Hi - will be visiting Spain for 9 days (April 13th - April 22nd, arriving and leaving from Madrid) and I have a 'plan' for where to go but was wondering if anyone could offer any comments/suggestions? We are planning to stay in Madrid for 3 nights (2days), then take the AVE to Seville and stay there for 3 nights, perhaps 1 night in Granada, then back to Madrid for either one last day in Madrid or a daytrip to Toledo. How does this sound?

Any comments would be appreciated!

- James

Sounds good to me James. I would possibly switch Granada for Cordoba though, as from a transport point of view it is a lot easier to go Sevilla - Cordoba - Madrid.

I agree with Anchovy Front: Granada would be out of the way. Sevilla will be between Semana Santa and Feria de abril - not much happening. I would consider shortening my stay in Sevilla and adding whatever's left to Madrid. You'll be arriving in Madrid on Good Friday (viernes de Semana Santa). It's a holiday but most retail businesses will be open. That gives you Saturday & Sunday in Madrid: Museums, etc. should all be open on Saturday. Easter Sunday AM is nice to visit and stroll in Retiro Park.

If Friday is a 'jet lag' washout, you can see some really impressive Processions from all over Spain on TVE Friday evening.

[This message has been edited by Eddie (edited 03-20-2001).]

I agree w/ Eddie-- try to spend more time in Madrid up front. It's easier to get around/see Sevilla in a concentrated period of time, and Madrid is worth your att. when you first arrive.

Wow - thank you all for your replies! Hmm... your comment on Granada makes sense - I didn't realize it was a good 4 hours train away from Seville. I've actually been to Madrid before, but one of our party members has not, and to be honest, I absolutely loved Madrid and would be happy to spend more time in Madrid if the other party members also wanted to.

Although we have those first 2 days / 3 nights in Madrid, we're thinking of adding any extra days in Madrid to the end of the trip - just because staying in Madrid that first weekend of the Semana is really expensive, and besides if we add more Madrid on our way back, we'd hit Madrid on Fri/Sat (great for clubbing / shopping) and the hostal availability and rates that next weekend are much better. Any thoughts?

So I'm thinking if we try the Madrid 3nights, then to Seville by AVE for 3 nights, then Cordoba as one of you suggested for a night or so, then back to Madrid - is that a more acceptable trip? I've never been to Seville or Cordoba so I don't know how long I 'need' to feel like I've seen it but not rushed through it. Is one day / one night enough for Cordoba? and 3 days enough for Seville? I found that 4 days in Madrid on my last trip was just right for what we wanted to do...

- James

The AVE has some odd conditions attached to using it. For example to get a cheaper fare its necessary to book there and back ticket and if you are making breaks to Cordoba that doesn’t fit in with the booking principle. I’m travelling to Sevilla on the AVE but intend to visit Cordoba for the day whilst still based in Sevilla. I don’t know what the booking demand will be when you are there but certainly a few days before that would require pre-booking.

One day/night in Cordoba is fine. If you're pressed for time, you could even do it in a day. The Mezquita is really the main attraction and if time permits, you can stroll through the Jewish quarters and the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. The gardens at the Alcázar should be nice in April. Those three things can all be done in a day. The train station has luggage storage if you want to leave your things.

Are you sure it is cheaper to return to Sevilla, Steveaqui? The fare is 10.100 Pts (peak) from Madrid to Sevilla and if you make the return journey within 60 days you get a 20% discount on the return leg, so you would save 2.020 Pts, making the Sevilla - Madrid journey 8.080 Pts. Even off peak, it would still cost 6.880 Pts.

However, you have to take into account the fare to go back to Sevilla from Cordoba, which, depending on the train, is either 2.300 Pts or 2.800 Pts, with 25% off if you do it in a day. Plus, you can get the Talgo 200 from Cordoba to Madrid, which is cheaper (5.400 Pts off peak / 6.400 Pts peak) than the AVE and as good a train.

If it was me, I would stay overnight in Cordoba with what I save on the train fare and enjoy the restaurants / tapas / night life there. Or am I calculating something wrong here....?

Looks like it’s in fact a close call, I make it:

(9900 ida y vuelta x 2 less 20%) Madrid to Sevilla and return NORMAL + a day trip from Sevilla @ 2800 X 2 X 0.8 =20320 total.

Or alternatively 9900 +2800 + 7200 making it 19900 total. This involves Madrid to Sevilla. Sevilla to Cordoba, break and return to Madrid all on the AVE.

The 25% discount as far as I can make out is for a return fare.

Like you say the slower train is an option to make it cheaper.

The 25% discount applies to a return journey that is completed the same day, so your total should be a bit cheaper at 20.040 Pts.

However, you could sacrifice 50 minutes going to Cordoba on the 09.15 Andalucia Express, which takes an hour and a half instead of 40 minutes on the AVE and then take about 20 minutes more than the AVE going on the Talgo 200 from Cordoba, on either the 08.54, 14.10 or 21.56, your journey will be 9.900 Ptas (Madrid - Sevilla) plus 1.105 Ptas (Sevilla - Cordoba)and 5.400 Ptas (Cordoba - Madrid), which is a total of 16.405 Ptas. Phew!!

This saves 3.635 Ptas per person, or a night in a hostal. Over to you, steveaqui! I think I'm turning into a trainspotter!!