Spain in Style — Self-Launched Barcelona to Madrid

Fly into Barcelona–El Prat (BCN), then take the Aerobús shuttle (€7.25, ~35 min) or the R2 Nord Rodalies train (€4.90) into the city centre instead of a private transfer. Check into a hostel or simple guesthouse in Gràcia, El Born or near Plaça Catalunya. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Gothic Quarter and El Born on foot, then do the 'welcome dinner' your own way: a tapas crawl of 3–4 bars (patatas bravas, pan con tomate, vermut) around Carrer del Blai or El Born — budget £18–25 with a couple of drinks. Buy a T-casual 10-ride metro card (€12.55) for the next day. Book your Sagrada Família and Alhambra tickets this evening if you haven't already.

🚌Aerobús or Rodalies train from BCN airport; metro/tram on arrival

🛏Hostel or pension in Gràcia / El Born / Plaça Catalunya (~£30–38 dorm or simple private double)

• →Gothic Quarter and El Born self-guided walk
• →Tapas crawl in El Born or Carrer del Blai

Morning: walk the Eixample 'Illa de la Discòrdia' to see La Pedrera (Casa Milà) and Casa Batlló from the street — go inside one only if you want (Casa Batlló ~€35, La Pedrera ~€28, book online for a small discount). Then to the Sagrada Família on a timed ticket booked in advance online (~€26 with audio guide); this is the single most important thing to reserve ahead. Afternoon: metro to Espanya and walk up Montjuïc past the Olympic Ring and Olympic Port viewpoints (or take the cable car). Finish with a 1-hour catamaran sail from Port Vell — book via GetYourGuide or the operators at the port (~€15–20, includes a drink and tapa), which replaces the tour's group catamaran. Evening free in Barceloneta or Gràcia.

🚌Metro (T-casual card); walking; optional Montjuïc cable car

🛏Same Barcelona hostel/pension

• →Sagrada Família timed entry (~£23)
• →La Pedrera & Casa Batlló exterior walk
• →Montjuïc Park and Olympic Ring
• →Port Vell catamaran sail (~£15)

Take an early Euromed or Intercity train from Barcelona Sants to Valencia Joaquín Sorolla (1h45–3h, book on renfe.com ahead for ~£18–30). To see Peñíscola (the beach and castle used in Game of Thrones and El Cid), it's easiest as a day trip from Valencia by bus or as a stop with a regional train + bus — or simply do it as a half-day excursion from Valencia on Day 4 if time is tight. Arrive in Valencia, check in, then explore the old town on foot: Plaza de la Virgen, the cathedral, the Central Market, and a horchata with fartons at a horchatería in the Alboraya area (~€3–5) — the affordable equivalent of the tour's tasting. Walk or cycle the Turia Gardens to see the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias from outside (the complex exterior is free; individual museums €8–12).

🚌Renfe Euromed/Intercity Barcelona–Valencia (~£18–30)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in El Carmen / Ciutat Vella, Valencia (~£25–32)

• →Valencia old town walk (Plaza de la Virgen, Central Market)
• →Horchata and fartons tasting (~£4)
• →Turia Gardens and Ciudad de las Artes exterior

Travel to Granada: the fastest route is the Renfe train via Madrid or a direct ALSA bus (~5–6h, £20–30); the bus from Valencia's Estació d'Autobusos is usually cheapest and most direct. Check into a guesthouse in the Albayzín or Realejo. Late afternoon: climb to Mirador de San Nicolás for the classic Alhambra-and-Sierra Nevada view (free). In the evening, skip the tour's 'flamenco masterclass' and instead book a genuine tablao show in a Sacromonte cave or a small venue — Casa Ana, Los Tarantos or a Sacromonte zambra (~€20–30 via GetYourGuide or direct) — followed by an inexpensive Andalusian dinner of free tapas with drinks in the Realejo (Granada is famous for free tapas with every drink, so dinner can cost £12–15).

🚌ALSA bus or Renfe train Valencia–Granada (~£20–30)

🛏Guesthouse in Albayzín or Realejo, Granada (~£28–35)

• →Mirador de San Nicolás sunset viewpoint
• →Sacromonte or Realejo flamenco show (~£20)
• →Free-tapas dinner in Realejo

Book your Alhambra ticket (general admission incl. Nasrid Palaces and Generalife, €19.09) weeks in advance at tickets.alhambra-patronato.es — morning slot. Spend 3–4 hours in the palaces and Generalife Gardens. Have lunch in Granada, then take an afternoon ALSA bus or Renfe train to Seville (~3h, £15–25). The route passes the olive groves and white villages of Jaén and Córdoba province — sit on the right for the scenery. Arrive Seville, check in around the Alameda or Triana. Dinner: a plate of jamón, salmorejo and a tinto de verano in a neighbourhood bar (~£15).

🚌ALSA bus or Renfe train Granada–Seville (~£15–25)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Alameda / Triana, Seville (~£28–34)

• →Alhambra and Generalife Gardens (~£17)
• →Olive-grove and white-village scenery en route

Morning: join a free (tip-based) walking tour of Seville's old town — a great way to cover the Santa Cruz quarter and the cathedral area with a local guide for a £5–10 tip. Buy a timed ticket to Seville Cathedral and the Giralda (€13 online; note occasional mass closures, so book the earliest slot). Optional: the Alcázar (€14.50, book ahead — the tour doesn't include it but it's the city's highlight). Afternoon: wander Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España (both free), then cross to Triana for ceramics and a riverside drink. Evening: flamenco at the Museo del Baile Flamenco or a Triana bar, or just tapas-hop along Calle Betis.

🚌Walking; occasional tram or bus

🛏Same Seville hostel/guesthouse

• →Free walking tour of Santa Cruz (~£8 tip)
• →Seville Cathedral & Giralda entry (~£11)
• →Maria Luisa Park and Plaza de España
• →Triana riverside evening

Take an early Renfe Avant or Media Distancia train Seville–Córdoba (45 min, ~£12–15), leave your bag in a station locker, and spend the morning at the Mezquita-Catedral (~€13, or free entry 8:30–9:30am daily — arrive early and queue) and the Judería (Jewish Quarter), which you can explore on foot or with a short local walking tour (~€10–15 via GetYourGuide). Lunch properly in Córdoba — salmorejo and flamenquín — rather than at a motorway services. Afternoon: AVE train Córdoba–Madrid Atocha (1h45, ~£30–45 if booked ahead) through the La Mancha plains and Don Quixote windmills country. Check into a hostel in Malasaña or La Latina, then evening explore the tapas bars of La Latina.

🚌Renfe Avant Seville–Córdoba (~£14) + AVE Córdoba–Madrid (~£35)

🛏Hostel or pension in Malasaña / La Latina, Madrid (~£28–35)

• →Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba (~£11)
• →Judería / Jewish Quarter walk
• →La Latina tapas evening

Morning: join a free walking tour of Habsburg Madrid covering Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, the Royal Palace exterior and Barrio de la Morería. Optional Royal Palace entry (~€13 online). Continue up Gran Vía to Cibeles, Neptuno and Puerta de Alcalá, through the Salamanca district, and past the Santiago Bernabéu (stadium tour ~€28 if you're a football fan — optional). Mid-afternoon: chocolate con churros at a classic churrería such as Chocolatería San Ginés (~€5). Evening: a farewell dinner of regional favourites — cocido madrileño or a ración of jamón and vermut in La Latina or Malasaña (~£20–25).

🚌Walking; metro for longer hops

🛏Same Madrid hostel/pension

• →Habsburg Madrid free walking tour (~£8 tip)
• →Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace exterior
• →Gran Vía, Cibeles, Puerta de Alcalá
• →Chocolate con churros at San Ginés (~£5)

Breakfast at a café, then head to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD) on the Cercanías C1 train (€2.60) or Metro Line 8 (~€5 with airport supplement) — about 30–45 minutes. If your flight is later, use the morning for the Prado (free 6–8pm the previous evening, or €15) or the Retiro Park.

🚌Cercanías C1 or Metro Line 8 to Madrid–Barajas

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Prado Museum or Retiro Park if time allows