Hi, I am planning a trip to Spain in May of 2009. I have been to Europe before, but with a tour group. This time, I am going with my boyfriend, on a self-paced trip. I plan to fly into Madrid and have daytrips to Segovia and Toledo. From there I want to go to Cordoba, then Seville, then to Granada. I'm not sure if we should by railpasses or just point to point tickets. I am very new to this and Just need a little (really a lot) of guidance. Thanks

Hi fellow Buckeye!

I have always travelled ticket by ticket and have never had a problems although I do usually purchase tickets on the AVE a few days in advance. Toledo you can either use the train or the bus. We have found the buses to be a great way to get around!

Hello fellow BuckeyeS!!!!

That's true what sel says. In some cases, buses CAN BE the way to go because A) trains don't go there (to the smaller villages) or B) they're usually cheaper than trains.

But going from big city to big city, trains are usually much faster. And although a little more expensive but much more comfortable, I always prefer train travel in Spain.

I hope to take a short trip from Madrid to Córdoba just next month and went to Granada from Madrid a few months ago. It's so darn comfortable and so much nicer than going by buses because you have the restrooms (plural!), a dining car, you can get up and walk around easily, the seats are bigger and the leg-space is longer too.

Enjoy!

Saludos, MadridMan

Hi totally agree with MM on this and can make a definite contrast as a few years ago I travelled with An Aussie friend to Granada by bus ... I think it took about 5 hours and we had one half hour stop off ... It really was not comfortable at all and I vowed never to do it again .
However I have travelled to Segovia by bus from Madrid about an hour and that was perfect .
A few weeka ago I travelled on the new AVE line between Madrid and Malaga via Cordoba ... 2 hrs 40 mins to get there , it was minute perfect in arrival and monitors in the train tell you how fast your going ( we reach 290 kph ! ) . It's incredibly smooth and the dining car is like a regular stand up bar where people went to have a chat and a beer whilst watching the world go by from the big windows . Incredibly comfortable , and you arrive at your destination relaxed . I also did the trip Madrid to Sevilla and it was a pleasure too .
Also I would choose the train , when I could , above airflights . Trains take you into the centre of towns and there's none of the hassle of check-in queues .
Unfortunately there are a few places still not reachable by AVE ( notably Bilbao ) .
Bear in mind that your bags , if travelling from Madrid , will be subjected to a security scan before you go into the AVE waiting room .
Steve .

Just a comment on the AVE. It can be expensive but Renfe offers greatly discounted web fares. I just bought a ticket from Zaragoza to Madrid one way for 30.5 euros. The normal fare is around 51 euros.

The rail passes are not a good value if you're planning on traveling solely within Spain. You're better off buying the train tickets through Renfe's website. Also, in some cases bus is better than train (ie. Madrid to Caceres) or train may not even be an option.