Sevilla Travel Forum

I am flying into Madrid end of April and will fly into Granada or Seville. Our plan is to go to Grenada(2 nights), Ronda(1 night), and Seville(3 nights). Not sure our mode of transport yet, possibly trains or taxis. I am travelling with parents and they are not too keen on crowded buses or trains.

1) Do you recommend one direction to travel in over another?
2) Is there a train ride that is very scenic to one of those destinations that shouldn't be missed?
3) Is it possible to get a taxi out of Ronda?
4) Should we cut out Granada completely and just do Ronda as a day trip and stay in Seville to make it easier? I feel that I would miss out on seeing more of the scenery though in Andalucia.

Thank you so much.

Hi,

Madrid airport is not connected to the Spanish rail system; you have to go to Madrid Central station first, either by bus or metro.
A very convenient - but not the cheapest - connection is by AVE Speedtrain, making Madrid-Sevilla in about 90 minutes. The train is comfortable, offers tourist- club- and firstclass and some catering in all 3 classes. See schedule and prices at
http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html
Have a nice stay !

Hi, sorry for misprinting: the travelling time on AVE Madrid-Seville is about 2,5 hours.
See phone-numbers and URL at my Madrid-page!

Answer to question 4. I think that Granada is well worth visiting, it's an amazing mix of cultures. The Alhambra is something that should be seen when there. I don't think there is anything in the world, on that scale, preserved from the time of Arabs in Europe. We've spent 4 hours there and haven't seen everything. I wish I could go back! I do recommend booking tickets upfront, on the net, as only a certain number of people is allowed in each day. That will save the wait and disappointment.

Yes as loony says it is a very very good idea to purchase ALHAMBRA tickets in advance using 'servicaixa'. Then you just turn up at the main entrance and insert your same Credit Card in order to retrieve your tickets. No hassle waiting in queues. The Palace complex in the Alhambra is the 'essential' and on your booking/ticket you will have a entry half hour slot for the Palaces entrance gate. Make sure that you arrive at his entrance to go in during that slot otherwise you will be refused entry . There are 'afternoon' and 'morning' tickets for the Alhambra but a lot has been written about this elsewhere.

From Madrid you can fly to Granada for about 30 euros. Quick, cheap and convenient. I do it all the time. Granada is possibly the most beautiful city in Spain and not to be missed. My elderly parents visit me twice a year and love it. We have also gone all together to Sevilla and we took to the train which is confortable and not crowded and very enjoyable as the scenery is gorgeous. We hired a car to go to Ronda for a day trip from Granada but if you dont want to drive then am sure you will find day trips organised from Sevilla. Have fun.

If I had to choose, I would skip ronda and maybe do a day visit To Cordoba, but please do not miss Granada. As said before now is cheap to fly from Madrid to both edstinations, check www.skyscanner.net.

The best way to see the scenary si renting a car and getting lost through secondry roads (Sevilla Ronda road is very scenic with forgotten little castles along some villages) But if travelling with your parents maybe I would concentrate in both cities.

I am afraid my partner has been now living here for 5 years and he says he still ahve not yet discover all Andalucia :-)

Maybe also instead of Ronda, from Sevilla you can take a train to Cadiz (1 hour) Sevilla to Ronda takes around 2 hours by car, a little longer by bus (So you get an idea)

Hope this helps

Agree totally with the book ahead. My daughter, mother in law and son(stationed in Rota at the base) drove there without advanced reservations and could not get in. So, if you decide to go, take the time to do that. As previosly posted, we are on our way to Spain in only three weeks...can't wait.

Last year we made a fantastic plan for 2 weeks in Spain.
After landing in Madrid, however we looked at the current weather and the north coast (we supposed to follow the coast counterclockwise starting in San Sebastian) was rainy as rainy could be. We immidiatly changed our plans and started in Valencia following the coast clockwise and after returning to Madrid (tow weeks later) north was still in rain. So I would say, make your plans flexible, or as flexible as you can. South has a great weather, Granada is more cooler than Sevilla ( no need for AC in Granada) Try to take a part in local festivals if possible (we were extremally lucky in Sevilla July23 as there was fantastic festival taking place). There is lots of factors that would determine the direction of travel and you have to see which one are more important for you.