dennaong9602

Hi. I would like advice on the following itinerary in late December 2022 to early January 2023:
1. Fly into Seville (stay 4-5 nights)
2. Train to Granada (stay 3 nights)
3A. Train to Valencia (stay 2-3 nights) and then Train to Barcelona (stay 4 nights) Fly home from Barcelona
OR
3B. Train to Barcelona (stay 4 nights) then Train to Valencia (stay 2-3 nights). Return to Barcelona from Valencia

I've looked at the train travel duration of both Granada-Valencia and Granada-Barcelona and both are long journeys. Would it be better to break our journey in Cordoba (stay overnight) and then continue to either Valencia or Barcelona.

Thank you for any input you can give.

KarenWoo

I highly recommend spending at least one night, if not two nights, in Cordoba. It's a lovely small city with white-washed walls, narrow lanes, patios, and wonderful restaurants and sites. The Mezquita is magnificent but there are other interesting sites as well, such as the Alcazar, Roman Bridge, Palacio de Viana, Mercado Victoria, etc.

I would not do Option 3B. You are wasting too much time traveling back and forth to Barcelona.

halfapair

Four nights in Seville is enough. I would second KarenWoo and advise spending at least a night in Cordoba. We did one night, and wish we had done two.

FTOttawa

Breaking the Valencia journey in Córdoba looks like you’d still have to change trains in Madrid the following travel day. Depending on the day of the week, there seem to be many options to get from Granada to Valencia in 4-5 hours which does not seem excessive.

dennaong9602

thank you, KarenWoo, for your advice.
I will re-look into staying in Cordoba (instead of my initial plan of a day trip from Seville). And you're definitely right about the unnecessary moving back and forth!

dennaong9602

hi halfapair. thank you for your suggestion on cordoba - will look into this again

dennaong9602

thank you, FTOttawa. I will have to do more research on the train times/days. I'm trying to avoid changing train in Madrid.

shelemm

I did three nights in Cordoba and wish I had a fourth. Gorgeous city with a variety of interesting aspects, and then the ruins of Medina Azahara right outside the city.

Faedus

Actually, I thought your original itinerary, with at least three nights allotted to each of the fine destinations you chose was great; I wouldn't mess with it.
I would advise, though, being cautious about absolutist pronouncements like "four nights in Seville are enough," which appears above. I haven't been to Seville yet, though I've made several trips to Spain, but I know that when I do visit Seville, four nights will not be enough for me. After all, I've easily spent four nights each in fine historic towns like Caceres and Zamora with no regrets; I can't imagine four nights being enough for me in Seville, even though that may be all I'll have available. I know that my travel interests and motives may be different from other people's, and I can't recommend my personal itinerary timetables to everyone, but that's the point; travel motives do differ, which is why I am always leery of unconditional pronouncements like "two nights are required" here, or "four nights are enough" there.

danon

I tend to agree..what is “ enough” ? We visited Barcelona 6-7 times, Madrid 10 -12 times, Valencia and Seville twice.. etc.
Never stayed overnight in Toledo or Córdoba.
. People have different interests and “ feel” for certain places.
I remember going to Russia for the first time…( Moscow and St. Petersburg) ..Several posters suggested three night in Moscow was “ enough “ I was so wrong to listen…found Moscow fascinating. I returned to Moscow the following year for more time in the city .

Faedus

A good point; once I've decided where I want to go, I'll likewise decide how long I will want to stay. It's incredible to think that several people would suggest only three nights in a city like Moscow. I've never been there, but we all know what Moscow is -- honestly, to think that some people suggested just three nights!