Seven days in Spain means choosing. You can't see everything. You can feel three cities deeply — enough to understand each one, enough to know which one you'll return to first. This route works because it follows Spain's best rail corridor: Madrid south to Seville, then northeast to Barcelona. Olive groves, sunflower fields, red earth, then the Mediterranean. All through the window.
Days 1–2: Madrid.
Land, breathe, don't rush. Walk the Prado slowly — you won't see everything, and that's the point. Sit in the Retiro with a café con leche while the rowboats creak on the pond. Madrid rewards the unhurried. In the evening, La Latina for tapas — the streets fill after 9pm and you follow the noise. Stay near Atocha station if you're catching an early train to Seville. Book the Prado online to skip the queue, but same-week is fine. Madrid in depth →
Days 3–4: Seville.
The morning AVE south takes you through two and a half hours of changing landscape — olive groves giving way to sunflower fields, then the sudden red earth of Andalusia. By afternoon you're in Santa Cruz, where streets narrow to shoulder-width and orange trees line every plaza. Book the Alcázar before you arrive — official tickets sell out days ahead. The cathedral is worth the climb. Dinner at nine in Triana, across the river. The light in Seville at golden hour is different — warmer, slower, worth watching from a plaza bench. Andalusia in depth →
Days 5–7: Barcelona.
The train from Seville to Barcelona is long — five and a half hours. Some travelers fly this leg instead. Compare door-to-door time: the train takes you city center to city center, the flight adds airport transfers on both ends. Either way, you arrive in Barcelona with three nights ahead. Sagrada Família in morning light — book tower access three to five days ahead for weekends. The Gothic Quarter on foot, no plan needed. One flexible day: the beach at Barceloneta, the Montjuïc gardens, or just sitting in Gràcia with a vermut. Park Güell books up — reserve a day or two ahead. Catalonia in depth →
Should you add Granada?
Only if the Alhambra is the reason you're coming to Spain. If it is, drop either Seville or reduce Barcelona to two nights. The Alhambra deserves more than a rushed afternoon — if you can't give it a full day, save Granada for your second trip. Check Alhambra availability →
What to lock in before you go.
Train tickets: Madrid–Seville and Seville–Barcelona on the AVE. Book one to two weeks ahead — prices rise close to departure, and good departure times sell out. Compare across Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo at Trainline or book directly at Renfe. Hotels near stations save time on two-night stays — Atocha in Madrid, Santa Justa in Seville, Sants or Eixample in Barcelona. Sagrada Família and Alcázar tickets before you fly. An eSIM for non-EU travelers — fewer arrival-day problems.
What can wait: tapas bars, backup museums, beach days, weather-dependent plans, metro tickets. Spain runs on long meals, heat breaks, and evenings that start at 10pm. Leave room. Full Spain by train guide → · Advance booking guide →
Spain This Week
What changed, what to book, what to avoid — every Monday, based on current conditions.