Spain – tailor-made travel plan

Madrid, Seville, Córdoba

Where did the idea for the February trip come from?

The idea for this trip was born by accident. We did not plan to go to Spain in February, but an opportunity “pushed” us towards this place. We planned a short vacation at the time, but had no specific idea where to go.

Because of my frequent business trips, one of my meetings will be in Porto (Portugal) at the end of February. My meetings took place during the week, so I had the opportunity to extend my stay for a weekend or the entire following week. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and convince my husband to join me there. However, we were in Porto together two years earlier, and we realised we didn’t want to return to the same place so soon. Although I consider Porto an extraordinary place, with beautiful views, an amazing old town, and delicious wine, we were hungry to see somewhere new.

Looking at a map of southern Europe and checking airfare from Warsaw, I came up with the idea of spending a few days in Spain. Once I convinced my husband to take a one-week holiday, I started planning our trip.

Although Spain is a great place to visit year-round, late February was going to be cold and rainy. We dreamed of basking in the sun and having a nice time outside—close to nature—and that’s how the idea for Andalusia came about.

Spain – ideas for our trip

On the first evening of our trip, we decided to meet my husband in Madrid. I was supposed to fly there directly from Porto, and my husband from Warsaw. This was a new experience for both of us, as we have always travelled together. This time, we agreed to have a “date” in Madrid. Air connections from Porto and Warsaw were the most convenient for dates and travel time, and attractive in terms of price.

Of course, as often before, we had some “additional” attractions in this part of the trip. Unfortunately, my evening flight from Porto to Madrid was delayed by “only” 4.5 hours. It was not a pleasant experience, but now I know how to apply for compensation for this type of delay. My blog has a separate post about this topic: delayed flight journey.

Madrid

We spent only two days in Madrid, mainly because of the nasty weather and the freezing north wind. We visited the city primarily from the deck of a tourist bus or under an umbrella. We took only a few pictures, as our cameras were exposed to rain. Still, we saw the city and its architecture and felt Madrid’s heartbeat as we strolled along Gran Vía and Fuencarral.

Seville and Cordoba

We took a direct train from Madrid to Seville, where we spent 4 days. In Seville, wonderful sunshine and spring weather were waiting for us. It was worth spending the rest of our time in Spain.

During our stay in Seville, we saw all the central city’s attractions and covered most of the distance on foot. One day, we went to Cordoba. Direct trains run from Seville (about 1 hour), so the trip is straightforward and comfortable. A visit to Cordoba is also an extraordinary adventure, so I will write a separate post about this place on my blog.

Below, I would like to present my tailor-made travel plan.

Spain –  tailor-made travel plan

Day 1 – Spain: beginning

My husband left for Madrid early in the morning (a flight from Warsaw with a stopover in Munich). I started my trip from Porto to Madrid late in the afternoon, after all my business meetings. On this day, we agreed to meet in Madrid around 9:30 PM. Because my husband’s flight was earlier than mine, we agreed that he would pick me up at the city centre shuttle bus stop, not far from our hotel.

Unfortunately, this part of the plan didn’t happen because of a terrible delay on my flight. Instead of landing in Madrid at 9.00 pm, I arrived there at 1.30 am. My husband was already asleep at the hotel, and no shuttle bus at the airport could take me to the city. At the airport, in the middle of the night, there were no taxis because no regular arrivals were scheduled then. Fortunately, I had the MyTaxi app on my phone, which let me order a cab. The night trip from the airport to the hotel on Gran Via Street cost 35 euros.

Day 2 – Madrid

The second day brought rain, low temperatures, and strong winds. We started the day by buying two umbrellas and Hop-on Hop-off bus tickets. We spent the whole day on the bus trip. We got off the bus several times, mostly to visit cafeterias and warm up with a mug of coffee or tea.

Day 3 – Madrid

That day, it did not rain, and a few rays of sun even came out, so umbrellas were no longer needed. We decided to spend this day near the Royal Castle and the city gardens. In the afternoon, we only had a short walk around the city because the weather changed and it was very cold again.

Day 4 – Madrid – Seville

This was the day of our train journey from Madrid to Seville. Because I bought train tickets online earlier, we already knew which train we would board. In anticipation of our arrival, we visited a beautiful railway station—Atocha. Travel time from Madrid to Seville: 2 hours and 40 minutes. We arrived in Seville in the afternoon. That day, we strolled through the old town streets and along the Guadalquivir River.

Day 5 – Seville

We started the day by visiting the Metropol Parasol. After that, we went to Pilate’s House, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. We went to Alcazar Castle and the beautiful Royal Gardens. It is worth planning a full-day trip and visiting all those places without rushing.

Day 6 – Seville

Link to my post dedicated to Seville attractions

That day, we visited the Bullfight Museum and the nearby Golden Tower. We saw the San Telmo Palace and went towards Plaza de España. We spent the rest of the day there, admiring all the buildings erected around it. All of them were built for the Ibero-American exhibition, organised in Seville in 1929. The exhibition featured newties in Spanish industry and craft. The entire area is adjacent to Seville’s largest green space, Maria Luisa Park. That day, we walked over 20 km. We were too tired to take a taxi back to our hotel (about 6 euros).

Day 7 – Cordoba

Link to my post dedicated to Cordoba attractions

We spent the day in Cordoba. We booked train tickets in advance, so we knew which train we wanted to take. Travel time is about one hour. In Córdoba, we visited the most important sights for a one-day trip. We visited the historical district of Judería (the old Jewish quarter). We also visited a beautiful church (a former mosque)—La Mezquita—which is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

We visited the Castle of the Christian Kings (Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos) and its beautiful castle gardens. Afterwards, we crossed the historic stone Roman Bridge to the other side of the river.

In the evening, we returned to Seville, but to our surprise, our train did not arrive. We spent over an hour at the train station waiting for the next train and rebooking our tickets. Fortunately, everything went well in the end. We returned to the hotel an hour later than we planned.

Day 8 – Seville

It was our last day in Seville. Because the weather was beautiful, we spent the day resting and walking around the city. That day, we walked across the river and visited the Triana district. There is the Castle Museum of Saint George and a Food Market. Beautiful views of the Old Town and the Golden Tower are from this riverside. Also worth seeing are the Cathedral and the Giralda Tower. It is a lovely place to rest and relax. In the evening, we visited Metropol Parasol again, which, after dark, draws attention with its colourful illuminations.

Day 9 – Spain: Return home

Return home. That day, we had to take the train back to Madrid from Seville. (2 hours 40 minutes). At the Atocha station, we caught the airport shuttle bus (5 euros). After about 30-40 minutes, we were at the airport in Madrid.

A return flight to Warsaw with one stopover in Frankfurt. Fortunately, the whole trip went smoothly, with no delays or surprises.

Spain: useful links:

• Rail Europa – You can book and buy train tickets valid across the whole of Spain
• Express Shuttle Bus Timetable – Madrid Airport Bus
• Airport Express – shuttle bus timetable from the airport in Madrid
• Turismo Madrid – official tourism website about the city of Madrid
• Sevilla – Seville tourism website
• Cordoba – Cordoba official website

If you are interested in seeing other places in Spain, please check the offers below:

• Toledo and Segovia from Madrid*
• Segovia, Ávila, and Toledo Day Tour from Madrid*
• Salamanca Private Tour with Ham Warehouse from Madrid*
• Madrid City Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour*
• Day tour to the Caminito del Rey from Malaga*

Spain, my other posts

I encourage you as well to read my other posts about Spain:

• Cordoba – an enchanting blend of three cultures
• Malaga in 3 Days: tailor-made travel plan
• Malaga Practical Travel Guide
• Sevilla – the capital of Andalusia
• Spain photos
• Visit Barcelona – tailor-made travel plan

*Klook links are affiliates