I'm taking my 21-year old daughter to Spain for 6 nights in early March. Flying into Madrid. The only destination I have in mind is Granada for a couple of nights. Does anyone have an opinion on whether it would more enjoyable to visit Seville or Cordova? Can't do both.
Since we land in Madrid @ 10 a.m. I was thinking of catching the express train to either Seville or Cordova, then heading to Granada, then back to Madrid for the final two nights.
My daughter has champagne tastes but I have a beer budget (I will prevail).
Any thoughts on destination recommendations and/or accomodations is greatly appreciate.
Reply to this Hi Mark,
Cordoba is an interesting place for a day trip, if you decide to go, make sure you go visit old town. La Mezquita-Catedral is very impressive, and you can do a guided tour of the inside for cheap. Or, you can pick up one of the brochures and wander around on your own; the old town is filled with historical architecture and landmarks; you really feel as though you've been transported to another era. There's also a decently priced hostel/hotel located right by La mezquita, and plenty of little shops and cafeteria's for a beer (and in your daughter's case, cava) tastes. I think that that both you and your daughter would enjoy it. I studied in Madrid for 6 months, and did a Cordoba/Granada trip for a weekend during my first couple weeks in Spain, and absolutely loved it. We saw a famenco show in Cordoba, and the ticket included two free copas (drinks) which is one of the MANY perks of traveling in Spain. It's a great opportunity to see the traditional Andalucian dance, and try Spain's famous sangria.
If time is a factor, I would highly recommend visiting Toledo for a day. You can take the fast train down to Toledo from Madrid, (very affordable) early and spend the day wandering around Toledo, which is, in my opinion, a much larger, much more exciting version of Cordoba. You still get a ton of history, but there are more modern restuarants and shops mixed in with quaint historical ones. And it's less expensive than Cordoba.
My personal opinion? Granada will be sufficient if you want to get a real southern-spain experience, and the Alhambra is one of those 7 world wonders you simply CANNOT miss. Cordoba is a nice place to visit, but you can get a similar historical experience, on a grander scale, for a much better price if you visit Toledo. There's just much more to do there.
Hope this helps, happy traveling!
Reply to this I actually prefer Seville to Cordoba although the Mezquita is very impressive. Seville has a lovely atmosphere with the Alcazabar and Cathedral, Giralda Tower, beautiful palaces, gardens and a river! We stayed at Van Gogh Hotel which is in the centre of the city and everything is walkable from here.
Toledo is a lovely place also - I recommend that if you go there that you get the little train that takes you right around the outside of the city.
If you go to Granada, it is better to get tickets before you go to avoid queuing.These can be bought for the same price at BBBV bank. A little odd but true!
We have an old town house in Andalucia and have explored most of the region but a lot of it is personal preference!
Hope this is of some help!
Reply to this Both are absolutely stunning; colourful and delightful, and truly, neither should be missed. Take a look at Motorhome News from Europe 11
Motorhome News from Europe 11 and back a couple to Motorhome News from Europe 9 (or is it the other way round?)to see what I mean. What a shame to rush it - but a taste is always exciting and you're young enough to return another day. It's one of our favourite corners of Europe.
David
Grey haired nomads
Reply to this http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/theGardiners/
We were just in Andalusia - we didn't hit Cordoba but thought very highly of Sevilla and Granada. I'm attaching our blog in case you want to check it out. If you have any questions, let me know!
Reply to this Granada, Cordoba, Sevilla - it's all good. Cordoba merits a quick visit, maybe just stay one night. You will love the Mezquita. Sevilla has a greater variety of things to see and lots of good shopping. If you are interested in our recent trip to Andalucia, you could take a peek at our blog: //www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Liz-and-Ron I have 2 entries that might interest you.
Reply to this Cordoba if you're looking for a classic old Spanish city, with a remarkable heritage. The old Mosque is absolutely unique... and well over 1000 years old; the old city has plenty of small streets and old nooks and crannies. But don't arrive on a Friday or Saturday night without a hotel booking.... . Seville if you want a large city also with a fine heritage.
Reply to this MMW here - thank you all for the responses.
One question: how much time should I allow between arriving internationally @ Madrid airport (approx. 10:00 am Sunday March 13th) and catching the AVE train to Cordoba/Seville?
2 hours?
3 hours?
4 hours?
I don't need to rush, but I also would rather not waste time.
Thanks, travellers.
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