Who this itinerary would appeal to
There are no cities in Spain more famous than these five, so this itinerary is for those who want to see the highlights of Spain and little else, perhaps because they know they are never coming back to Spain.
This suggested itinerary is perfect for people on an Inter Rail or Eurail ticket on a longer itinerary around Europe, as the train is a lot faster than the bus, but a huge amount more expensive. You will therefore get a lot more out of your ticket.
For more on travel from Barcelona, see Barcelona Transport - Arriving & Departing from Barcelona.
Budget
For details on how much money you need in Spain, see this article on How Much Money You Need in Spain.
- Cities Visited on This Itinerary:
- Total Travel Time:
- By Bus 31h (121€)
- By Train 22h15 (221€)
- Longest Journey Time:
- By Bus Granada to Valencia - 10h
- By Train Granada to Valencia - 7h30
Travel Details:
Below are the times and prices for traveling by bus and train. All train tickets can be booked through Renfe, Spain's national train company, although it is usually easier to book in person at the train station (they always manage to add on funny surcharges when you come to pick up a pre-paid ticket).
Buses are typically half the price of the train, with journey times approximately 30% longer. The difference between bus and train times and costs is more apparent on this route than on other suggested itineraries. The bus is certainly much better value than the train, but it can be quite difficult to book. The Spanish bus network is split up into a number of different companies - I have indicated below which bus company to book with. For most bus timetables (but, frustratingly, not all), see Movelia. Movelia allow you to print your tickets, which saves time as you can go straight to the bus with your print out, but as Movelia has not yet integrated all bus companies into its network, this service cannot be relied upon.
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- By Bus: 7h45m (25€ with ALSA)
- By Train: 5h (63€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Madrid
- Seville
- By Bus: 6h (17.50€ with Socibus)
- By Train: 2h30 (63€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Seville
- Granada
- By Bus: 3h30 (17.50€ with Alsina Graells - book through Movelia.es)
- By Train: 2h45 (20€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Granada - Valencia
- By Bus: 9h (38€ with ALSA)
- By Train: 8h (43€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Valencia
- Barcelona
- By Bus: 4h45 (23€ with ALSA)
- By Train: 4h (32€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Variations: If the trip from Granada to Valencia is too long for you, you can go to Alicante instead, although it is a less spectacular city. It would also be a longer journey on to Barcelona.
For more on travel from Barcelona, see Barcelona Transport - Arriving & Departing from Barcelona
