Seville Tourist Guide

Overview:

Seville is one of Spain's premier cities, with its famous Cathedral and Giralda tower, the Alcazar, and the Plaza de España. It is also the home of bullfighting, and flamenco.

There is an airport in Seville, as well as in nearby Granada and Jerez. Madrid is only two-and-a-half hours away by AVE train.
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Best Time to Visit Seville:

Without a doubt, it has to be Easter time (Semana Santa). Stick around for the April fair, immediately after Easter. Book your accommodation well in advance, though, as things get fully booked very quickly. Also think about transport - moving on from Seville straight after the festivities is inviting trouble.

Number of Days to Spend in Seville (excluding day trips) :

Three or Four, but it would be easy to spend longer here.

Hotels in Seville:

For Hotels in Seville, check out the following links:

• Hotels in Seville with Venere
• Hotels in Seville with Travelocity

If you're after a budget-priced bed in a dorm, try Hostelworld.

Five Things to Do in Seville:

• The Giralda tower, one of the last remnants of the Moorish influence on Seville.
• See a flamenco show.
• Plaza de España - an attractive plaza near the city center. A scene from Star Wars Episode II was filmed here.
• Watch a bullfight - for a calendar of events, see here. For an idea of what to expect, see my bullfighting picture gallery. (Warning: graphic images)
• Get lost in the Barrio Santa Cruz, stopping for tapas as you try to find your way out.

Day Trips from Seville:

Vejer de la Frontera, Ronda, Carmona, Osuna, Ecija, Santiponce, the Sierra Morena, Utrera

Where to Next?:

Explore the rest of Andalucia - Cadiz, Cordoba and Granada are the best, with Huelva and Malaga worth a look once you've seen the rest.

Distance to Seville :

From Barcelona 1,054km - 12h20m by car; 16h by bus; 1h25m by plane; 8h30 by train (direct - a quicker route may be possible by changing to the AVE in Madrid, but connection times may vary) Read more on Barcelona

From Madrid 536km - 5h30 by car, 6h by bus, 2h30m by train* 1h by plane

*The Madrid-Seville train route is served by the AVE, Spain’s luxury high-speed train.
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Car Hire in Seville:

easyCar, from the people that brought you easyJet, offer car hire throughout Spain and their prices are pretty competitive. Hire a car with easyCar.

Before you book, compare their prices to the other big rental companies on Travelocity.

First Impressions:

Upon arrival, take a taxi to Plaza Nueva, one of the central squares in Seville. With the city council building in front of you, the shopping street of c/ Velázquez Tetuán is in the top-left corner of the square, the bullring is a ten minute walk from the bottom-right corner and what will be the main focus of your time here a short walk from the top-right corner along Avenida de la Constitución - namely, the Cathedral, Giralda and the Alcazar.

Walk around the council building and you will come to Plaza del Salvador. On your left is c/ Sierpes, another popular shopping street. On your right is a small street lined with stores selling touristy t-shirts and flamenco dresses. Follow this road down to to the cathedral. Walk around to the left and you will see the Giralda - the Moorish (Islamic) tower attached to the (Christian) cathedral. Further along is the Alcázar palace, complete with exquisite gardens. To the left is the Barrio Santa Cruz, with its narrow streets and great tapas bars. To reach the Plaza de España, you have to get around the Alcázar - it is then a five minute walk to your right. Alternatively, head right at the Alcázar to Puerta de Jerez and then the San Telmo bridge, which crosses the Guadalquivir river. Once you have crossed the river, you'll find c/Betis along the river front - a lively street full of bars and restaurants. Behind c/Betis is Triana, the former-gipsy community with its many flamenco bars.