I recommend the route from Madrid to Seville , one of Fodor s 25 Places to Go in 2013 , over the dri

How we use your email Fodor's may use your e-mail address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy .
We here at Fodor s Travel are proud to introduce a new biweekly advice column: Ask Fodor s. Twice a month, we ll be calling upon our editors and expert contributors to tackle burning travel-related questions from readers like you. Our inagural column features a question submitted by reader Reginald Dye via Facebook:
As with most countries in Europe , a car can be more of a hindrance than a help in Spain . I recommend forgoing the rental car and taking the excellent high-speed AVE train between these cities. The trip from Madrid to Seville or Madrid to Barcelona only takes two and a half hours, and tickets cruise small ship to alaska start at 52 and 40, respectively. Book train travel as early as possible; prices increase cruise small ship to alaska the closer you get to your travel cruise small ship to alaska date. Be sure to choose the AVE instead of the slower rail lines, which can take over five hours. (See our Spain Travel Tips for more information.) Taking the train, even with multiple companions, may be the less expensive option, given rental car fees plus expensive gas prices. It is decidedly less stressful to take the train and a great opportunity to watch the scenery go by in comfort.
If you are committed to driving, cruise small ship to alaska use public transportation within Madrid cruise small ship to alaska and rent a car at the end of your city stay. Sightseeing with a car in Madrid can be a headache it s hard to find parking spaces and there are often traffic cruise small ship to alaska snarls. There s also no need for a car in Madrid, given the excellent Metro system. Rental car agencies in the city center will be cheaper than airport rental counters; if you re traveling in the summer, make sure your car has air conditioning, which is not a standard amenity. Be sure to visit the world-famous cruise small ship to alaska Prado museum and the Palacio cruise small ship to alaska Real before you head out of town.
I recommend the route from Madrid to Seville , one of Fodor s 25 Places to Go in 2013 , over the drive to Barcelona . It is shorter, at five vs. six hours, and quite scenic once you enter Andalusia , with some notable stops in Extremadura along the way. Split up the drive over two days and spend a night in a smaller city. Depending on your route, you could spend a night in M rida , where having a car would allow you to visit the Roman ruins , or stop in C ceres , and stroll through the Ciudad Monumental (Old Town), an exquisitely preserved medieval quarter. In C ceres, you can spend the night in the Palacio de Oquendo ,a 16th-century palace, with all the modern comforts of the NH brand. A third option: Stop in C rdoba , a top destination in its own right, to see the beautiful Islamic Mezquita cruise small ship to alaska , or detour east to Granada to visit the unparalleled Alhambra . Once you arrive in Seville , park your car at your hotel and continue exploring by foot, bus, or taxi to see the Alc zar , Cathedral , and Palacio de la Condesa de Lebrija , or attend a requisite flamenco show. From Seville, a car is handy to see some of the white villages nearby, like Grazalema and Ronda . Salwa Jabado , Senior Editor, Countryside and Adventure (Follow her on Twitter: @salwajabado .)
Fodor's Top News Features 10 Best U.S. Road Trips to Take this Summer 10 Books to Read on Your Summer Vacation 15 Amazing University Campuses Worth Visiting 10 Best Stargazing Sites in the U.S. 10 Best Views in Paris Fodor's Approved: Best Checked Luggage for 2014 10 Under-the-Radar Summer Getaways 10 Best Bike Vacations in the US