Hi folks! I am off to Madrid on May 11 and are planning a twelve day trip which I hope will include four days in Madrid, a day trip to Toledo, three days in Seville, a day trip to Cadiz and an overnighter to Granada. Now my question is the best way to get to Granada. I have done a search on this board regarding this but there doesn't seem to be a clear answer. I was originally intending to get to Seville for a few days then take the train to Granada and a train back to Madrid on the day before the flight home. But, the RENFE schedule is not helping me with the Granada-Madrid arm. Should I instead do the early Seville-Granada train, spend the night in Granada and then the next day take the train back through Seville,
connect onto the AVE and up to Madrid (whew!)? I know that will be a long day of trains, especially since my next day is the flight out, but my research seems to point to this plan due to my limited timewhich really sucks. Any tips?
Thanks!

Hola Dargus -- Your instincts are right. You CAN take the train from Sevilla to Granada, just not the AVE. There are three departures daily (if I remember correctly), and the trip is just shy of three hours. The train moves along at a good clip, despite not being of the high speed variety, and the scenery is spectacular: mountains & rolling hiils, olive orchards for as far as the eye can see, white-washed, red-roofed little villages off in the distance, dirt roads and muddy rivers winding into the hills....

In any case, you'll want to have enough time in in Granada to visit the Alhambra (to be so close and not go there would be criminal), so allot at least a half-day for that -- and get your ticket in advance at any BBVA bank branch if you can....

Then, when it's time to hightail it back to Madrid, first catch the Alsina Graells bus --it's comparable to an American Greyhound bus -- to Cordoba (two-and-a-half hours/less than $10) and catch the AVE from there (you wouldn't want to backtrack to Sevilla). Amazingly, the AVE station is directly across the street from the bus station in Cordoba, so it's just a matter of trekking over and buying a ticket for the next train through from Sevilla. And since they run regularly, you shouldn't have to wait long.

Must go. Let me know if I can help you further....

Try this link for the info you're looking for.
http://granadainfo.com/granadatravel.htm

I would have thought that your best option would be to take a bus from Granada back to Madrid?

Other than saving a few bucks, Anchovy Front, why take the bus when the AVE, one of the world's fastest, most comfortable trains, is at your disposal?

After all, given the bus' average speed of, say, 50-55 mph vs. an average speed of 100 mph (or faster) on the AVE, you're looking at twice the time -- and that's not taking in account any stops the bus may make along the way. For dargus, with just 12 days in Spain, time is of the essence.

Incidentally, dargus, your plan to catch the earliest train from Sevilla to Granada (I believe it is at 7am) is ok, but it does mean that you'll get a late start on your visit to the Alhambra, which could be a mistake depending upon the volume of tourists that day.

Instead of taking the earliest train, you could leave on the last train (the night before you were going to depart from Sevilla), stay the night in Granada, and get into the Alhambra first thing in the morning, thereby beating the crowds, and enabling you to see the place in a much more leisurely fashion.

This would work especially well if you had your Alhambra tickets in hand, having gotten them when you first arrived in Madrid. Remember, those tickets are timed, and you'll have a half-hour window to enter. They are sticklers on entry times, so you can't be late.

I'd say it is easier to go straightly from Granada to Madrid with the bus instead of going to Granada to Cordoba and then take the AVE. Since you need a reservation for the train, you would have to count in some time in Cordoba to be sure to catch a particular one, and then the time saved with the bus-train combination over the pure bus ride is not so substantial. It would also take you, all in all, more than 4 hours. The bus takes about 5 hours and is very cheap, about 10 $, and very comfortable. Less stressful for my taste than the change.

It's true, Connie, that going straight up to Madrid from Granada by bus has its advantages: There are no transfers involved, the price is right, and of course, there's the on-board American movie, dubbed in Spanish, to divert your attention from what you're supposed to be focused on, namely, the mesmerizing Spanish tableau right outside your window.

However, the bus is slower, the AVE is by far a more relaxing and comfortable ride, and by going to Cordoba, you at least get a glimpse of that famous city and some of its landmarks.

As for dovetailing with the AVE schedule, a little planning helps. We, for instance, took the 10am bus to Cordoba, arrived at 12:30, walked across the street, and hopped on the 12:40 to Madrid.

It really just comes down to preference. Either way, you're being chauffeurred through the striking Spanish countryside, and so, in both cases, you win.

I have to agree that taking the bus to Madrid from Granada is the most sensible & easiest way to go. Coordination of the bus/train rides would probably work out to be longer if not the same time as just taking the bus from Granada, with a lot less headache. The bus from Granada to Madrid is about 5 hours, there is a rest stop break, and very cheap & easy. I've taken various trips from Madrid/Granada/Madrid, and barring taking a plane, which is only 1 hour, but costs a lot more, the bus was the way to go.

Have a great trip! Let me know if you need to know anything else about Granada!!

Wow, so many options. Thanks so much for your replies folks! I guess I have to admit that I'm not too keen on a six hour bus ride as I will have up to eighteen hours of flying and airports on the way home the next day. I really like the option of a bus from Granada into Cordoba and onto the AVE back up to Madrid. That would be around four and a half hours of travel which is fine, and on the train at least I can comfortably walk the aisles. I still must decide if I will head to Granada first or Sevilla so I will print out these replies, pull out a map and get to it. Thanks again!

Hmm.....I thought they closed the gate for boarding the train five minutes before it left, but that would still leave you a margin of 5 minutes, or just time for a (very fast) stroll across the road to the railway station with your bags. Assuming the bus is on time to the minute and you do manage this, you could save time. As for the stress......well, I'm not too sure about that! If you do the Cordoba connection, dargus, let us know how long it took you in travelling time and I for one will eat humble pie and admit I advised wrongly, if you tell me it was quicker and more relaxing.

I'd like to hear about it too, and I too will be eating the humble pie if it works!!