A week in Andalusia by train

By the Viamo editorial team · Editor Terje Moy · Last updated July 2026 · 6 min read

Andalusia packs Moorish palaces, whitewashed hill towns and Spain's best tapas culture into a compact enough area that a week is genuinely enough to do it justice by public transport. This itinerary loops through the region's four biggest draws — Seville, Córdoba, Granada and Málaga — using Spain's AVE high-speed rail where it runs directly and a coach where the train would mean an unnecessary detour.

The shape of the week

This route runs Seville → Córdoba → Granada → Málaga, moving broadly eastward before finishing on the coast, and works equally well reversed if your flights are the other way round. It assumes you fly into Seville and out of Málaga, both of which have well-connected international airports. Unlike our week in Italy by train itinerary, where every leg is a direct high-speed hop, Andalusia's geography means one leg of this loop is genuinely faster by bus than by train — worth knowing before you assume rail covers everything.

Days 1–2: Seville

Seville rewards two full days more than a rushed overnight: the Real Alcázar and its gardens, the vast Gothic cathedral (climb the Giralda tower for the view rather than the stairs alone), and the Santa Cruz and Triana neighbourhoods, best explored on foot without a fixed plan. Seville is also where Andalusian tapas culture is at its most unapologetic — standing at a bar counter, ordering two or three small plates at a time, is the normal way to eat dinner here, and it's worth adjusting your schedule to eat late, as locals do.

Day 3: Seville to Córdoba

The AVE high-speed train between Seville and Córdoba takes well under an hour — one of the shortest legs on Spain's entire high-speed network — making this an easy, low-stress travel morning. Reservations are compulsory on AVE services, so book your specific train rather than assuming you can turn up and board. Arrive by late morning and you'll have a full afternoon and evening for Córdoba's Mezquita, the extraordinary former mosque-cathedral whose forest of striped arches is unlike anything else in Spain, plus the old Jewish Quarter around it.

Day 4: Córdoba to Granada

Whichever mode you choose, arriving in Granada by early-to-mid afternoon leaves time to start exploring the Albaicín, the old Moorish quarter of narrow lanes and viewpoints looking across at the Alhambra itself.

Days 5–6: Granada

The Alhambra is the reason most people come to Granada, and it needs to be booked well ahead — tickets are timed and capped, and they routinely sell out weeks in advance in high season. Give it the better part of a day: the Nasrid Palaces, the Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba fortress together take several unhurried hours. Use the second day for the rest of the city — the cathedral, the Sacromonte cave quarter, and the particularly good-value Granada custom of a free tapa with every drink ordered at a bar.

Day 7: Granada to Málaga

Granada's high-speed rail connection is comparatively recent, and journey times to Málaga have continued to shorten as the network has bedded in — a direct AVE service currently covers the route in roughly an hour to an hour and a half. Coaches also run this leg in around two hours and remain a reasonable back-up if train times or prices don't suit. Arriving in Málaga by early afternoon leaves time for the Picasso Museum (Málaga is his birthplace), the Alcazaba and Gibralfaro fortress above the city, and a stretch of beach time that the other three cities on this loop don't offer.

Reservations and tickets

All AVE high-speed services require a paid seat reservation, bought at the same time as your ticket — this applies even to Interrail and Eurail pass holders, who pay a separate reservation fee on top of the pass itself. Book AVE legs a little in advance for the best fares; Spanish high-speed pricing rewards early booking noticeably more than a last-minute walk-up fare would suggest. See our Interrail vs Eurail guide for how to weigh a pass against point-to-point tickets for a fixed loop like this one — for a single week with only four cities, point-to-point advance fares are usually the cheaper option.

Extending the loop

With extra days, Ronda — a dramatic town split by a gorge, reachable by train or bus from Málaga or Seville — is a natural half-loop addition, and Cádiz, Europe's oldest continuously inhabited city, is an easy day trip by regional train from Seville if you'd rather add depth than distance. Andalusia also connects naturally into a longer Iberian trip; see our Iberia overland guide for how this loop fits into a fuller Spain-and-Portugal itinerary, and our week in Portugal by train for a matching seven-day itinerary if you're combining both countries.

Eating and pacing yourself

Andalusian meal times run later than most visitors expect — lunch stretches into the early afternoon, and dinner rarely starts before nine — and the local rhythm of a long midday break, especially in high summer, is worth adopting rather than fighting. Each of the four cities has its own tapas culture worth building an evening around: Seville's standing-room bars in Triana and Santa Cruz, Córdoba's flamenquín and salmorejo (a thicker, more concentrated cousin of gazpacho), Granada's tradition of a free tapa with every drink, and Málaga's espetos — sardines grilled over open coals on the beach, a genuinely regional dish you won't easily find inland.

Budgeting and timing

If you're arriving in Spain from elsewhere in Europe, our Paris to Barcelona guide covers the main high-speed gateway before you head south to Andalusia. Spring (April–May) and autumn (late September–October) are the most comfortable seasons for this loop — Andalusian summer heat is genuinely intense, with Seville and Córdoba both regularly reaching the upper 30s and beyond in July and August, uncomfortable for a day of walking between sights. Accommodation and food costs across Andalusia are noticeably lower than in Barcelona or the Basque Country, making this one of Spain's better-value regions for a week-long trip.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to reserve seats on every train in this itinerary?

Yes, for the AVE high-speed legs (Seville–Córdoba and, where taken by rail, the Granada–Málaga connection), reservations are compulsory and bought with your ticket. If you take the Córdoba–Granada leg by coach instead, no reservation is needed, though booking ahead in peak season is still sensible.

Is the bus really better than the train between Córdoba and Granada?

For most travellers, yes, currently — the direct road route is faster than the available rail routing, which requires a change. Check current timetables before you travel, since Spain's high-speed network has been extending in this region and options can change.

Is a week enough time for this Andalusia loop?

It's a comfortable pace with two full days each in Seville and Granada and a single day each in Córdoba and Málaga. Adding Ronda or Cádiz is realistic with an extra two or three days; trying to fit both without extending the week will feel rushed.

Should I book Alhambra tickets before I leave home?

Yes, and well in advance — Alhambra entry is capped and timed, and tickets for popular dates, especially in spring and early autumn, can sell out weeks ahead. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.