Who This Itinerary Would Appeal to
For those who have the time and the desire to see the full variety of locations that Spain has to offer. There is enough time to take some Day Trips from the bigger cities along the way.
Budget
For details on how much money you need in Spain, see this article on How Much Money You Need in Spain
Journey Summary
- Cities Visited
- Day 1-3: Madrid
- Day 4-6: Seville
- Day 7: (Cordoba)
- Day 8-10: Granada
- Day 11-12: Valencia
- Day 13-17: Barcelona
- Day 18-20: Bilbao
- Day 21-22: Leon
- Day 23-24: (Santiago de Compostela)
- Day 25-26: Salamanca
- Day 27: Madrid
*Cities in parentheses can be omitted from your itinerary if necessary. Click on the links for details on what to do in each city.
- Total Travel Time:
- By Bus 50h* (Total Price: 224.50€*)
- By Train 46.25h* (Total Price: 301.50€*)
*It is not possible to do your entire journey solely by train or bus. Where necessary, the relevant bus or train time and price have been added to the total.
- Longest Journey Time:
- By Bus Granada - Valencia (8h).
- By Train Granada - Valencia (9h).
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 bus is 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. Again, it is possible to book online but I recommend booking in person at the bus station. For bus timetables, see Movelia.
- Madrid - Cordoba
- By Bus: 4h45 (13.50€ with Secorbus)
- By Train: 1h45 (52€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Cordoba - Seville
- By Bus: 1h45 (9.50€ with Alsina Graells)
- By Train: 45m (22€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Seville
- Granada
- By Bus: 3h30 (18€ with Alsina Graells)
- By Train: 3h (20€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Granada - Valencia
- By Bus: 8h (38€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 9h (43€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Valencia - Barcelona
- By Bus: 5h30 (23€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 3h (37€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Barcelona - Bilbao
- By Bus: 7h15 (38€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 9h (38€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Bilbao - Leon
- By Bus: 5h (22€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 5h (25€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Leon - Santiago
- By Bus: 5h30 (25€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 6h (27€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Santiago - Salamanca
- By Bus: 6h15 (22€ with Dainco)
- By Train: No train
- Salamanca - Madrid
- By Bus: 2h30 (16€ with Auto Res)
- By Train: 2h30 (15.50€) Book this ticket (book direct)
Notes & Variations:
- Leon is quite close to Salamanca, so you may want to go straight there and miss out Santiago.
- If you plan on visiting Cordoba, don't be tempted to go straight to Seville from Madrid and then take in Cordoba on the way to Granada - it is much quicker the way I have outlined in this itinerary.
For more on travel from Madrid, see Madrid Transport - Arriving & Departing from Madrid
