Planning a last minute first trip to Spain in May 2019 - am planning to spend 2 weeks and would like to see Madrid & Barcelona - we are open to all and any suggestions. Want to hear about favorite places, beaches and best way to travel between cities, do we drive (we do often), fly or train. We often set our own agenda, booking transportation and hotels, etc. on our own. Just want to hear about others experiences, favorite locals, sites and recommendations.

It depends entirely on what, exactly, you want to see and experience, but as a starting point, you might consider:
· 1 week in and around Madrid, to include at least a night in Toledo (maybe two) and perhaps a night in Segovia or 2 nights in Salamanca or whatever most interests you, and
· 1 week in and around Barcelona, to include time in Montserrat, Tarragona, maybe Girona or Besalu or Figueres or the Costa Brava.

I urge you to consult a few good guidebooks to see what appeals to YOUR interests. And consider reading any of the many, many, MANY excellent trip reports on this forum to learn more.

You don’t need a car for any of these places, and traveling by train will generally make more sense (and be a greener choice) than flying between the two areas. Consider flying into one city and out of the other.

My guess is that May is a bit early for beaches, but your tolerance for water temperatures could be different than mine.

Hope that helps!

The train is the fastest and easiest connection ..2:40 min. ,not cheap but very convenient.
Both cities are great with tons of things to see . how much time
you wish to spend on day trips or overnight trips is up to you.
I have visited B and M about 10 times each, the only overnight trip was to beautiful
Salamanca ( 3 nights) .
I was in Barcelona twice in early May - it was rainy and coolish...but who knows?

If beach time is what you are looking for, Valencia or Malaga might be an option.

Unless you're lucky or cold tolerant too early for serious beach time. OTOH if you just want to see the sea wander down to the Barcelona city beach. Worse ways to spend an afternoon.

I can't suggest a full itinerary for Barcelona or Madrid, as I've only spent a few days in Barcelona, but what I still treasure to this day, is renting a bike and driving around the city, as well as paying a visit to a secret cacti park.

oh yes, I agree! The cacti park is a must. I personally really enjoyed visiting National Art Museum in Palau Nacional and just spending time at the beach. Also if you want to try super cheap yet super delicious Mojitos, I recommend visiting Sugar Bar, right in the heat of Barcelona.

You should totally do wine and tapas tasting and see a flamenco show

I like kja's suggestion of one week in Barcelona with day trips, and one week in Madrid with day trips, or a night or two in Toledo.

I also think you have the time to do a mini-roadtrip along the Costa Brava. You could do the following:

5 nights in Barcelona
3 nights in the Costa Brava. You would need a rental car for this. We made stops along the way, such as at Tossa de Mar, and spent our first night in Cadaques. It's a beautiful seaside fishing village on the Mediterranean. If you are interested in Dali, you could visit his quirky home in Port Lligat, right next to Cadaques. Then you could sleep in Girona for 2 nights, and possibly see a little bit of the Pyrenees before you head back to Barcelona.
Take the train from Barcelona to Madrid.
6 nights in Madrid (assuming you have 14 nights). You would have time for 1 or 2 nights in Toledo, if you wish. Toledo is so much nicer at night after the daytrippers have left. And there is a lot to see and do there. You would take the train (30 minute ride) from Madrid's Atocha station to Toledo.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my query re:Madrid & Barcelona in May -- all of the recommendations were very helpful and are going to guide our plans - (we are both retired and could delay our trip into June when it might be better beach time).
Apologize that this response is so late --- thought I sent this out last week.

If beach time is a priority, that might make sense. But note that May is generally still shoulder season; by June, school terms will have ended and tourism often increases dramatically.

If the beach is really important than even early June is a potential risk. Obviously it'll be warmer than mid winter but the sea will still be cool and the weather will be the weather. At least for northern Spain.

If Beaches are that important maybe the Canaries? Or think about southern Spain.

On tourist numbers it really depends on which tourist an area gets. IIRC the UK has a bank holiday in May (long weekend). If the area attracts UK visitors it will have plenty that week. Obviously May 1st is busy for much of Europe.

French schools IIRC close July 7th or so.

The city beaches will attract locals any time it's nice .

Don't forget the May half term, typically the last week of May. We go to Spain quite frequently during this week and it's always busy with British families.

June is too cold for sea swimming unless you are very hardy or come from Northern Europe or Maine. I like the idea of spending a week in each big city, with side trips. Side trips can include Costa Brava. Agree that is you want beach, go in Barcelona, or on your Costa Brava jaunt by car. If weather is good, Cadaques has nice beach, and there are others nearby.