Self-Launched Andalucia & Valencia: Barcelona to Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada & Valencia by Train
6 days · Spain
VPT Tours charges £675
No-markup version: ~£483 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched rail-and-bus version of VPT Tours' 6-day Andalucia & Valencia coach circuit, built for solo travellers who'd rather move at their own pace. You'll cover the same big-hitters — Madrid, Cordoba's Mezquita, Sevilla's Plaza de España and Santa Cruz, Granada's Alhambra and Generalife, and Valencia — but using Spain's excellent high-speed AVE and regional trains, hostel/budget-guesthouse beds instead of 4* coaches-tour hotels, and self-booked local guides and skip-the-line tickets. The trade-off: you carry your own bag and plan your own transfers; the upside: roughly half the price, extra hours in Cordoba and Madrid (the two most common complaints in the original reviews), and the freedom to add a flamenco night or a Sacromonte sunset without waiting for a bus group. All costs are approximate per person in GBP and assume shared dorm or budget private rooms, supermarket/bar food and advance-booked rail tickets.
Day-by-day
Barcelona → Madrid by AVE
Madrid
Skip the 07:45 coach pickup and take the AVE high-speed train from Barcelona Sants to Madrid Puerta de Atocha (approx. 2h30, book 3–6 weeks ahead on Renfe for £25–45; Ouigo/Iryo often £15–25). Arrive by early afternoon, drop your bag at a hostel in La Latina or Malasaña, then do your own orientation walk: Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace exterior, and sunset from the Templo de Debod or the rooftop bar at Círculo de Bellas Artes (€5). Evening: tapeo in La Latina — a vermouth and a couple of pinchos, £12–15. This fixes the biggest gripe in the original tour reviews: arriving in Madrid after dark and leaving before sunrise.
🚌AVE/Ouigo Barcelona Sants → Madrid Atocha, ~2h30, £15–45; metro singles €1.50–2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in La Latina/Malasaña (£25–35)
- →Self-guided old-town walk (Sol, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace)
- →Templo de Debod sunset viewpoint
- →Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop (€5)
- →La Latina tapas crawl
Madrid → Cordoba (Mezquita & Judería) → Sevilla
Cordoba / Sevilla
Early AVE from Madrid to Cordoba (approx. 1h45, £20–35 booked ahead). Leave your bag in a station locker (€3–5) and spend a proper 3–4 hours in Cordoba — more than the coach tour allows. Pre-book a skip-the-line Mezquita-Catedral ticket online (€13, or €18 with the bell tower) or join a GetYourGuide small-group guided entry (~£20–25) if you want the history explained. Wander the Judería lanes, the Roman Bridge and the Alcázar gardens if time allows, then a lunch of salmorejo and flamenquín (£10). Late afternoon regional/Ave train to Sevilla Santa Justa (approx. 45min, £10–18). Check into a hostel in the Macarena or Alameda district and eat dinner out (£12–15) rather than at a set hotel buffet.
🚌AVE Madrid → Cordoba ~1h45 £20–35; Cordoba → Sevilla regional/Ave ~45min £10–18; station locker €3–5
🛏Hostel or budget hostal in Sevilla Macarena/Alameda (£22–32)
- →Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba (pre-booked ticket €13 or guided entry ~£22)
- →Cordoba Judería & Roman Bridge walk
- →Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos gardens (€5, optional)
Sevilla: Plaza de España, Santa Cruz & flamenco
Sevilla
Self-guided morning through María Luisa Park, the Plaza de España (free) and the Santa Cruz barrio lanes, with the Cathedral and Giralda viewed from outside (climb the Giralda ~€12 if you want the view). Join a free/pay-what-you-want city walking tour (tip £5–10) or a GetYourGuide Alcázar + Cathedral combo if you'd like interiors. Afternoon options: row a boat in Plaza de España, rent a bike along the Guadalquivir (£8/2h) for views of the Torre del Oro, or cross to Triana for ceramics and market lunch (£10). Evening: a proper flamenco show — Casa de la Memoria (€22–25) or La Casa del Flamenco (€20–25), booked direct online; the coach tour charges extra for this anyway. Late dinner of tapas in Alameda de Hércules (£14).
🚌All on foot / city bus €1.40; optional bike hire £8
🛏Hostel or budget hostal in Sevilla (£22–32)
- →María Luisa Park & Plaza de España (free)
- →Santa Cruz neighbourhood walk
- →Free walking tour (tip £5–10)
- →Flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria (~£20)
- →Optional Giralda climb ~£10
Sevilla → Granada: Alhambra & Generalife
Granada
Morning bus or train to Granada — ALSA/Movelia coach from Sevilla Plaza de Armas takes about 3h and costs £12–18; the train is slower and less frequent. Book your Alhambra ticket the moment dates open (they sell out weeks ahead) — general admission €19.09, or a GetYourGuide guided Alhambra + Nasrid Palaces entry ~£35–45 with a local historian. Choose a late-afternoon Nasrid Palaces slot so you arrive without rushing: palaces, Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba in 3–4 hours. Stay in the Albaicín or Realejo in a guesthouse (£22–32), catch sunset from Mirador de San Nicolás, and if you want the Sacromonte experience book a cueva flamenco show direct (€20–28) — usually better value than the tour's optional add-on.
🚌ALSA/Movelia coach Sevilla → Granada ~3h, £12–18; city bus to Alhambra €1.40
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Albaicín or Realejo (£22–32)
- →Alhambra & Nasrid Palaces (€19 self-booked / ~£40 guided)
- →Generalife gardens
- →Mirador de San Nicolás sunset
- →Optional Sacromonte cave flamenco (€20–28)
Granada → Valencia (long travel day)
Valencia
This is the tour's big transit day and it's long however you do it. Best-value route: ALSA/Movelia coach Granada → Valencia via Murcia or Albacete, roughly 6–7h for £25–35; alternatively bus to Málaga/Antequera and AVE up the coast (faster but £45–70). Leave early (07:00–08:00 departure) to arrive mid-afternoon. Check into a hostel in El Carmen or Ruzafa (£20–30) and use the evening properly — unlike the coach tour, you're not dropped at a hotel on the ring road. Walk the old town: Plaza de la Virgen, the Cathedral, the Central Market (Mercado Central) for a late lunch of horchata and fartons, and the Turia Gardens converted riverbed at sunset. Dinner in Ruzafa (£12–15).
🚌ALSA/Movelia coach Granada → Valencia ~6–7h, £25–35 (or bus + AVE via Málaga £45–70)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in El Carmen/Ruzafa, Valencia (£20–30)
- →Valencia old town walk (Plaza de la Virgen, Cathedral exterior)
- →Mercado Central
- →Turia Gardens sunset walk
Valencia → Barcelona
Valencia / Barcelona
Morning free for the City of Arts and Sciences (free to walk the exterior; Oceanogràfic ~€35 or Hemisfèric ~€8 if you want interiors) or a beach hour at Malvarrosa. Then take the Euromed/Intercity or Ouigo/Iryo train Valencia → Barcelona Sants in about 3h for £20–35 (book ahead; Ouigo can be under £15). You'll land in central Barcelona around 17:00–18:00, matching the tour's finish — but with the option to build in extra Barcelona days before or after, as the reviews recommend. Grab a final vermut and a plate of patatas bravas in Gràcia or El Born (£10).
🚌Ouigo/Iryo/Euromed Valencia → Barcelona ~3h, £15–35
🛏Not included — add a night in Barcelona (£28–40) if needed
- →City of Arts and Sciences exterior / optional Oceanogràfic
- →Malvarrosa beach walk
- →Final vermut in Gràcia or El Born
Self-launched vs. VPT Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | VPT Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£483 | £675 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £192 per person (28%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more VPT Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£483
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Andalucia & Valencia: Barcelona to Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada & Valencia by Train cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £483 per person for 6 days in Spain. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with VPT Tours?+
Yes — VPT Tours charges around £675 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £483 — a saving of roughly £192 (28%) per person.
How long is the Spain trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Spain.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, budget trip through Spain, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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