How about renting a car? Daisy, the last itinerary you posted looked good. If you can drive stick, it's not a bad idea, although I recommend the AVE if you're travelling between Seville and Madrid.

I just got back from my Spain and Portugal adventure yesterday, so it's all swirling in my head! I HIGHLY recommend Seville - I travelled with three people to Seville, Madrid, and then Lisbon, and all three of us enjoyed Seville the best - very charming (though hot!) town. We stayed at the High Tech hotel (http://www.hthoteles.com/htm02/inforhotel?hid=17&cid=3&pais=1) about two blocks from the Cathedral - it was quiet, conveniently located, decently-priced and serves a great breakfast!

Errrr... because you cut down on the time it takes to travel between far-flung places? And because it allows you to spend time in the cities you're visiting, and not in transit?

If I had limited time, I wouldn't want to spend hours on end schlepping from one place to another, having to get to the airport or train station at a certain time, etc. But that's me