I would spend the first 4 nights in Madrid, on one of those days I’d do Toledo as a day trip. I’d then drive straight to Córdoba and spend the day there and drive to Seville that evening. 4 nights in Seville and day trips to the other places you wanna see. Back to Madrid your last night to chill. Not sure why you wanna uproot yourself so often. My itinerary gives you time to feel the local vibes in two cities that actually have them while still seeing the sites.
no...tomamos el tren i hear you, but ive been wanting to see toledo and the alhambra for decades. definitely want to spend a couple days in toledo...dont want to do it as a day trip. madrid looks awesome, but most interested in andalusian region. my preferred method of vactioning is to travel around and see as much as possible instead of staying in one place too long. im sure madrid is vibe-central, but i want the vibes of some of the smaller cities to the south...looks pretty vibey in cordoba!
Fair enough, everybody has different travel strategies. I stay as long as possible and dig in to the local scene a deeply as I can. My idea of culture is to understand what people in different places think, feel, and do. I typically avoid anything touristy except to have a quick peep. The smaller cities you want to visit are basically just museums and full of tourists. Also, the locals will hate you, no chance of making cultural inroads. You'll see what I mean. Anyway, you will love Spain and can always return.
trip is booked...doing the following. 2 nights in madrid 1 in toledo 3 in granada 1 in cordoba 2 in madrid i was surprised about hotel prices...after reading about all the anti-tourism stuff and the backlash against airbnbs i REALLY wanted to stay in hotels only on this trip, but i found them to be more expensive than getting my own apartment. in madrid for example, an average 2-3 star hotel was $200 after taxes/fees vs. airbnb apartment in same areas for $130-$150. granada hotels were cheaper than comparable airbnbs, but only by like $20/night. got a guesthouse in someones backyard with a private rooftop terrace for $333 for 3 nights...hotels in area were going for $260-$280.
Thanks for sharing this. I'm planning to try and return there next summer. I will definitely lean toward the airbnb option.
im going in late september/early october. maybe prices are higher then b/c its a time of year when spaniards travel since thats about when it starts cooling off? and its not like i was looking at fancy/trendy places...just a standard middle of the road room in the central area. and like i said, hotels were slightly cheaper in granada, but only by like $20 a night. i got an efficiency apartment in cordoba for $65/night...like a 1/2 mile from the train station. couldnt find a hotel room for that price.
