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We changed the schedule a little bit from above. Does this sound better? We took out Valencia/San Sebastian and added a day to Granada and Marbella.
Barcelona- 3 nights
Madrid - 4 nights- (day trip to Toledo)
Seville -3 nights- (day trip to Cordoba)
Granada- 2 nights Marbella - 4 nights- w road trip to ronda/estopena/malaga
You can rent a car at the Malaga airport and it's only about 30-40 minutes from there to Marbella....depending if you take the paid tollway which has less traffic for the last half of the trip. From there, Estepona is only 10 minutes or so. Ronda is a pretty and rural drive from Marbella and it seemed like about 2-2.5 hrs from my memory.
Keep in mind that the roads in town and parking in Spain are more suited for smaller cars. So be cognizant of that when you rent a car. The insurance is expensive but your US insurance doesn't cover so I got it....which I needed when my car was dinged while I was parked in Marbella.
The high speed trains someone else mentioned are a great way to travel in Spain.
You can be happy .By find very good information and very practical of American Expat and other foristas that are giving for the success of this trip.-
Effectively travel by AVE train is very good.They are trains that run at 300kmh and compete with the plane
because they reach directly the City Center .-
I would put the Center of your trip in Madrid and from there I can go on AVE to all these cities that you want to visit.
Please note that buying the AVE tickets in advance, has a price reduction.-
I think, that from Marbella is more interesting Puerto Banus that go to Benalmadena and rest on their beaches, as was thinking I was going to do, it initially.-
How are so few days walking through Granada and Seville may be enough .-
Visit Malaga ,Estepona ,Ronda in just a few days etc will make a trip overwhelming,.
These places, can be seen on successive trips in other years.-
Kamban is very right when he says that he is curious the different opinions that can have on the same places.
I believe, that the tastes influence in these things, but also the time that is going to be in a city and people who know you on a trip.-
For example Barcelona enters through the eyes a soon as you arrive for its beautiful and different architecture
Madrid nevertheless is a city that falls in love when it deepens in a trip of more days there.-
Thanks for all the input! This is very helpful. So as far as transportation maybe it would make sense then to rent a car in Granada and drive from there to Marbella. I could either drive through Ronda to see that or go to Malaga and then down the coast.
We changed the schedule a little bit from above. Does this sound better? We took out Valencia/San Sebastian and added a day to Granada and Marbella.
Barcelona- 3 nights
Madrid - 4 nights- (day trip to Toledo)
Seville -3 nights- (day trip to Cordoba)
Granada- 2 nights
Marbella - 4 nights- w road trip to ronda/estopena/malaga
Just a little bit of advice from experience.
AVE trains are fast but more expensive than the intermediate range Avant trains. The latter is significantly less expensive, especially if you do not buy the AVE tickets as soon as it is released and the low price options gets sold out. The Avant trains usually take 15-30 mins longer and maybe stop at an additional station or two.
Seville to Cordoba is 42 mins by AVE and 48 mins by Avant. I just went to the station at Seville and purchased the ticket through a vending machine and got on the next Avant train leaving for Cordoba.
So for the 30-90 min journeys, I would just choose Avant and save on prices. A 30 minute savings in time is not worth it or justified by the price. Use AVE for the Madrid - Seville or Madrid Malaga trains.
Thanks for all the input! This is very helpful. So as far as transportation maybe it would make sense then to rent a car in Granada and drive from there to Marbella. I could either drive through Ronda to see that or go to Malaga and then down the coast.
We drove from Marbella to Granada and back the same day so it's not a terrible drive and you drive by Malaga. About Malaga, we weren't especially impressed with it but maybe we didn't see the right area. I would add that Sevilla is on your list and it's a very interesting and historical city so I would spend as much time there as possible. I think you said May so it should be quite warm but not overly hot yet in Sevilla. Ronda is an easy day trip from Marbella which is what we did.
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Originally Posted by anhngoc
you should go to Bilbao again, this is also interesting sites!have fun.
Make that another trip and include SW France
Very nice region that deserves some serious time to explore (in detail)
For honeymoon, I like the idea of not moving locations a lot and enjoying / immersing in the local culture for enjoying the 'finer-points', SLOW dinners (very LATE at night in SPAIN!!!), SLOW afternoons, Beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Not on a tight travel schedule, but SPACE / TIME to enjoy.
When / IF you have kids... it can (will) be Go-go-go... then at age 60 you can SLOW down & catch your breath again.
I will add some gastronomic suggestion and of places with charm.-
In Marbella, I would dine in the Plaza de los Naranjos because at night it has a grat atmosphere.
And also another day out in in Puerto Banus place which this very next to Marbella and is a display show of Yachts.shops and cars etc of extraordinary luxury -.
For lunch in the at noon on the Coast of the Sun(Costa del Sol)should you ask for information a good beach restaurant .-
The typical food of there abounds mainly in "Chopitos,boquerones ,gambas ,lubinas ( fish to the salt)"
and the wine drink you the famous Sherry.-
You will eat like a King for a reasonable price facing the Sea and in a Charming atmosphere.-
In Cordoba must eat the typical of Bull s tail .It is an exquisite andalusian dish cordobes. You can also eat in Seville.-
Please ask for where the Spaniards eat them well.Never eat you, where the tourists .-
We drove from Marbella to Granada and back the same day so it's not a terrible drive and you drive by Malaga. About Malaga, we weren't especially impressed with it but maybe we didn't see the right area. I would add that Sevilla is on your list and it's a very interesting and historical city so I would spend as much time there as possible. I think you said May so it should be quite warm but not overly hot yet in Sevilla. Ronda is an easy day trip from Marbella which is what we did.
Did you enjoy Marbella? Any suggestions on the area or where to stay? We were debating between a hotel downtown on the beach or we saw a beautiful villa we could stay that was more in the hilltop area but looked amazing.
So I guess skipping Malaga would be okay? We were reading posts about visiting Nerja too so maybe could stop there on the way from Granada.
I will add some gastronomic suggestion and of places with charm.-
In Marbella, I would dine in the Plaza de los Naranjos because at night it has a grat atmosphere.
And also another day out in in Puerto Banus place which this very next to Marbella and is a display show of Yachts.shops and cars etc of extraordinary luxury -.
For lunch in the at noon on the Coast of the Sun(Costa del Sol)should you ask for information a good beach restaurant .-
The typical food of there abounds mainly in "Chopitos,boquerones ,gambas ,lubinas ( fish to the salt)"
and the wine drink you the famous Sherry.-
You will eat like a King for a reasonable price facing the Sea and in a Charming atmosphere.-
In Cordoba must eat the typical of Bull s tail .It is an exquisite andalusian dish cordobes. You can also eat in Seville.-
Please ask for where the Spaniards eat them well.Never eat you, where the tourists .-
We will definitely try those spots out except I am a vegetarian so no bull tail for me!! Think I am looking forward to churros the most.
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