where would you recommend? I am going on a trip for five days. I can choose between the two, but dont know much about them to make a choice. I am really in to history, but i am going with my sister so i want to go out with good nightlife too.

What time of year?

late may

Wow -- what a choice . . . both are great cities. My husband is from near Dublin and I lived in Madrid, so your title jumped out at me.

Both, obviously, have their own history as well as the history of the country all over the place. As far as nightlife goes, you're hard pressed to beat Madrid -- it never stops.

If you choose Madrid (I would) you have day trip options to Toledo (cathedral, El Greco)or Segovia (Alcazar, Aqueduct) to get out of the city. May is a lovely time to be in Madrid.

Take a quick trip to a bookstore or library and pull a few books with loads of photos -- that might help you decide. Once you have chosen, read up on its history before you go as that will help you enjoy your trip.

I have always thought that 5 days is an ideal amount of time in Madrid. I tire of the city pretty easily, but in 5 days you can do a lot of what is there and take a day trip (Segovia is my favorite!!!!!). The nightlife there is wonderful and I imagine that two women would have a lot of fun there.

That said, I have never been to Dublin, so the idea intrigues me. Had I never been to either, though, I would go with Madrid as late May is just such a beautiful time to be there.

thanks so much for the advice keep it coming!
any suggestions of things to see/do in madrid, old castles and musems? centers of the city so i can find a hotel near everything? good art musems?
im definitely going on a day trip to segovia and toledo, any suggestions on things to see there?
thanks!

The Prado is among the very top art museums in the world. And there is also the Queen Sofia for more modern art. If art is a priority, Madrid really can't be beat.

Is it Madrid then?

I always recommend taking a look at the guides written by Maribel (frequent and wonderful poster to the Spain board, has been absent from the boards for awhile but her advice lives on!) They can be found at www.maribelsguides.com.

How old are you guys and what are you interested in doing? Any idea of your budget for accommodations?

There is still a possibility of dublin, but i really think its goingto be madrid.
we are 18 and 21. so we want to be around the center of the city where everythign is happening. i like the old historical things and my sis likes the art and we both like bar and cafes to hang out in at night. we have about $2000-2400 for plane tickets and a hotel. so we arent stayin in the nicest places which is ok, were young we can rough it. but im having trouble with knowing which hotels to look at that are close to the center of activies in the city so we can walk to places from out hotel, like at night for fun.

also how bad is the language barrier in madrid? will i be able to get by with just a phrase book or soemthign like that?

I would recommend staying in the older part of Madrid, near the Puerta del Sol. I would stay away from the many, many hotel on the Gran Via. It's a busy, bustling part of town, but less attractive and more impersonal IMHO. Maribel give some great recs for lodging in the aforementioned guide.

One she doesn't list, that I have stayed in twice is Hostal Adriano http://www.adrianohostal.com/ingles/index.html It can't be beat for the price. It is in the heart of a serious nightlife district and also quite close to the "Golden Triangle" of the Prado, Thyssen, and Reina Sofia. Do a search on this board on the name -- I've recommended it before, with more detail. I believe they now have an elevator, a welcome addition. Clean, cheery and reasonable. Also gets good reviews on tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...no-Madrid.html There are literally hundreds of bars and cafes in this area. It will be noisy and busy, but close to all the action: Plaza Mayor (save your money -- only one drink and no food when sitting in the Plaza enjoying the view), Plaza Santa Ana area, Cava Baja area bars. Chueca is also a cool area -- you could walk or take a quick subway or cab ride.

You will probably want to check out some guidebooks geared for someone your age -- like Let's Go, and . . . oh there is one I forget the name of but it is for college age traveler and christened Madrid the party capital of Europe. Also Rough Guide and Lonely Planet would be good for your purposes. They will give you a lot of info about different areas -- see what appeals to you.

Re: language -- do you know any Spanish at all? I would definitely try to pick up a little bit before you go. At least learn the numbers, please, thank you, and how to order a beer ;-). Even soemthing like the Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day book will help you with the basics. There are not as many English speakers in Spain as some other (non-English speaking) countries. That said, you are young, female, you'll get by . . . .

If you wish to meet the local people and have a meaningful conversation with them then Dublin wins by a mile.If you speak good Spanish go for Madrid,if you do not mind the heat and humidity.

Heat and humidity will not be a problem in Madrid in May (in fact humidity is never a problem), but language is a real issue to consider.

Keep thinking kashaeve and keep us posted -- you are lucky to have such a "dilemma."

i am reallllllllly looking into the hotel you mentioned Molloy, the Hostal Adriano, it looks really cute, and i really like the location, and the price rocks. do you know if like someone there that works there speaks any english? its not definitely needed, but it would be nice to be able to ask for direcctions from someone who speaks english before i try and go somewhere
oh and maribels guide is amazing! so detailed, it totally surprised me, i am definitely printing it out and taking it with me.
im hoping that language wont be too hard. i know some spanish from takin four years of it in high school so i can make due reading some of it and i know the general things, numbers, some verbs, where is the bathroom etc. but ill definitely have a phrase book by my side at all times.
i really want to take some guided tours. like to el escorial, toledo, and segoiva. i think im goign to check some of the tours out that were recommened in maribels guide, but any suggestions of good ones you guys have been on? id kinda like a smaller group cause its easier to hear, and if im goign to like segovia or toledo, a tour that includes the actual getting there part of the trip would be helpful in keeping me from getting lost. but id take anythign really.
i am also thinking of goign to a bullfight while there as well.. and a day full of art musems, prado sofia, thyssen

I would do Dublin over Madrid any day of the week. But then I admit Madrid is the one place in europe to which I have no interest in returning. There is the Prado and a Royal Palace - not much else - and it is reminiscent of Chicago more than anything else (lots of greyskyscrapers, loud, hot, dirty - but little soul). There is a lot of nightlife - from midnight to 5am.

Dublin is a real little beauty of a city. Has tons of history (going back to the prehistoric, with a lot from the years when Ireland was one of the only shining lights of culture and education in the dark ages of europe), culture, great weather and a booming theater and nightlife scene - although it does tend to end before 5am. And it is distinctly Irish - you don't think you're in the US.

I know there are many on this board who aren't crazy about Madrid (just check out the running Barcelona/Madrid debate on the Spain board) but if the priorities are art, history (yes, I know it's a "new" capital, but with Toledo and Segovia nearby) and nightlife it is certainly a sound choice. Obviously Dublin has art, history, and nightlife too but it is has gotten very expensive as a tourist destination.

Kashaeve -- to address some of your questions, re: Hostal Adriano -- the rooms are spotlessly clean, have a small safe and a small fridge (very handy -- get bottles of water and juice at one of the little stores on the street), free Wi-Fi, and cable TV. We have always stayed in one of the rooms that faces the street; they are noisier, which would matter more if you were not going to be out enjoying the nightlife, but are a little bigger and have more light. The guys who run the Adriano are very nice and helpful; I think all of them speak English. They have maps and guides to current shows, art exhibits, theater events, etc. There is also an Irish style pub just around the corner where you will run into English speakers if you should need/want to. That place carries some free newspapers in English that have current clubs and events listed. You will definitely be able to find English speakers in that part of town, just not as many as in, say, Barcelona.

I think you will be fine language-wise since you have had some background in Spanish. I still recommend brushing up as much as you can and getting your ear used to it if possible. Check some tapes out of the library -- I don't know if you've traveled much, but it can be pretty daunting when you're dealing with another language all day long, so anything you can do to prepare will be worth it.

Maribel's guide is great -- she really knows the city. Of particular interest to you will be the section about day trips, tips on the art museums (be sure to rent the audio guide at the Thyssen, it is worth every cent), her good and inexpensive restaurant suggestions, the parts about the wine bars on/near Cava Baja, the bars around Santa Ana, and the section on Chueca. Her shopping highlights are great, too. The Salamanca area she talks about is just north and a bit east of Retiro Park (a wonderful place to stroll around, particularly on a Sunday afternoon.)

I can't offer you any advice on good small group tours outside the city. The tourism board offers English language tours around Madrid on various topics -- if I find the link, I'll post it here for you, but you can also just drop by the Turismo office on the south side of the Plaza Mayor once you're there.

If you decide on Madrid, you will want to make sure you post any further questions on the Spain-specific board so that you get the benefit of the collective wisdom of all its readers who might not look at the general Europe board as much.

Good luck with your plans and keep up posted!

I noticed on www.biddingfortravel.com that some people are winning the Old Madrid Westin Palace hotel for $140-$150 per night. Not sure if this is in your price range, but it looks like a nice 5* hotel (check tripadvisor for more reviews) that usually goes for $300+. Good luck!

One more quick thing: be sure to have a look at the post about things to bring back from a trip to Spain and the one about espadrilles. Fun stuff!

There's also one about what to bring back from Ireland, so to the extent that that might help you decide check it out.

Oops. People use www.biddingfortravel.com to post hotels they have won on Priceline - by naming your own price on Priceline.