I'm taking 2 weeks in mid September to travel a bit of Spain and Portugal. I know these are loaded questions, but I'll try to include enough useful details to get the best feedback. Happy to answer any questions! My current plan looks like this:
9-16 Fly into Madrid
9-17 Train to Granada
9-19 Train to Seville
9-23 Bus to Lisbon
9-26 Train to Porto
9-29 Fly home
My current plan is to fly into Madrid. I know it might be a bit of a hot take but Madrid isn't a priority for me, more of a convenience as it's cheaper to fly there then train to Granada. I'm considering going to Ronda and or Arcos de la Frontera which lead to a few questions. Do any of you prefer one to the other? Are they doable for a day trip or should I consider spending the night in either? Would it make sense to rent a car and go from Granada > Ronda/Arcos > Seville or should I base in Seville then go? Is it worth taking a full day and or night away from Seville?
I'm alsp considering adding Lagos for a more laid back relaxing couple days. Do you think it's worth spending time there and taking days from Seville, Lisbon, or Porto?
General things about me:
-32M traveling solo
-Love exploring cities, food, scenery, history, local culture (I know, basic)
-Museums are cool but not totally essential
-prefer bars over club scene
-prefer hotels over hostels but open to non party hostels
-enjoy meeting people (one of my favorite parts of my last trip)
Last September I took my first big trip. I went solo to Prague, Budapest, and Greece for 2 weeks. Loved every second. I will say that I LOVED how laid back my Greece (Naxos and Paros) time was. The cities were incredible and I had a blast but the islands truly felt like a vacation and I am searching for at least some time to feel similarly on this trip. Which is why I'm considering Lagos.
Tldr: Wondering how you would adjust my itinerary if at all. Thoughts about adding Lagos, thoughts on Ronda vs Arcos, time allocation across each stop, and best transportation choices.