1. You can pay with cash (Euros) almost anywhere in Spain. The entire time youre in Seville, youre going to be seeing the impact of the mixture of the different cultures on modern-day Seville. You can walk down into the crypt to see where theyre buried beneath the ornamental mausoleums in the center of the Chapel. Explorer. Day 4: Train to Madrid. If you want more detail, make sure to read that.. Very dark. From Gaudis masterpieces in Barcelona to the museums of Madrid this two-week itinerary covers all the best sights in Spain! From Madrid, Granada is a bit of a journey. All of this happened immediately after said Christian king conquered the city from the Muslim rulers who had been there for five centuries before he arrived. Make your way to the spectacular Basilica and admire it in all its glory. Focus on Spains two major cities Barcelona and Madrid and use them as a home base to do a couple of day trips. Puig des Molins is a museum and archaeological site that combines a Phoenician necropolis with exhibits that feature items found in the tombs, making it the perfect destination on the island for people interested in history and archaeology. If you want to visit the museums and tour the stadium, the city pass will save you some money for sure. Pro-tip: Leave the backpack at home youll need to check it in the coatroom, and the lines are notoriously long. Check Get Your Guide to see if they have any skip-the-line tickets available. Plus, Spanish wine and a variety of tapas to enjoy while it cooks, and the opportunity to connect with Clara and fellow like-minded travelers. This guide to spending 3 days, Read More 3 Days in Portland: How to Spend a Weekend in Portland, ORContinue, Wondering where to eat gluten free in Barcelona? For context, we did not rent a car, used exclusively trains, and had a lovely time exploring the country. Day 1-3: Seville. The driving distance from Barcelona to Tarifa is about 1,600 km one-way. Spain Itinerary - 14 Days. Palma de Mallorca is the capital of the island, and its known for quite a few things. We loved Spain, and cant wait for a return trip to explore some of the parts of northern Spain that we missed.. Today, its owned by the Catholic Church, who has yet to return it to the Jewish community despite them asking the church to do so. There are quite a few stairs to climb, so Id recommend wearing sneakers for this excursion. If you want to follow this itinerary, its best to plan your trip to Spain so that you arrive in Barcelona and depart from Madrid. Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post, like hotel links, are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we make a little bit of money if you click through and book. Book tickets either directly through Renfe, or through Omio for a much more user-friendly experience (that comes with a small service fee). One of the most popular tourist attractions in Spain, the Alhambra was built by the Nasrid dynasty, the last Muslim territory on the Iberian Peninsula. Local guides will take you to see the Church of the divine Salvador, remains of the Roman Temple, and meet Saint Isadoro of Seville the patron saint of the internet. explore cannes, monaco etc day trips But thanks to an expert guide who helped make sense of the huge collection at the Prado, it was still a highlight of our trip to Spain. Begin in Barcelona, exploring the city and the gorgeous Costa Brava coastline, then travel to Madrid to see the Spanish capital and its nearby wine region. Youll visit Spains major cities Madrid and Barcelona along with some of the highlights in Andaluca, which is our favorite part of Spain. Best things to do in Barcelona, Valencia, Marseille, Nice, and Paris are: Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, and Parc Guell. With wine tastings and traditional foods, this road-trip itinerary takes you to all the culinary hotspots and will make you fall in love with France, Spain and Portugal. Second, Jaimes version of a similar walking tour. It is worth noting that you have a somewhat long train ride down to Granada, and to do it from Toledo youd actually have to go back to Madrid (even though Toledo is located towards Granada) and connect from there. Jaime picked out a few important pieces in each section, and we went deep on those rather than trying to see everything. Youre not going to be able to see even close to everything in two weeks. In any case, make sure you get a good nights sleep since day two will have you roaming around the city the entire next day! All, Read More One Day in Lisbon: How to See the Best of Lisbon in 24 HoursContinue. No matter which island you decide to visit, take day four to rest and relax. Follow it up with some Sangria and then youre free to go get some rest. Day 5: Madrid. Make sure to do the ground floor and upper floor of the cloister, and check out the gargoyles on the upper floor.. Learn how your comment data is processed. You could easily spend a full day here and not see everything. In this guide written by two gluten free foodies who spent a week eating their way through the Catalonian capital were going to give you our take on the best gluten free restaurants and bakeries in Barcelona. We enjoyed Madrid, and think two days in the city itself is a perfect amount of time to see the highlights and get a feel for the bustling capital. Let's be friends! Tickets can be expensive, so book as far in advance as you can. I know, it feels weird to go all that way and only see a couple of cities and their surrounding areas.. The Muslim Quarter of Granada sprawls up the hill, which used to be the home of the ruling familys palace before it was moved to the Alhambra under a new ruling family. We have an entire section on the Prado below, because we think its that important., Here are some things that you shouldnt miss while youre in Madrid.. Youll get to see the city at its best, when only a fraction of the days tourists are around, and youll have a little more time to go a level deeper and really appreciate the coming together of the three cultures in Toledo.. Putting the history aside, Seville is a lovely place to spend a few days. In fact, it will be easier to follow without a car, since I have a few local flights in mind. Just down the street from the two synagogues is a nice monastery whose main attraction and highlight is undoubtedly the multi-floor cloister in the middle. Between the amazing diversity of landscape in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, and some of the things to do in Moab outside of the national, Read More 4 Days in Moab, Utah: Planning An Incredible Moab ItineraryContinue, Seattle and San Francisco are the two cities in the world that we have, collectively, called home. Created by a user from United States. For more information on Granada, make sure to check out our guide to 2 days in Granada, which has everything you need to know to spend a couple of days in the city, including how to see the Alhambra.. We loved Moab, and think that its well worth spending four days exploring this adventure town, particularly as a part of a broader Utah National Parks road trip. Theres a small (former) mosque in the center of Toledo near Puerta del Sol that was built in 999 AD. Go see Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace of Madrid, Sabatini Gardens, the Temple of Debod, Plaza de Espaa, El Oso y el Madroo, and the San Miguel Market. Here's a map of our France road trip itinerary. When youre done with the initial tour of the city, you can head to one of the countless restaurants for drinks and some well-deserved carbs. You can get to Valencia from both Ibiza and Mallorca with a short flight, and Id recommend that over buses and ferries any time as it will save you at least 8-9 hours of travel. P.S. The famous artist had a massive impact on the surrealist movement during his time and remains one of its largest exponents to this day. Something else you could do on your first day in Madrid is tour Santiago Bernabu Stadium. We did this guided tour with Jose, and think its well worth it to have someone to help you get a deeper understanding of exactly what youre looking at, which would be a bit confusing on your own.. There are three markets in Barcelona that we liked (though we went to a couple of the more local markets that are found in each neighborhood and enjoyed those too). Or join a guided tour. Find the best 2 week tours to France, Italy and Spain with TourRadar. If youre not dealing with jetlag, lucky you! The museum inside has an archive of the Spanish Empire with quite a few sculptures, but there are very few explanations in English. You have a couple of options. We really enjoyed the Museu dHistoria Catalunya, a relatively small multi-floor museum in Barceloneta by the beach. Once youre in Spain, you should plan on using the efficient and affordable rail network to get between places. You'll be beck. Theyre all worth a quick visit if you have enough time. Please note that were assuming you arrive on the first day of this itinerary, probably sometime in the afternoon depending on where youre coming from. The way you get to the top is unique too. Thats it for exploration of Seville. Compared to Casa de Campo, El Retiro is nothing more than a tiny plot of land. After considering a bunch of tours, we picked this tour with Jaime, whose knowledge about Spanish and art history turned our experience from those are some cool paintings to a much deeper understanding of the pieces of art, including the context around them in terms of Spanish history, and the artists life.. The charming town is about an hour and a half outside Barcelona, and its easy to reach with trains and buses. Barcelona international airport is in the southwest part of the city, about a 20-minute drive from the Gothic Quarter. Where to Start and End Your Trip to Spain, Two Weeks in Spain: A Complete Guide to Planning a 14 Day Spain Itinerary, 7 Days in Spain: Two 7 Day Spain Itinerary Ideas, 10 Days in Spain: Two 10 Day Spain Itinerary Ideas, 4 Days in Moab, Utah: Planning An Incredible Moab Itinerary, How to Plan an Amazing Seattle to San Francisco Road Trip, 3 Days in Portland: How to Spend a Weekend in Portland, OR, Gluten Free Barcelona: A Complete Travel Guide for Celiacs, How to Plan a Perfect Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary, One Day in Lisbon: How to See the Best of Lisbon in 24 Hours. Malasaa is the hipster haven just north of Gran Va, the main artery running east to west through the heart of Madrid. Posted by jules m Twin Cities of MN 11/16/18 11:14 AM Plan at least two or three hours for these two museums if youre actually into the art, thats more like two-three hours per museum. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. And if youd like even more entertainment, every night is Flamenco night in Spain! Obviously, you have a little bit of flexibility in terms of which days you choose to do a day trip, how many days to spend in each place, and more. Created by a user from United States. Click here to see prices and timetables for the journey from Barcelona to Madrid on Omio. La Sagrada Familia is the most famous building designed by Gaudi, so lets start there. The second is the Sinagoga del Trnsito, which is very different far less ornate and has a small but mighty museum (the Sephardi Museum) on the history of Judaism on the Iberian Peninsula. While there are a bunch of fun, unique places to stay in Madrid (you can read all about them in our guide to the best places to stay in Madrid), two areas rise to the top for very different reasons. Its a church! More information here.. : If the link isnt there, it means were still working on it and the guide will be up shortly. Heres what that looks like in map form. Its also worth it to visit Castell dEivissa, Portal de ses Taules, and Museu Puget for a good mix of art, architecture, and history. Like most of the main art museums across Europe, we think the Prado is best experienced with a knowledgeable guide who knows something about art history. The impact of those centuries of a strong Muslim community are immediately evident as you walk the streets of Granada, particularly in the Albaicn, the Muslim Quarter. This 14-day tour takes you through the best Spain has to offer. Theyre just a few blocks apart from one another, on opposite sides of Passeig de Grcia. Good for you! Its technically no longer a synagogue after it was confiscated when the Jews were expelled in 1492. But both are more enjoyable and are more evenly split between tourists and locals going about their shopping.. Tickets sold out for your dates? This is your first trip to Europe. Take the high-speed AVE train from Barcelona-Sants to Girona, which takes just 40 minutes each way. The walking tour will also take you to see the City Hall, through the Santa Cruz neighborhood, to the Seville Cathedral, the Royal Tabacco Factory, Patio Banderas, and finally to Plaza de Espaa. Flemish art is imaginative, vibrant, and dark. But when you spend a long weekend in Portland, youll realize that the weirdness is all a part of the charm. Weve got plenty of other detailed guides for our favorite places in Spain from Barcelona, to Madrid and Andalusia that we wrote to help you plan an incredible trip. Another option is Parc Natural e lAlbufera, just south of the city. Best things to do in Barcelona, Ciutadella, Port d'Alcudia, Formentera, Porto-Vecchio, and Paris are: Basilica de la Sagrada Familia, Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, and Musee d'Orsay. But its not actually about the military, really. Youll get to see the stark differences between the Spanish capital city and its most famous city (the latter being Barcelona). The main sights the Alczar (whose name itself is a good example of the mixing of cultures) and the Seville Cathedral have elements from both the Islamic period and various Christian periods that came afterwards. The easiest way to reach the nature preserve is a taxi ride subway and buses will only get you so far, and youll still have to take a taxi to the park entrance. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The walking tour of Seville was a great way to get acquainted with the city. Also, local flights are a great alternative to trains a five-hour train journey is usually a 50-minute flight, and plane tickets are sometimes cheaper than train tickets. How much time do you have before your flight home? However, there is one place where it might be nice to rent a car and have a little more flexibility to explore at your own pace, and that place is Andalusia. There are a couple of themes in the Prado Museum, the main ones being the Spanish collection, featuring some of Spains most famous painters like Goya and Velasquez, the Italian collection, and the Flemish collection, which was our favorite. Granada is relatively compact, though wed recommend staying somewhere near Plaza Nueva, which will give you access to everything youll want to see within about 15 minutes on foot. Would be great to receive comments and suggestions to improve my itinerary - Reach paris 28 June late evening from london. Even the walk to the center from the train station is gorgeous you cross a bridge with the center of Toledo across the river from you, towering above you. There are entire rooms dedicated to the Flemish masters, and we would make sure to cover it on your visit. Other notable attractions in Crdoba are Plaza de la Corredera, Templo Romano, Plaza de las Tendillas, Palacio de Viana, Casa de Sefarad, Patios Cordobeses, and Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs. Wed recommend staying in one of the central neighborhoods that makes up the Casco Antiguo, Sevilles charming old town core. Madrid is the final city in this itinerary, and three days is enough time for some of the citys top sights. Tickets are available on their official website.. Tapas qualify as a must-do in Madrid, and theres a particular street in La Latina, a very fun neighborhood just south of the main center, that is famous for tapas bars. DAY: BORDEAUX Sightseeing In Bordeaux Bordeaux Walking Tour 2. Who is this itinerary for? We would actually skip the interior of the Toledo Cathedral, which, while spectacular, costs more than 12 Euros to enter, and even more if you want to go up into the belltower and cloister. Visit Barcelona, Valencia, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, and Paris. We loved this walking tour of the Albaicn, where we got to learn more about the history of the neighborhood. You can probably spend one less day in Barcelona, and take that day and use it somewhere else later in the itinerary.. Or maybe your time is shorter or longer than two weeks and youre trying to figure out how to make the most of your trip to Spain. If we returned, wed probably stay in the endlessly charming Albaicn, but its a little less convenient because its hard to access with a car, and its uphill if youre walking (which can be a problem if youre lugging bags). Prado houses Las Meninas, Christ Crucified, and Adam and Eve, to name just a few of the extraordinary paintings in the museum. Like we mentioned, Granada is more than the Alhambra, though we definitely think you should see the Alhambra while youre there. They also have two other properties in the city, one in Arenal (near the river) and one on the border of Santa Cruz.. First, the walking tour we did with Bradley, an American with a PHD in Spanish history, which covered the origins of Madrid and the evolution of the city over the centuries. Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are our recommended priorities: 3 days: Paris, maybe Versailles 6 days, add: Normandy 8 days, add: Loire The other two Santa Caterina and Barceloneta are within fifteen minutes on foot, and are smaller. The Cathedral, Alczar, and Archivo de Indias (the latter of which isnt really worth visiting) form a three-part complex that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.. You have a couple of options. The way we see it, the answer to this question has two possible paths you could go down. Catalan is spoken in the Catalonia region, and its recognized as an entirely separate language so not just a dialect. DAY: BORDEAUX HALF-DAY WINE TOUR 3. Visiting the Prado independently: If you want to visit on your own, you can find tickets on their official website. Bellver Castle is one of the first places to visit in the city the circular castle is situated on a wooded hilltop, offering phenomenal panoramic views of Palma. If youre in Mallorca, I would highly recommend heading to Drach Caves early in the day. In any case, day seven is a great chance to relax and recharge while enjoying Spains extraordinary nature. We plan on arriving in Paris and departing in Barcelona. Travel Journal If you want to keep a travel journal during your 2 week Europe trip but can't commit to a huge amount of writing each night, I can't recommend the One Line a Day Journal enough. Allow 2-3 weeks to make the most of each . You have to scan your long-distance train ticket at a special scanner ask an attendant how to do it if you cant figure it out. Inspirock Kurtis F. Canada "Great trip. Required fields are marked *. Days 1-3: Admire Modernista marvels in Barcelona The best way to get to Madrid is by train. After saving for years to spend a year traveling (and a few rocky years in 2020 and 2021), we found ourselves planning a three month trip to Europe, flying in and out of Lisbon. Im planning a trip to Spain next summer and have really enjoyed your blog! Glad you had such an amazing trip! Barcelona, Madrid, and Granada). When youve had enough of this oasis in the middle of a city, make your way back to the old town and go to Valencia Cathedral. Day 8: Seville. Thanks for the kind words hope your trip is amazing. The massive Gothic towers are a part of the city walls, and you can climb them for some beautiful panoramic views of the city. Youve seen Christianity, youve seen Judaism, now for the last of the three main monotheistic religions, Islam. First, the Alhambra is an impressive feat of architecture, and its well worth half a day exploring the former fort turned palace at the top of the hill. We would only recommend this path if you have another week in Spain so three weeks total. It was created to connect the two and modernize Barcelona, which is why it has wide boulevards with multiple lanes of traffic, and a grid layout (versus narrow, winding alleys). You really cant visit Spain without including Barcelona. With 10 days, you have a bit more time, but not quite enough to fit Barcelona, Madrid, and Andalusia all into your trip. Barcelona is one of the most famous cities in Europe, and its not really that hard to understand why when youre immersed in its charm. Museum, any temporary exhibitions, and panoramic views of the inside of the stadium. Wondering how to spend two weeks in Spain? To help you get started, we've listed our top picks for where to go in France, and our plan for your best three-week trip. If you opted to visit Ibiza instead of Mallorca, I wont leave you hanging! The reason? Start your trip in Madrid, Spains capital, and make your way south to Seville, the capital of Andalusia, over the course of seven days. Wed highly recommend spending an extra day to do a day trip to Toledo from Madrid, where youll see a city shaped by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures over the course of centuries. Both buildings are considered historical landmarks, and theyre exquisite on the outside and the inside. If youre up for the first path, here are some other places that would make a great addition to your itinerary, along with how much time to allocate to each place. For your itinerary, you need 3 weeks minimum, and even then this would be somewhat rushed, not the relaxing, leisurely trip you say you want. Our Spain Itinerary for your 14 days road trip starts in Barcelona and will end in Seville, in Southern Spain. Instead, wed recommend taking the time in the places you do visit to really get a feel for each place and go deeper on the unique histories and cultural quirks, which is what makes each place special. Go to The Mirador de San Nicols (here on Google Maps), which is more popular and full of people, or the nearby Mirador de la Vereda de Enmedio (here on Google Maps) which is where we ended up, and there were only a small handful of people around as the golden light washed over the Alhambra. When Is The Best Time For France, Spain And Portugal Road Trip? He writes super detailed guides to the places they visit, bringing together personal experience and historical context to help YOU plan an amazing trip. Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain and you get to spend a couple of days there! And lets not forget about Palacio de Velzquez another museum featuring exhibits on contemporary art. Its a masterpiece, and its well worth having the audio guide or a guided tour to enrich your experience and learn more about Gauds masterpiece, which is still in-progress (though is due to be completed in 2026, 100 years after his death). Obviously, there are a ton of other things to do, see, eat, and drink, but these were the highlights for us. Dont go to the museums or El Retiro Park thats what were doing the next day! There are even a few hills to climb in the park, and doing so will reward you with some beautiful views of Madrid. The highlight is climbing the bell tower, known as the Giralda, for a nice view over the city. The Alhambra was originally constructed as just one small fortress in 889 CE, and after that, it remained unchanged until the 13th century. The Museo del Prado is the premier attraction in Madrid, and it made its way onto our list of our favorite art museums in Europe.