Hi Ryan

As you only have 2 weeks I would suggest you spend all of your time in mainland Spain. You need possibly 3 days in Barcelona and 3 days in Madrid, 2 days Seville and a few days around the coast near Alicante. If you are going to use public transport to travel between cities you also need to factor in the travel time.

You can't in the timeframe get down to the Canaries or up to the Balearics and get the most out of your visit. You need a week minimum just to see Tenerife and at 21 you could easily spend a month here!! Leave us until next time - you will love it.

Okay thanks a lot for your advice. I have decided to leave the islands for next time as I will definitely come back to Spain some time in the future. So now the cities that I am sure to visit are: Barcelona, Valencia, Cadiz, Seville, and Madrid. I have Cadiz on this list as it is supposed to be the oldest city in western europe; do you recommend it or is it missable, considering my limited time. I probably have time for one or 2 more cities. Which ones do you recommend are a must out of the following places: Alicante, Malaga, Granada, Marbella, Ronda, and Cardoba? I was also considering going to Lisbon, Portugal from Seville and then from Lisbon to Madrid where I will fly out. Do you kknow what is the best way to travel from Seville to Lisbon and from Lisbon to Madrid and how long each journey will take? Thanks a lot,

Ryan

Hi again Ryan

If I was doing the trip I would fly into Barcelona and spend 3 days there. Here are a couple of Inside Pages that I did which will give you some ideas tripadvisor.co.uk/GoListDetail-i12809-3_Days…

tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g187497-c68952/Barc…

Then travel down to Madrid via Valencia. From Madrid I would then head south to Seville going through Toledo. I have never been to Cadiz but it does look lovely so well worth a visit. How are you travelling, train, bus or are you hiring a car. If the latter don’t hire until you are leaving Barcelona as you definitely won’t need it.

The train from Barcelona to Valencia takes around 3 hours and costs around €30.

Valencia to Madrid by train is about 3.5 hrs and around €40 .

Madrid to Seville is quite expensive but I think if you decide to go by train you should get a rail pass and you can save money. This is not a problem as you are under 25 years http://www.raileurope.com/us/rail/ave/ I don’t know what the buses are like in the mainland but the trains are good, especially if you get one of the high speed ones.

Like the Canary Islands I think Portugal should be left for another time.

Hope this helps with your planning.

Best of luck….Meryl

Hi Meryl,

Thanks for your prompt response; it was very helpful. Concerning transportation, what is the best way to travel around spain- train, bus, or car- considering the places I am planning on visiting. I read that car hire can be expensive when taking into account parking. But you are right, if I do rent a car, I was only planning on hiring one when I leave Barcelona. Also, I think I will most likely fly out of Madrid or Barcelona since they have the cheapest flights to Milan. In that case, I would have to end in Madrid. Then how would you recommend I structure my trip if I need to end in Madrid? Please let me know. Thanks for all your help?

Ryan

Ryan

To end up in Madrid from Barcelona, travel to Valencia then down to Marbella, round the south coast to Cadiz, then north again through Seville and back to Madrid.

If you do hire a car, find the cheapest quote you can then send an email to reservations@auto-europe.co.uk and Auto Europe guarantee to undercut any quote you receive.

Parking on the mainland is not too expensive as a lot of places you can park on the roads in towns.

Ryan

If you follow my suggestion and book your hotels on your arrival dates then DON'T pay full price.

Always ask for their best deal. When they give you a price ask if that is their Rack rate, and if they say yes, then say can you do any better.

If they have availability on the day you arrie they are unlikely to fill the room so will give you a good deal rather than leave the room empty.

Thanks a lot for your advice. So you recommend that in 2 weeks, I should visit Barcelona, Valencia, Marbella, Cadiz, Sevilla, and Madrid in that order. Would you recommend Marbella over Malaga, Alicante, and Granada, Ronda, and Cardoba. Although, from Sevilla, I could take day trips to Cardoba and Ronda if I have time right. Concerning hotels, I think I will stay at hostels since I am on a student budget unless there are many budget hotels around spain but thanks for the tip; I will remember that just incase I do find a budget hotel. And for car rental, Auto Europe will beat whatever quote I find? Let me know. Thanks a lot,

Ryan

Ryan,

Don't set your plans in concrete, have a vague outline of what you want to do and where you want to go. While you are travelling if you see somewhere you want to stop just do it. Don't travel by the clock go by feeling.

That might sound like the old hippy in me talking but sometimes it is the diversions that are most memorable.

Have a good time, don't do anything dangerous and just enjoy. Before you know it like me you will be an OAP but I regret nothing, I have some wonderful memories that I can look back on.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I have had many trips like that, where nothing is really planned and I figure out what I am doing as I go along. However, since Spain is so big and I have limited time here, I just wanted to make sure I am not missing some must see cities. Right now, my revised itinerary is as follows: Barcelona (3 days) - Valencia (2 days) - Malaga ( 2 days with possible day trip to Torremolinos or Marbella) - Cadiz (2 days) - Seville (2 days with possible day trip to Cardoba) - Madrid (3 days). How does that sound? Should I spend more or less time at any one city or cut out some time from one city to see another. I left out Alicante; would you recommend I see it. Let me know. Thanks,

Ryan

2 days in Cadiz may be too much for that place, yes it's one of the oldest (or the oldest) city of western europe, but as it is in a very limited space, everything has beeen rebuilt over the previous constructions, as it usually happens with very old cities.

There is little to see really ancient. The place is now a secondary touristic destination. I recommend doing a daytrip to Cordoba and adding a daytrip in Madrid or Barcelona rather than spending two days in Cadiz.

But if you have reasearched information about this place and you feel you have to go, then do it.