If you had to reduce your list, I would say to cut out Salamanca and Burgos. Also, cut out San Sebastian if you intend to travel in autumn or winter. If you need to cut down further, try and choose between Granada and Sevilla, or substitute Granada with Cordoba (Cordoba is on the way from Sevilla to Madrid, and will make your itnerary easier.)

Thanks for that. Sorry, I should have said. I will be travelling early to mid June next year. I’m not a beachy person so San Sebastian isn’t on my list of high priorities so that isn’t an essential stop.

I agree with luv_the_beach with San Sebastian, also you mentioned mid June, how about hanging around for the Running of the Bulls which is at the beginning of July?

I can’t. I have to be back at work by 29/6. As it is, I’m travelling to London on 1/5/05 and will be travelling for a month beforehand. I’ve maxed out both my budget and my annual leave.

Also, I’ve been checking out the hostel-booking websites to get an idea of prices per night and I’ve noticed that, as I am travelling solo, I am also being charged for all the beds in the room. Is the only way around this to find somebody to travel with – any suggestions?

As much as I like the idea of travelling with a companion, I have a pretty definite idea of the places I want to visit and I don’t want to compromise that too much.

I also agree with luv the beach—except that I don’t think you should cut out Granada! You can do Granada easily in a weekend and if you want to see beautiful architecture, then the Alhambra is a must. Plus, seeing the Moorish influence in Spain is very cool…so the culture and history aspect of Granada are great. Since you’ll be in Malaga already, just take the bus (I think it was only 2 hours) to Granada. Then from Ganada a simple train ride to Madrid. Like the others said, if you’re not a beach person, you can skip San Sebastian. Hope this helps.

I am jealous. 16-20 days in Spain will be wonderful.

Considering you are in the mood for culture, history, and architecture, Sevilla, Cordoba, Madrid, and Toledo are good choices.

Sevilla and Cordoba are in the same region. Do Cordoba first, then Sevilla, and then take the high speed train to Madrid. As a day trip, definitely get to Toledo. Maybe even spend a night. I used to study in Toledo and I can tell you the history is amazing. Go to a bar and talk to people. Ask them about the history of Toledo. There is tons of info to learn.

You will probably spend the most time in Madrid, a good deal of time in Sevilla, and less time in Cordoba and Toledo.

Although what you are going to see and learn are great, do not forget the great food and drink. Tortilla espanola, chorizo, sangria,….. YUM!

You will have a blast!

Happy Trails,
Rick

Just so you know Toledo ia about a 45 minute bus ride from Madrid, the town is really small, I went and came back the same day. The bus is cheap too, it’s only like 4 euros each way

great food, small town, fun and narrow and confusing medieval streets to get lost in, very deep spanish history. take a day trip to toledo is a must. trust me

p.s. you mentioned youd be in barcelona. take a half hour train ride to SITGES beach right outside of the city. spend half a day out in the sun, white sandy beach, no fish smell, clear blue water, great shops, restaurants, awesome town in general. have the paella, splurge. you wont regret it.

Gracias, much appreciated.

I am a small town girl by nature so am more excited about seeing the smaller towns in Spain – I am also assuming most of the towns on my schedule are small towns.

Can you give me an idea exactly how big these places are?

Small towns? Not exactly. Here’s an idea:

Granada – 240,000
Seville – 700,000
Cordoba – 300,000
Toledo – 70,000
Madrid – 3 million
Segovia – 55,000
Salamanca – 160,000
Burgos – 160,000
San Sebastian – 175,000

Hmmmm, slightly bigger than Broken Hill but that’s okay – just makes it a bigger adventure….and more people to meet.

3 million – holy crap!!

I lived and studied in Granada for a year and travelled all around Spain. I can tell you the places I liked the best and just hope it helps! I would NOT miss Granada, it is one of the most beautiful, historical, culturally rich (and diverse with the Moorish influences) towns in Spain. The Alhambra is a must if you go to Granada. I would not linger too much in Malaga as it is a beach town but not one of the prettiest. You can take a bus from Malaga to Granada, then from there take a bus to Cordoba if you like but this city was not one of my favorites. Then from there you can go up to Sevilla which I would say is a must as well. Toledo is gorgeous and a place I would NOT miss as well. It is a very cool, small medival town that is rich in history as well and the winding streets are fun to walk. Another one of my favorite places is on your list, Segovia. It is a cute little town with an amazing castle. A fun day trip. Salamanca is okay. You have to go to see the wall and the university but it is definately a day stop, if time allows. My friend and I did Segovia, Salamanca, and Madrid all in an extended weekend, although we had rented a car. Then of course, you have to go to Madrid….it is huge and overwhelming but it is the capital and you just have to experience it, especially the main plaza of town, the Plaza Mayor. Burgos I would skip and San Sebastian was beautiful. It is a beach town but it is rich in Catalan history and there are some cute streets to explore and bars to find. Make sure to visit the Cathedrals (Catedrals) in each city as that is where you will find great architecture and the feel of the city. There is so much to tell so if you still need some help you can email me at Shanna.Alfred@cigna.com. Hope this helps!

Hate to add another place since you seem to be wanting to cut back, but I would recommend Santiago de Compostela (northern España, in Galicia) if you would like a smaller city with good culture and ambiance. It’s a small(er) city of about 90.000 people and the supposed burial place of Saint James, so the history and architechure is spectacular. Every year 1000’s of people complete the pilgramage from southern France to Compostela towards the end of July and the history is pretty cool. Also, it’s a university town, so the nightlife and people are pretty active. There are busses and trains daily to/from Compostela from Madrid, A Coruña, etc. Just a suggestion!

Happy Travels!