The capital
Madrid sits right in the middle of the country and is the hub of the train network. It has three of Europe's best art museums within a short walk of each other, a royal palace, the green Retiro Park and a tapas and nightlife scene that runs very late. Toledo and Segovia are easy day trips.
The Mediterranean coast
Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, combines Gaudí's extraordinary buildings, a medieval Gothic Quarter, city beaches and some of Spain's most exciting food. Further south, Valencia is the home of paella, with a vast green park in an old riverbed, the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences and long sandy beaches, at a gentler pace than Barcelona.
Andalusia
The south is the Spain of flamenco, orange trees and Moorish palaces. Seville has the Real Alcázar, a giant cathedral, tiled plazas and the country's most famous festivals. Granada is home to the Alhambra, the hillside Albaicín quarter and the free tapa with every drink, with the Sierra Nevada mountains behind. Córdoba, Málaga and the white villages are all close.
The north and the islands
The green north is a different world: San Sebastián's pintxos bars and beaches, Bilbao's Guggenheim, and the Camino de Santiago ending in Galicia. Out at sea, the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza and the volcanic Canary Islands are made for beach time.
How to link them
A classic ten day route is Madrid, then the high speed train to Seville, a bus or train to Granada, and a flight or train to Barcelona to fly home. With two weeks, add Valencia between Madrid and Barcelona, or a few days in San Sebastián. Book Alhambra and Sagrada Família tickets well ahead and use the free trip planner to shape your route.