A mammoth journey around the biggest cities that Spain has to offer, this journey begins and ends in Madrid.

This suggested itinerary is for the whole of Spain, departing from Madrid. If you are looking for an itinerary for Madrid itself, check out: Five Days in Madrid: Suggested Itinerary

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.

This itinerary is self-guided. If you'd rather have everything arranged for you, see this list of Spain Tour Packages, with itineraries ranging from two to 81 days!

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 Socibus)
  • 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

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