budget4me,

I found the fare of 25 euros on the Spanair web site. For some reason just the 1130 flight was that price all the other times were 50 euros plus tax - one way.

Kip

Thanks for the fantastic trip report! My wife and I are planning a trip to Barcelona, Madrid, and Sevilla in March, so I've printed out your report to add to my research.

I just bought flight for trip in December. Seville to Barcelona 10 euros plus taxes. on Vueling.com.
Thanks for the wine prices Kip.

Kip,
That's what I get for reading Fodors during my "happy hour". Thanks for clearing that up.

Still no cheap airfares for the 21st or 25th, so it'll be the train for me. I just can't see paying 140 euros each way to fly, that's over $300 round trip.

Thanks to everyone who has helped in this trip planning. I leave Tuesday and look forward to my time over there!

Vueling.com is 45 euros each way booking today?

I returned from Spain quite a while ago, but then I had to deal with Hurricane Wilma, so it's taken me a while to return to this forum.

I spent two days in Madrid, four days in Barcelona, then two more days in Madrid before heading back. Of the three places I stayed, I will recommend two of them: Hostal Oliva on Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, and Hospedaje Dolce Vita in Madrid. These are budget "hostales" with private rooms but shared bathrooms.

I used Renfe to travel by train between the two cities and either walked or took the Metro everywhere else. My Spanish was understood. I recommend Banco Santander for currency conversion there.

In Madrid, I saw the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen Museums, along with several churches and cathedrals. Weather was chilly and damp, highs no more than 68/20 and lows around 46/8 F/C. Barcelona was much milder, with highs 75/24 and lows about 58/14. It never rained there. I spent time on Las Ramblas, the Marketplace, La Sagrada Familia, the Luminous Fountains, and the Museum of Chocolate. I strongly recommend eating at Qu Qu, on Passeig de Gracia 24, I think. They have a wide variety of delicious and inexpensive tapas. You could easily sample eight new dishes for eleven euros or so and make a nice meal. Farqqi's is good for ice cream, catalana crema being my favorite flavor there.

The areas I went to were all safe at all hours of the day and night. My only complaint is the incessant smoking everywhere there--even the bank tellers have butts dangling from their lips while they change your money. The only respite from that were the museums and the churches, and the subway cars.

Thanks again to all who helped!