Finalizing Trip Plans-Be the tie breaker Madrid or Barcelona.
 

I am traveling with four other females to Europe. We are finalizing our city selections. Two of us would like to visit Madrid, the other two would like to visit Barcelona. Which city would you recommend, and why? We are in our forties, love adventure, museums, etc, and love good food and wine. We have never been to Spain before. Last question, we will be traveling during the week before Easter. Will that impact whether shops are open, etc., Please advise.

First of all you can't go wrong with either. My vote is for barcelona. Madrid was awesome, very vibrant, great mueseums, food was nice as well. It was to metro for me however. Barcelona has incredible food at cheap prices, great art(picasso Sp?) mueseum, Gaudi's building, vibrant night life, and the beach. Not to mention some great roman ruins in near by tarranga. Barcelona is your answer.

i agree, Barcelona is an amazing place, an amalgam of outstanding architecture, medieval neighborhood, great art, terrific beach, excellent food, and Las Ramblas all within a very condensed area.

hi, lucky,

if you click on my name, you should find my recent madrid trip report.

we ended up there partly because the flights were a lot cheaper than to BCN. As for adventure, I didn't find much in madrid, thank goodnes..

I suspect that BCN would suit you more than madrid; unlikely that there will be much difference between them in respect of the week you are going. madrid filled 3 days for us in an interesting way, but it is in essence a large city, with shops and museums, and not a lot more.

have you read maribel's guides to each city? www.maribelsguides.com.

regards, ann

I've been to Madrid about 8-9 times (mostly for work but also for a Spanish course and on my honeymoon) and been to Barcelona three times. Hands down, Barcelona is my favourite Spanish city. Actually, it's tied for first place as my favourite city among all the places I've ever visited (and I travel a lot).

To me, Barcelona is like Paris (stylish, interesting architecture, lively cafe culture) only better - and I live in Paris. (For one thing, residents in Barcelona clean up after their dogs ...)

As I mentioned earlier, what I like best about Barcelona are its architecture (Gaudi's buildings are extraordinary), the shopping, and the cafes and nightlife. There are some interesting museums, including one that shows the history of the city. The climate is temperate because it's beside the water. I like staying in the Eixemple district and then strolling down Las Ramblas to the old city to explore.

I find that Madrid is very lively, but not as stylish. It is perhaps more elegant in terms of its archictecure, but to me that has also made it feel a little more old-fashioned. (The club kids would disagree. Madrid parties hard into the night, as Barcelona does.) Perhaps I haven't had as good luck with the locations where I stayed, but I found the city somewhat less walkable than Barcelona. The art museums might be somewhat better in Madrid than Barcelona (everyone should see Picasso's Guernica once in their life), but this wouldn't tip the balance to Madrid for me.

In Barcelona, you can take a sidetrip to Montserrat (if by adventure, you mean outdoor adventure).

For hotels, I can recommend the H10 Villa de la Reina in Madrid, and the hotels in the Derby Chain in Barcelona. I've stayed at the Astoria several times in Barcelona and found it to be quite a good value. I also stayed at the H10 Plaza Catalunya in Barcelona - very convenient, stylish and it offered a great breakfast (including sparkling wine).

By the way, in Spain, when you want to pay by credit card, they will want to see your passport. So, I usually planned my shopping trips as special trips, otherwise leaving my credit cards and passport locked up in the hotel room safe and just keeping about 100 euros or so for impulse purchases with me.

Will you be going to other places or will you be spending all your time in a city?
Barcelona is great and the daytrips are awesome. I wouldn't miss Montserrat with a drive up the Costa Brava.
Madrid is vibrant city and the daytrips offer more shopping opportunities.

More details are needed to be able to offer a half-sensible answer, i.e. logistics. Where are you all coming from? where would you be going next? how many days? how are you traveling? The fact you said "city selections" made me think you will be touring around, right?

The week prior to Easter in Spain is business as usual.

BCN was so gorgeous last Spring -- the great food and drink at incredibly low prices, great architecture, wonderful little shops, opera at Liceu (half price tickets for the understudy cast).

look for maribel and laclaire's names for great rec's.

With flight times of one hour and five minutes between the two cities and cheap fares available I am not sure why you couldn't do both.

Why limit yourself to one...unless there is information you aren't sharing with us.

I may make this choice next year or later. Can't find direct flights to SVQ from SFO so I have to fly into either MAD or BCN, take the AVE or maybe Iberia on my own to SVQ.

In the middle of my first trip to Madrid. Damn subway ticket machines won't take my American credit cards.

I may make this choice next year or later. Can't find direct flights to SVQ from SFO so I have to fly into either MAD or BCN, take the AVE or maybe Iberia on my own to SVQ.

In the middle of my first trip to Madrid. Damn subway ticket machines won't take my American credit cards.

Oh and I wanted to add, I didn't really do the museums that much in BCN. Only went to the Miro but not the Picasso. I think the 3 big ones in Madrid are generally considered better than what Barcelona has in the way of museums.

Thanks so very much everyone. This site has been absolutely wonderful.

Barcelona hands down.

Madrid is ok, but kinda boring. People less friendly, I found. It's more of a business city.

Barcelona is definitely your answer.

It is my favourite place in the world, and I've travelled a lot.

definetly Madrid. Has so much more to offer. But you have to take into effect the time from one place to the other. If you're closer to barcelona than that might be enough. I know they can look close on the map, but they aren't that close when it comes to trains. Unless your flying, then madrid all the way.

Ciao

Theresa

http://www.nomadwannabe.com

I actually like Madrid more, b/c too me it is more Spanish than Barcelona. Barcelona is very cosmipolitan and I like it, but it felt like it could have been any European city to me. There are also good day trips from Madrid to towns with a more authentic feel (Segovia, Toledo, El Escorial, and Salamanca). So you get a little of the best of both worlds - big city - small town. El Prado and the Reina Sofia museums are great. The people aren't that friendly, though. I agree with Kate W. Actually, Sevilla beats Madrid and Barcelona, IMO!

Madrid! Sorry, I am one of those rare people that does not care about Barcelona.

Here's how I would rate Spain, in terms of fun, things to do, architecture, nightlife:

1. Barcelona
2. Mallorca
3. Valencia
4. Sevilla
5. San Sebastian
6. Madrid

but that's just a personal preference

But that's just a

For Madrid: art museums, and night-life
For Barcelona: everything else!

My vote is for Barcelona.

My vote is for Barcelona, too.

luckie16:

The vote seems to be Barcelona, but, overall, I preferred Madrid. If you like museums, you’ll love the Prado. It’s magnificent. Plus, you have the Reina Sofia (the modern art museum, including Picasso’s Guernica), and the Thyssen-Bornemisza (a gem of a museum near the Prado). From Madrid, you can take a number of interesting sidetrips, including a stop in Toledo. I found Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia fascinating in its ludicrousness, and Barcelona’s Rambla thoroughfare wildly overrated.

But that’s just me.

P.S. The New York Times ran an article a few weeks ago in the Sunday Travel section about how Madrid is becoming very ”now.” You might want to check out the NYT website for that piece.

Barcelona the dreamier city, Madrid has lots more exciting short day trips like Toledo, Segovia and Avila to start.

Barcelona is basically Barcelona with few day trips to rival Madrid. Barcelona better town, Madrid better base to spend several days.

luckie16:

I copied that NY Times article about Madrid. Here it is. Hope it helps:

March 25, 2007
The Place
Madrid Is the Spanish Major

By DALE FUCHS

Once the dowdy sister of stylish Barcelona, Madrid has at last emerged as Spain's coolest city. It may seem tied to tradition — all those Goyas and ornate gardens — but the city is also brimming with cutting-edge design and cuisine. And that's just before midnight, when the party really gets going.

13 Hours, Siesta to Sunrise.

5 p.m.: Rev up with a cortado (espresso with milk) at the Art Nouveau-style Restaurante El Espejo. Paseo de Recoletos, 31; 011-34-91-308-2347.

6 p.m.: Pay respects to Picasso's “Guernica,” then plunge into Dalí at the Reina Sofía art museum. Santa Isabel, 52; 011-34-91-774-1000.

8 p.m.: Watch the sunset from Plaza de Oriente, then stroll from Plaza Mayor to the glimmering Plaza Puerta del Sol and then to Cibeles fountain.

10 p.m.: Try the creative Latin fare at Paradís Casa América. Paseo de Recoletos, 2; 011-34-91-575-4540; entrees $22 to $32.

Midnight: Catch the late-night weekend flamenco show at Casa Patas. Cañizares, 10; 011-34-91-369-0496.

1:30 a.m.: Sip mojitos at the Penthouse, a rooftop bar with stellar views. ME Reina Victoria hotel, Plaza de Santa Ana, 14; 011-34-91-701-6020.

3 a.m.: Rub shoulders with the gente guapa at the Reinabruja nightclub. Jacometrezo, 6; 011-34-91-542-8193.

6 a.m.: Dip churros into hot chocolate for breakfast at Chocolatería San Ginés. Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5; 011-34-91-365-6546.

DREAM TEAM

The city has a hotel for every taste. T's top picks in five categories.

1) URBAN INN:

Casa de Madrid

Arrieta, 2-2; 011-34-91-559-5791; www.casademadrid.com; doubles from about $341.

PROS: The owner-decorator Marta Medina has filled seven rooms with antique furniture, sculptures and paintings she collected during her travels.

CONS: No big-hotel amenities like a spa or gym.

PERKS: Frescoes and friezes cover the walls. Medina often mingles with guests in the evening over a glass of Rioja.

2) BOUTIQUE:

Urban

Carrera de San Jerónimo; 011-34-91-787-7770; www.derbyhotels.com; doubles from $564.

PROS: Minimalist glam in the city center draws cool locals to its glass bar, rooftop terrace and excellent restaurant.

CONS: The entrance faces a bland wing of the Spanish parliament, often flanked by the police and reporters.

PERKS: The tiny rooftop pool is a rarity in scorching Madrid.

3) EL CHEAPO:

Alicia

Prado, 2; 011-34-91-389-6095; www.room-matehoteles.com; doubles from $131.

PROS: The whimsical lobby is the work of the hot local designer Pascua Ortega. A lot of style for the price.

CONS: A glass shower tucked right next to the bed might be a bit too close for comfort. The area is noisy after dark.

PERKS: Night owls will like the proximity to cocktail bars on Calle Huertas.

4) DESIGN DRIVEN:

Puerta América

Avenida de América, 41; 011-34-91-744-5400; www.hotelpuertamerica.com; doubles from $260.

PROS: Created by 19 star architects and designers. Zaha Hadid's floor is an undulating, all-white moonscape.

CONS: It's on a highway and is a taxi ride from the city center.

PERKS: The rooftop bar attracts a stylish crowd; views from Jean Nouvel's penthouse suites can't be beat.

5) GRANDE DAME:

The Westin Palace

Plaza de las Cortes, 7; 011-34-91-360-8000; www.westin.com; doubles from $367.

PROS: The Old World style is perfectly done and the location unbeatable, close to everything. (And it's not as stuffy as the Ritz.)

CONS: A steady stream of board meetings and weddings.

PERKS: Live music in the cocktail lounge beneath a spectacular stained-glass dome.

FEELING BULLISH

Bullfighting in Spain faces the double-edged sword of youth apathy and rising animal rights activism. But much of the city remains passionate about the sport, and Madrid is still a great place to see it.

WHEN TO GO: During the festival of San Isidro, mid-May to June, when top matadors face the best-bred bulls at the Las Ventas bullring. The social event of the year.

HOW TO GET TICKETS: With difficulty. Most are bought in advance by year-round subscribers, but the leftovers, about 20 percent, go on sale a few weeks beforehand. Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas; Alcalá, 237; www.taquillatoros.com or www.las-ventas.com.

KNOW YOUR MATADORS: One of the most legendary toreros is Manolete, killed by a bull in 1947. Adrien Brody plays him (alongside Penélope Cruz as his lover) in the coming movie “Manolete.” Current torero heartthrobs include Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, who walked an Armani catwalk in January, and Francisco Rivera Ordóñez and Manuel Díaz González (a k a El Cordobés), both fixtures in the Madrid gossip pages.

OUTSIDE THE RING: Visiting matadors and entourages often stay at the Hotel Wellington (Velázquez, 8; 011-34-91-575-4400) — the guy sipping whiskey in the lobby is probably a cattle rancher. The bar Viña Pé, on the Plaza de Santa Ana, also draws fighters and their fans.

90 MINUTES TO BLISS

The Arabic bath house Medina Mayrit is an oasis of candlelight, gurgling fountains, mellow music and Moorish décor. Coed bathers wade in near silence — and bathing suits — between hot, tepid and cold pools, then ease into a massage beneath the arches of a restored underground cistern. On weekends, locals reserve a table at the restaurant upstairs for couscous and mint tea after their soak. For evening sessions, call in advance. Atocha, 14; 011-34-90-233-3334; www.medinamayrit.com.

MADRID IN THE MOVIES

Bienvenido, Mister Marshall, Luis García Berlanga (1953)

Death of a Cyclist, Juan Antonio Bardem (1955)

Cría Cuervos, Carlos Saura (1976)

Ópera Prima, Fernando Trueba (1980)

Pepi, Luci, Bom, Pedro Almodóvar (1980)

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro Almodóvar (1988)

Sex and Lucía, Julio Medem (2001)

The Sea Inside, Alejandro Amenábar (2004)

Volver, Pedro Almodóvar (2006)

THE GLOSSARY

What they never taught you in Spanish 101.

Guay (gwhy) Cool.

Cojonudo (ko-ho-NOO-doh) Better than cool.

Me mola (may MO-la) Love it!

Alucino (ah-lu-THEE-no) Can't believe it!

Paso (PAH-so) Couldn't care less.

Juerguista (hwer-GHEE-stah) Party animal.

Cutre (KOO-tray) Seedy, lacking class. Sometimes used affectionately, as in, “Sometimes the most cutre places serve the best tapas.”

Ligar (lee-GAR) To pick up someone.

Hortera (or-TER-ah) Flashy, tacky, kitschy.

Fashion (FASH-yohn) Trendy, obsessed with the latest. Used as an adjective, not necessarily related to clothing, as in, “The people who hang out in Chueca are really fashion.”

Gente guapa (HEN-tay GWA-pah) Beautiful people.

Pijo (PEE-ho) A posh and conservative type, as in, “That party at the golf club was crawling with pijos.”

Barcelona,it is, next year Madrid.