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Posts: 211
Joined: Jun. 14 2006
From: Quebec City, Canada
2 Weeks in Spain
Hello everyone,
My girlfriend and I are planning on spending 2 weeks in Spain, but we can't quite figure out where to go and how long to stay in each city and how easy it is to travel from one to another. As far as I know, many Foro members have been in Spain so we'd like your inputs, if possible.
Obviously, we want to visit Barcelona and Madrid. I really want to see some of Andalusia. I've read good things about Sevilla and mixed things about Granada. What about Cordoba and other villages in the area?
Yeah man, lots. Depends what you're into. I love the cycling/mountain biking in that area. It's quite well known as a base for outdoor activities.
All the places you mention are worth visiting and three days in each would be great if you're semi-organized.
I guess there's only so much you can do in the time you're there so it might seem like too much of a rush to squeeze too much in.
Why not have a flexible plan? Keep it loose just incase you get other ideas once you're in Spain.
Thank you Sean.
I've tried to be more flexibile in Italy 2 years ago... and we had trouble finding cheap hotels at some point and some trains were full and we got stuck in some cities longer than we wanted to.
Since we're on a somewhat tight budget, I need to plan transportation and hotels before the crowd of tourists invades them all.
Here's the plan so far :
-Days 1-4 : Land in Barcelona, spend 3 days visiting and moving to Madrid on the 4th day. -Days 4-6 : Arriving in Madrid the 4th day and visiting for a total of 3 days (including the 4th). -Day 7 : One day-trip to Toledo from Madrid. -Days 8-10 : Leaving Madrid to Sevilla and visit 3 days. -Days 11-13 : Leaving Sevilla and visit either Cordoba or Granada. -Days 14-15 : Leaving either Cordoba or Granada to Malagà, spending 1 day there and leaving the next day from this airport.
This is our basic plan... we'll be more flexible in the things we do/see in each cities though.
Drop Malaga - you can drive to the airport from Granada in 90 mins. You could base yourself in Granada and drive out to Cordoba for a day, takes a couple of hours or so.
You could base yourself in Granada and drive out to Cordoba for a day, takes a couple of hours or so.
Yeah I was going to say that should you hire a car for a day or two you'll find it interesting. You always end up stopping in small towns and villages off the beaten track where you'll find more rural lifestyles.
I'm always amazed with some of the small villages up in the north of Spain. They'll living a life style that hasn't changed in many years. Really peaceful and serene.
Don't forget to check what Flamenco venues you want to visit! Los Gallos in Sevilla normally puts on a great show but the seats are designed for midgets.
Would I need an International Driver's License to hire a car? And is finding a parking spot an issue?
Check with the car hire company - Avis, Hertz etc. I don't think so. Parking is truly awful. You'll need SatNav and know where the nearest parking garages are (estacionamientos) and just head for them. Be prepared to pay the daily rate.
That's a good idea of Simon's to hire a car for the day. You really dont want or need a car in Madrid, Sevilla or Granada. Granada you can walk everywhere, Madrid has a metro, Sevilla you will likely get your car broken into. Buses are great ways of getting around when there is no direct train, they are frequent and air-conditioned. If you hire a car in Granada you can drive to Cordoba, its a lovely trip through countryside, stay overnight so you get to have a day there. From Sevilla you could drive easily to Jerez, Cadiz and exlore the gorgeous coast there.
Personally I love Malaga and if your flight leaves early I 'd stay there overnight and enjoy the sea, the port and the amazing collection of old trees that line the streets.
Our first ever trip down south we relied on buses, had no plan, just went from city to beach to another city and back to the beach again. We spent 10 days and got to know Malaga, Granada and Sevilla as well as get a sun tan on the Costa Tropical and relax and travelling on buses we got to see so much of the countryside.