We arrived in Barcelona this year on July 9 and it was hot, hot, hot and humid, humid, humid.

Thanks for all the good tips. Bookmarking for our trip next year.

Hello. I am also going to Spain for the first time with only two days in Madrid. Can anyone tell me anything GOOD about Madrid?

Re Barcelona to Seville....you might consider flying and if you book early enough you can usually get a cheap fare. There may be a budget option between the two and try checking at www.skyscanner.net for that possibility. I love the rails but with so little time i would definitely consider air between these two.

Personally, I think four days IN is plenty if not more than enough...obviously a lot depends on what you want to do but you can certainly see both the cathedral and the nearby Alcazar in one long day if desired. The architecture may seem VERY "familiar" especially if you've been to the US Southwest/So. California.

As to Madrid...I would hardly call it "Americanized" as did someone above..unless you can locate a few royal palaces in American cities much less museums which rank up there with the Prado in terms of works contained.

I like all three cities mentioned and yes, Barcelona will be hot and VERY humid; Madrid will be hot and dryer.

I've asked this question before, but I'll ask the folks here, too: We are thinking of a spring break trip to Barcelona. Because the kids have only a week off of school, the trip can't be stretched any longer. We would likely arrive on Sunday and have to leave the following Sunday. That would give us 6 non-jetlagged days. I was thinking of just staying in Barcelona...but then I wonder if we should try to add Seville. What do you think?

missypie- I think that 6 days with kids in both BCN and Sevilla is quite a stretch and not a very good idea. I would stick to BCN and maybe do a day trip to Girona or Figueres (depending on what you guys like).

As for chi_jen: do you know where you want to stay in BCN? I highly recommend the Hotel Majestic, which should be within your budget in November, which is the off season.

Córdoba is the best day trip from Sevilla (I think) and the most accessible by train. As for Madrid, if you have only one night I would try to stay somewhere near the Puerta del Sol and take an evening stroll to the Plaza Mayor.

We used sevilla5.com to book an apt on Calle Adriano. Loved it -- excellent value. We also had an amazing lunch at La Taberna del Alabadero.

I enjoy all three cities mentioned, and all for different reasons. Loads of culture and good food and drink in each place. Be sure to have a look at Maribel's Guides for excellent advice on all three cities: www.maribelsguides.com.

As for Madrid being "Americanized," not sure what that means, but we encountered so many more English speakers and tourists in Barcelona than Madrid. Perhaps because Barcelona is a genuine hot spot right now. Heck even the Cheetah Girls shot their latest "movie" there. (I obviously have a six year old daughter.)

Yeah, it scares me that the Cheetah Girls will make Barcelona even more popular and that "everyone" will be going when we are! On the other hand, if it makes my own girls excited about visiting there, I guess it's a plus.

Before I went to Madrid last month I had no particular desire to see it, but it ended up being convenient for our itinerary to spend two nights there. Everyone in my party loved Madrid. The atmosphere is very urban and cosmopolitan, people up and on the streets very late into the night.

The Plaza Santa Ana is lively with cafes and street vendors and dancers and musicians. We saw the midnight flamenco show at Casa Patas, which was great fun. We went to the Prado and Reina Sofia museums.

We had one dinner at the very touristy but still worthwhile restaurant Botin, which was fun with strolling singers appearing around 11:30 PM. Lots of other interesting choices on that same street.

We did not go in but debated the Cafe central, a jazz club near the Plaza Santa Ana. It looked like fun, there was a band playing and there is live music every night from 10 to 12 PM. We opted out in favor of dinner before the flamenco show however.

We got many of our suggestions from Maribel's guide, referenced above.

I would love to go back.

On my first trip to Spain, I went to Barcelona, which I loved. I admit that by reputation, Madrid sounded a bit like “the Toronto of Spain” (i.e. neither as beautiful as Vancouver or sexy as Montreal). Second trip, I included Madrid. I was pleasantly surprised; having low expectations will do that. In spite of having a metropolitan population of around 4 million, the core neighborhoods don’t feel terribly crowded (unless you’re mad enough to be driving). It helps if you like art.