Spain itinerary 10 days – how to plan your dream Spain vacation

One of Europe’s largest nations, getting around Spain can take some doing. The Spain itinerary we’ve created keeps travel to a minimum while still incorporating many of the country’s biggest attractions. So how should you get around?

Renting a car gives you the ultimate freedom of being able to be where you want when you want, though limits your chances for a lunchtime glass of rioja. Public transport, in particular, Spain’s high-speed trains, are generally excellent, though ticket prices don’t fare well when compared to low-cost airlines on the same routes.

It’s not difficult to find decent food in Spain, but you’ll have to be prepared for some late meals: lunch around 3 pm and evening meals at 10 pm are pretty much the norm. Once you’ve got your head (and stomach) around that, it’s nice to join the families and friends out long into the night.

Like everywhere, petty crime exists in Spain’s big cities. In crowds, be extra vigilant against pickpockets, and try to avoid looking too much like a tourist!

Finally, to avoid wasting time in queues, book tickets for major attractions, such as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia or Madrid’s Royal Palace ahead of time online.

It’s bombastic for sure, and unfairly compared to Barcelona to boot, but Madrid’s plethora of important sights makes it a great place to begin any trip to Spain. The Mr Hudson Madrid City Guide has the lowdown on the hottest hotels, things to see and do, and the top nightspots among much else, should you somehow become weary of the more obvious attractions of the Prado, boasting one of the finest art collections in Europe, the 2000 room Royal Palace, or the excellent shopping streets that can be found around the shady parasols of the café-bars in Plaza Mayor.

Just an hour south by air from Madrid, Seville is the provincial capital of Andalusia, birthplace of flamenco, tapas, and sixteenth-century court painter Velázquez, whose name you might have spotted in the Prado. Part of Islamic Spain for somewhere in the region of 500 years, there’s a wonderful cultural mix to the city even today, feeling somewhere between southern Europe and North Africa.

Whether intentionally, or in stumbling back to your hotel in the early hours of the morning, you’re sure to discover the blend of architecture styles that is the result. The ultra-modern Metropol Parasol rubs shoulders with the UNESCO-enshrined cathedral, for instance, where none other than the discoverer of the New World, Christopher Columbus, is buried. Our Seville City Guide has all the details.

Any Spain vacation itinerary should include some time on the country’s 1000 miles of Mediterranean coastline, with Valencia offering up and intriguing vision of how old and new can coexist. The homeland of paella is dotted with impressive pieces of contemporary art and architecture, between peaceful Romanesque plazas, wide fine sand beaches, and pleasant city centre parks, as you’ll find by reading Mr Hudson’s top 10 things to do in Valencia.

The pull of Barcelona, Spain’s second-biggest city, can be unstoppable but have no fear our Barcelona City Guide has all you need to know. Swirling with regional pride, the people of Barcelona know they’re onto a good thing, to the extent they can be rather dismissive of the rest of Spain. And who could blame them when they live in a city as diverse as it is, with an almost endless chain of museums, mind-bending Gaudi structures, and top-end restaurants all vying for your attention?