Southern Spain Solo Vacation Review: Granada, Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, Madrid, History, Tapas & Wine

My trip to Andalusia, Spain was a dream I have had for a long time that finally materialized this past September. I visited Madrid, Granada, Cordoba, Seville, and Malaga. I have traveled a lot and continue to do as best as I can. I was raised in Europe and live in New York for almost 40 years so I’m familiar with this type of traveling. Normally, when I travel alone, as I did this time, I use reputable travel companies with good reviews but rely heavily on my friends’/family’s experience and suggestions. When I do that it seems that I enjoy my travels. This time things were different.

Unfortunately, this time I relied only on internet reviews when I picked Zicasso. The reviews were mostly favorable. Zicasso’s response was professional and quick. They matched me with an agent in Andalusia, this company. Initially, this travel company appeared quite responsive and professional.  They assumed responsibility when they realized they were accountable for their many mistakes in the beginning and end of my trip. However, they totally lacked organizational skills, consistency in their provided services, ability to maintaining a level of quality expected, especially within my budget parameters (not to mention disregard of my indicated budget at first contact as they initially proposed a trip that cost more than double the amount I had indicated). I insisted that they stayed withing the budget I indicated. I even gave them a sample of an itinerary I wanted with details and proposed hotels. This company appeared to want to compete with upscale, seasoned operators seemingly lacking the necessary knowledge and ability to do basic things, and follow through. They seem to be driven by greed reflecting in their bookings of unjustifiable, confusing, occasionally random, or super-commercialized activities (any mainstream agent would have easily done that on a much lower budget). They lost perspective of my priorities or personal needs which I had originally indicated.
Here is the list:

• I wanted to spend 10 days in Andalusia. Perfectly reasonable amount of time within a generous budget. Apparently, my trip was cut short to only 6 nights. Perhaps, to fit the company's budget needs. I went with it. Regardless, the company kept adding way too many, and often unnecessary, things/destinations in their effort to justify the spending of money. In general, the logistics of that trip were not thought out well or in realistic terms. In retrospect, I had several indications that communication between myself and this company, though prompt, was not very good.  I admit that I might have not been willing to acknowledge this at that time being too eager to go to Andalusia.
• Because of the above I ended up doing what I told this company I wanted to avoid: rushing through cities; spending only one night in most and then packing up again and leave for the next. I wasted incredible amount of time traveling this way, let alone the time I needed to orient myself around each new place with the need of a map (and self-education that slows the process) since no guides were assigned to me! Felt like a student level tourist experience! I regret this and find it shameful (I’m 60 y/o with good mobility but many health considerations that this company was aware of because I had discussed them with them). They could have advised me towards a more comfortable and meaningful itinerary. Of course, this would have meant fewer places, hotels bookings etc. that agents normally benefit from....

Worst example: with only one full day and night in Madrid, the itinerary was filled with too many things to do, all good if you have a few days, except surprisingly limited time for museums! Fitting in Prado museum, after I requested it, seemed as an afterthought.  With an unpractical and unrealistic itinerary the travel company deemed appropriate to  issue me the most expensive museum option: a 3 museum pass vs. a plain ticket to Prado (not even necessary since I could have bought it myself on location)!  How would anyone realistically fit 3 museums visits (that’s the pass) when you hardly have time for one and even then only for 1 or 2 galleries?  I needed to catch a train to Granada at 1pm and allow time to a) fetch my luggage from the hotel, b) go to the station. Unable to find enough time to even visit Goya and El Greco galleries properly made me very sad and upset and almost made me loose the train to Granada. And of course, left me with an awful taste of resentment toward this company. They tried to correct it by promising me a driver service from then on, something that should have been expected anyway.

• For what I've considered (and known) to be a generous proposed budget I did not get personal transportation to/from points of entry to all destinations until I had a problem with the hotel in Madrid, an in or posada not uncommon there. My extremely tiny room was like a trailer without a windows (there was a tinted glass facing the hallway for light but not a proper window. Food smells from the restaurant downstairs permeated the room. No appropriate closet or space to walk around the bed. A night light overhead would not be turned off keeping me up all night. The only ventilation was through inadequate A/C. Management did not want to change me.  The travel company tried to resolve it. Unable to do this they promised a driver from/to all my destinations instead. This should have been included in the first place and not as a make-up gesture.
• Madrid should not have been squeezed in this itinerary. Not enough time. Yet, the company believed that it was a doable option even in a short period of time and although I was skeptical about it I agreed to it since I did not know the size and richness of Madrid. A good planner would have advised against it and concentrated on a better use of time in Andalusia which was the focus of my trip. Thankfully, I had the sense to refuse other stops that this company tried to squeeze in while I was traveling in Spain. It became anxiety provoking to always rush and not enjoy sufficiently.
• Level of tour guiding: inconsistent and erratic. In Granada I met with a wonderful tour guide for a private tour to the Alhambra. Fascinating, professional and appropriate as expected. In Cordoba I was thrown in a group that I did not expect.  Luckily, the tour guide was exceptional and the tour was not too big so I let it go and enjoyed the tour. In Seville, I was thrown to a huge unpredictable group. The guide was late by 45 min in meeting me that the assigned location. I was not notified of the delay. Once again I was thrown to a huge group and order to get on a bus that was supposed to deliver people who would then be separated to language specific sub groups. The guide’s English was average, quality of tour mediocre, overall boring and hectic. Sad and unpleasant experience for a marvelous city like Seville! I would have been better off by myself but would benefit from a private guide as one would have expected with the budget I presented.
• Biggest blow: In order to negotiate 2 nights in Seville and save some time lost in travelling back to Madrid for my departure to another country, I helped this company figure out an alternative departure from Malaga. What a disaster. I ended up losing my flight because the company (are you ready for this?) read 1:55 departure as an afternoon departure instead of 1:55am. Needless to say, that by this time it had stopped being a vacation for me. Damage control was the name of the game. The company took responsibility to transfer me via train to Madrid, book me to a hotel there, pay for a drive to/from stations, and fly me to Athens, Greece and of course the paid for all this. Nevertheless, this ordeal cost me anguish and high levels of anxiety and discomfort (undoing any benefit I was hoping to gain from this vacation), disruption of my personal and family plans, loss of money (I had prepaid a rental car in Athens; lost a business meeting and income generating opportunity there); and waste of valuable time I had planned with family.

Would I use this travel company again? Never. I would be happy to share details with anyone who is interested. The company left a very bad taste and would not recommend them. I will share similar reviews to the above on other travel platforms.