcity of direct train departures from Granada to Madrid without a train change in Córdoba.

Tha Alsa bus from Granada to Madrid....there´s a 9 am direct Supra service and a 3 pm direct Supra service (with toilets, leather seats, foot rests, wi-fi, entertainment, 2 + 1 seat configuration, kind of a premium economy). I would take either. The other buses are Comfort class, which will make a comfort stop along the route, which is why they take longer.

About Lavapiés, don´t forget to take a walk through the lively Mercado de Antón Martín. There are several excellent eateries there, including my favorite (and very gourmet) LaLópez Bar with wonderful hosts, Sergio and Maialen, plus Sincio. For Japanese, there's Yokalola, but they have a brand new place on Plaza Matute in Letras. And Asian Army for Asian street food. Market dining is definitely an "in" thing in Madrid.

And on Calle Santa María 29 there's the new Tabanco La Santa (an authentic tabanco or Andalusian sherry place) that I really like. Plus on Calle Argumosa, in addition to the terrific Mexican-Spanish fusion Tatema, there's also a new branch of Hermanos Vinagre for an "aperitivo" of vermouth and a gilda skewer or other typical Spanish apertivos that pair well with vermouth (Russian salad served in a Russian doll), plus La Caníbal for hearty Galician fare and a great selection of natural wines, including their own.

And on Calle Santa Isabel 12, there´s a cute place, el Lugarcito, for a great lunch menú del día ( fixed price, 3-course menu of the day with beverage, bread, dessert of coffee).

The owners of the excellent Triciclo group (Tabanco la Santo, Triciclo, Taberna La Elisa) now have the Bodega Amores at Santa Isabel 38, which I like very much for lunch (was just there on Sunday--very friendly service, inexpensive and very good grub).

Maribel, I checked my trip report from 2017, and we did, indeed, stop for drinks and tapas at Hotel America.

waboss, also checked my TR to see where we ate our sandwiches at the Alhambra, and it was indeed the Partal Gardens. There are benches, and the gardens are gorgeous with a pool and a lot of greenery.

And the ALSA buses are wonderful! Because the train tracks weren't ready yet in 2017 in/out of Granada, we took the ALSA bus from Cordoba to Granada, and then from Granada to Malaga. They are very clean, modern, air-conditioned, and very comfortable.

Maribel, thank you for the information on the buses. I've booked the train from Granada to Madrid since the departure times are similar (3pm vs 3:21pm). Good to know about Supra buses, although I see only the Comfort buses are available from Seville to Granada. Not a problem for a 3 hour ride.

I've marked all the places you mentioned on Lavapiés. We'll stay near Bodega Amores and Mercado de Antón Martín. Are there other neighborhoods we should look into for food? We're going to Cava Alta, are there any good spots in Cava Baja or should we skip it? I've been to La Castela once and I'd like to go back. Berlanga is another one on my list for paella, which I'm pretty sure I got from you as well!

For food, Madrid is very very rich in great food experiences, but if you don't mind a longish walk through Retiro Park, you'll find food heaven in the Retiro district, just east of the park, on the streets of Menéndez Pelayo, Menorca, Ibiza, Dr. Castelo. It's where savvy madrileńos go to dine or to graze on tapas.
Taberna Laredo
Taberna La Catapa
La Castela
Casteldos
La Montería
La Monte
Taberna y Media
Salino
La Raquetista
to name a few...

But for Cava Alta, I like very much Tresde (3-course menu) and Barmitón, a la carte.

Waboss,
We may overlap in Seville in November. I'll be looking for you..

I had already booked the Naturanda tour that Maribel lists with plans to be dropped in Ronda for an overnight (maybe two to see the nearby cave drawings) before we end in Malaga for flight home.
The airfare dropped so I just rebooked our tickets to extend one day, so deciding whether to spend the additional night in Seville or Ronda.
.
I also plan to take a day trip to Jerez. I've been to Granada before so all new territory this trip.

We're arriving Seville on a Saturday afternoon and we're thinking of reserving dinner at Palo Cortao. Is Saturday evening better for tapas instead? Being our first night, we just want to be sure to get seats at a restaurant. Other nights, we'd go for tapas.

I wanted to stay in the Retiro district but the apartments were expensive. We'll go there for sure based on my experience at La Castela and your recommendations on other places.

I'm considering this tour as well. Won't have time to stay overnight in Ronda, though. It's good you're extending your stay. More days is always better!

Any evening is great for tapas, but if you want to dine at Palo Cortado, go for it!
https://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/palo-cortao/

Reservations for Palo Cortao are available only 30 days in advance. I've marked my calendar.

For anyone planning their Seville trip, the link from Maribel is a great resource. You can also see tapas by neighborhoods. https://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/barrios/

I didn't know Palo Cortado is also a type of sherry. Never tried it but keen to during this trip. I read there are also dry sherries, not just sweet ones. Has anyone tried sherry? Did you like it? Also reading up on other wines in the region. Cadiz has some wines. I've only tried Rioja and Ribera del Duero (which are from different regions of Spain).

waboss,
In the sherry category there are finos, amontillados, olorosos, palo cortados (the latter, very sweet, not dry). Also the dry manzanilla wines that come from Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
On wine menus in Spanish they would be under the vinos generosos list. My friend Shawn (Azahar) is a certified sherry educator and has taught me a bit.

But Andalucía also produces non-sherry wines in its D.O.s (appellations), not just sherries. And these pair well with the dishes you'll be enjoying.
From the D.O. Tierras de Cádiz you might enjoy these labels:
*Forlong from El Puerto de Santa María
*Socaire
Barbazul
Garum
Entrechuelos
Taberner no 1 (but very expensive)

As to her tapas bars by barrio list, you might want to check out the others to which she gives her highest rating, or her 5 oranges. There is a new one that we're looking forward to visiting, Augurio.

A bit more about the types of sherry

And here