The Best of Spain: Self-Launched Madrid to Barcelona
9 days · Spain
Globus charges £2,280
No-markup version: ~£595 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, 9-day run through Spain's greatest hits — Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Valencia and Barcelona — using Spain's excellent high-speed rail network instead of a tour coach. You'll see the Prado and the Prado-side boulevards, the Mezquita, Seville's Alcazar and Santa Cruz, the Alhambra, real Valencian paella by the beach, and the Sagrada Familia, all booked yourself via Renfe trains, hostels and GetYourGuide tickets for a fraction of the guided tour price. Best suited to solo travellers who like trains, tapas and city-hopping at their own pace.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Madrid
Madrid
Land at Adra Barajas (MAD) and take the Metro Line 8 or the 24-hr Airport Express bus (€5) into the centre. Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse around Sol, La Latina or Malasana — the tapas zone. Spend the evening wandering Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the Mercado de San Miguel for a cheap grazing dinner of jamon, olives and vermut.
🚌Airport Metro Line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, then Line 10/1 (~£5) or Express bus (€5)
🛏Hostel or budget pension around Sol/La Latina (dorm £20-28, private £45-60)
- →Plaza Mayor
- →Puerta del Sol
- →Mercado de San Miguel
- →Malasana tapas crawl
Madrid: Prado, boulevards and the golden hour
Madrid
Book a Prado Museum timed ticket online (€15) and go early — the museum is free in the last two hours of the day, but mornings are far quieter. Then walk the Gran Via, Plaza de Espana and the Retiro Park on foot at your own pace. Join a free (pay-what-you-want) walking tour of Old Madrid in the late afternoon if you want the guided layer without the coach. Evening: bar-hop for raciones in La Latina.
🚌On foot; Metro single €1.50-2
🛏Hostel or budget pension around Sol/La Latina
- →Prado Museum (€15, book online)
- →Gran Via boulevard walk
- →Plaza de Espana
- →Retiro Park
- →Free walking tour of Old Madrid (tip-based)
Madrid to Cordoba by high-speed train, then on to Seville
Cordoba / Seville
Take an early AVE train Madrid-Atocha to Cordoba (about 1h40, book on Renfe or Trainline, £30-45). Drop bags in a station locker and walk 15 min into the Juderia: the Mezquita-Catedral (€15 timed ticket, book ahead for a morning slot), the Roman Bridge and the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos. Late afternoon continue by AVE or Avant to Seville (45 min, £15-25) and check into a hostel in the Alameda or Triana area.
🚌AVE Madrid-Cordoba (£30-45) + AVE/ Avant Cordoba-Seville (£15-25); book on Renfe/Trainline
🛏Hostel in Alameda/Triana, Seville (dorm £18-25, private £45-60)
- →Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba (€15)
- →Roman Bridge
- →Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos (€5)
- →Juderia walking
- →Triana evening stroll
Seville: Alcazar, cathedral and flamenco
Seville
Pre-book the Real Alcazar (€15) and climb the Giralda at Seville Cathedral (€12) for the best views in the city. Walk the Barrio de Santa Cruz and Casa de Pilatos lanes on your own, then rest in Parque de Maria Luisa and Plaza de Espana (free). Book a flamenco tablao for the evening — the Museo del Baile Flamenco or Triana's smaller tablaos run €20-30 and are far better value than the tour's optional dinner show.
🚌On foot / city bus €1.40; bike rental ~€12/day
🛏Hostel in Alameda/Triana, Seville
- →Real Alcazar (€15, book ahead)
- →Seville Cathedral + Giralda (€12)
- →Barrio de Santa Cruz
- →Parque de Maria Luisa
- →Plaza de Espana
- →Flamenco tablao show (€20-30)
Seville to Granada: the Alhambra
Granada
Take the Alsa or Renfe Media Distancia to Granada (2h40, £18-25). The Alhambra is the one thing that MUST be booked weeks ahead (€19 general ticket, or €27 with the full evening visit) — tickets sell out fast. Spend the afternoon inside the Nasrid Palaces and the Generalife water gardens. Evening in the Albayzin, watching sunset over the Alhambra from Mirador de San Nicolas, then free tapas with every drink in the lower city.
🚌Alsa/Renfe Seville-Granada (£18-25); local bus C3 to Alhambra €1.40
🛏Hostel in Realejo/Albayzin, Granada (dorm £15-22, private £40-55)
- →Alhambra + Nasrid Palaces + Generalife (€19, book 1-2 months ahead)
- →Mirador de San Nicolas sunset
- →Albayzin lanes
- →Free taberna tapas in Plaza Nueva
Granada to Valencia
Valencia
Long-ish travel day: Granada has no direct high-speed rail, so take the Renfe MD to Antequera Santa Ana then AVE to Valencia (approx 5h door to door, £40-55), or a low-cost Alsa coach for around £30 if you're watching pennies. Arrive late afternoon, walk the Turia dry-river park to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, then do the classic: find a beachfront chiringuito on Playa Malvarrosa for a proper paella valenciana (€12-18).
🚌Renfe MD + AVE via Antequera (£40-55) or Alsa coach (~£30); local metro €1.50
🛏Hostel in El Carmen, Valencia (dorm £15-22, private £40-55)
- →Turia Gardens
- →City of Arts and Sciences photo stop (free outside)
- →Playa Malvarrosa
- →Paella valenciana dinner (€12-18)
Valencia to Barcelona
Valencia / Barcelona
Morning in Old Valencia: the Torres de Serranos, Plaza de la Virgen, Mercado Central and a horchateria stop for traditional horchata and fartons (€3). Then catch the high-speed Euromed or AVE up the coast to Barcelona (2h45-3h, £25-40). Check into a hostel in Gracia, El Born or Poble Sec, and spend the evening with a beer on a plaza in Gracia.
🚌Euromed/AVE Valencia-Barcelona (£25-40); metro €2.40 single / T-casual 10-ride €11.35
🛏Hostel in Gracia/El Born, Barcelona (dorm £22-30, private £55-75)
- →Torres de Serranos
- →Mercado Central
- →Horchateria stop
- →Plaza de la Virgen
- →Gracia evening plaza drinks
Barcelona: Sagrada Familia, Gaudi and Montjuic
Barcelona
Book your Sagrada Familia ticket the moment dates are released (€26 basic, €36 with tower) — it sells out daily. After, walk Passeig de Gracia for Casa Batllo and La Pedrera exteriors, Plaza de Cataluna and the Columbus Monument at the port. Take the cable car or Bus 150 up Montjuic for the sunset panorama over the city and sea. Farewell dinner: a menú del dia or pintxos crawl in El Born, well under the tour's restaurant dinner.
🚌Metro T-casual; Montjuic cable car ~€13 or Bus 150 €2.40
🛏Hostel in Gracia/El Born, Barcelona
- →Sagrada Familia (€26-36, book weeks ahead)
- →Passeig de Gracia / Casa Batllo exterior
- →Plaza de Cataluna
- →Columbus Monument
- →Montjuic sunset
- →Pintxos dinner in El Born
Depart Barcelona
Barcelona
Morning free for last-minute Gaudi sights or a beach walk at Barceloneta, then take the Aerobus (€7) or Renfe R2 to El Prat airport for your flight home. If you have a late flight, the Picasso Museum (€12) and the Boqueria market make a good final loop.
🚌Aerobus A1/A2 to El Prat (€7) or Renfe R2 (~€4.60)
🛏—
- →Barceloneta beach walk
- →Boqueria market
- →Picasso Museum (€12, optional)
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£595 | £2,280 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,685 per person (74%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£595
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 The Best of Spain: Self-Launched Madrid to Barcelona cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £595 per person for 9 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 Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £2,280 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £595 — a saving of roughly £1,685 (74%) per person.
How long is the Spain trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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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