Barcelona or Madrid: where to start trip?
 

Hello,
Planning trip to Spain for this month from Los Angeles. Could you please advise as to pros and cons of starting the trip and ending the trip with Barcelona or Madrid.
Thank you, David

You are going on this trip THIS month? Apart from Madrid and Barcelona, where else are you visiting?

I don't think there's any major pros vs cons of visitng which one first. I usually consider these:

1) Lower airfare and/or better flight times and connections
2) Ease and cost of transport to the next city on the itinerary
3) Speical events/festivals in either city
4) Avoid dates with huge conference held

Yk is spot on.

Yes; last minute trip. My son was going to go to Europe with some friends, so my wife and I didn't plan anything. One of his friends couldn't go, and so his trip is cancelled, and we're planning something last minute for the three of us. Would like to go to Barcelona and Madrid, the some day trips from each, and possibly Granada. I can use mileage for either itinerary. Was just wondering if it's better to go to the more typical city of Madrid first, and then the more "international" city (as described in Fodor's), or vice versa. Thanks,
David

Lots of non-Spanish speakers go to Madrid successfully (see a recent trip report), but I think it's a bit more of a challenge than Barcelona. So if you aren't Spanish speakers, maybe Barcelona is a better start. But I'd consider this angle to be of very slight consequence, and wouldn't even consider it if convenience or other factors favored Madrid first. If it's a last-minute trip on miles, you may not have much choice.