I'm planning on a trip to Spain in late September for 9 days. Will be flying into Madrid. Heard from friends that Madrid is no special and Barcelona's got heaps more. Is that true? Wanna do Ibiza as well as I love partying and the beaches but heard its a place that teenagers go for "getting laid"?! Is that true? How many nights shall I spend there? Wanna do Seville as well but afraid cant fit all into schedule. Grateful if someone could help with planning itinerary and suggest places to visit! (FYI we're three youngsters liking adventures, parties, and enjoy good food and wine.)

Frankly, I think both Barcelona and Madird might be a waste of time for you given your self-described interests.

Unless those change, I'd spend the entire time on Ibiza.

Dear TopMan,

Dun think we'll spend all 9 days in Ibiza! I forgot to mention that we also enjoy historical sites and nice architecture. Does that make Barcelona/ Madrid somewhere to visit as well? Do you reckon we could/should fit Seville in?

Thanks

Chelsea1980

With only 9 days I would do a combo of Ibiza and either Barcelona or Madrid. Personally, I would go for Madrid (far better museums and opportunities for day trips, tapas and less attitude) over Barcelona (Gaudi buildings, fine dining and impressive natural setting), but that's just me. Both cities have plentiful nightlife.

Never been to Ibiza, but heard only good things - both from party animals and easygoing folks. You'll want to rent a car there.

There are numerous cheap flights between both Barcelona/Madrid and Ibiza on:
www.iberia.es
www.spanair.com
www.aireuropa.com
www.airberlin.com

Hope this helps,
Andre

Chelsea - it would be very hectic to fit Sevilla into this itinerary. I like to experience different things, so if you have 9 nights, I'd do 3 each in Madrid, Barcelona, and Ibiza. However, if the 9 days includes travel days, meaning you only have 8 nights, you might want to just choose 2 places.

Barcelona's architecture is more interesting, but I think Madrid has the bigger party scene. I liked Barcelona better, but I'm a 35 year old single gal who was more interested in sites than partying.

Oh, BTW, I have a 30 year old friend who spent 2 months on Ibiza last year, and she indicated that it is very much a party place and that there were tons of young people and very late nights. She loved it.

Have a great trip.

Karen

Thanks guys.. looking at your suggestions and taking into account that I love interesting architecture, I'd plan to stay 3 nights each at Madrid, Barcelona and Ibiza. What's the best way to get from Madrid to Barcelona? flight or rail? Also is the transportation network in Spain good? Is there a need to rent a car for Madrid/ Barcelona too? I heard that Ibiza is small, is there a need to rent a car there? Many thanks for all the helpful info!! = )

chelsea1980,

Flying is the way to go between all 3 places - check the airline web sites I mentioned previously.

You certainly don't need to rent a car in Madrid or Barcelona, both cities have excellent public transportation and abundant cabs for late night outings.

From what I've heard, you would want a car in Ibiza if you want to explore the island vs. staying in the vicinity of your hotel.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Many thanks Andre! = )
Also wondering whether cab rides are expensive in Spain? And would catching cabs at night be dangerous at all for 3 foreigners?

You're welcome!

Aside from overcharging on the ride from Madrid airport into town, I've never heard of any complaints re: cabs and in my experience, they've always been fine.

Re: safety, you need to take the same precautions as in any other large city. Violent crime is a non-issue, but pickpocketing is common.

Buen viaje
Andre

Small correction: Air Berlin doesn't fly from Barcelona/Madrid to Ibiza, but rather to Mallorca. The other airlines I mentioned do however. Sorry about that!

Andre

No worries! Thanks for all the info! Much apperciated!

Madrid's nightlife is hard to top, and I like nightlife, but I still much preferred Barcelona. Clubbing hours tend to end around 4 a.m. rather than 7 a.m. in Madrid, but the nocturnal scene is still great.
Also, if you like beaches, Barcelona has its own, plus resort towns like Sitges are a short commuter train ride away.
Barcelona's got better food, more sights, much more incredible architecture and a more sophisticated atmosphere than Madrid.

Wow.. sounds great I cant wait till I can experience all these myself! = )
Now that I'll be spending 3 days each in madrid and Barcelona and 2 nights in Ibiza, could someone suggest some "must visits" for me?? All that I know of are Plaza Mayor and Royal Palace for Madrid and the La Sagrada Familia and Casa Mia(?) for Barcelona. What about nice places to hang out in Ibiza?
Many thanks in advance for all your help!

In Barcelona, just walking up and down the Ramblas with all its colorful characters and street performers is a daylong event in itself. The Casa Mila and all the other amazing buildings along the Passeig de Gracia and the Diagonal are quite a site. (make sure you go up to the roof of Casa Mila - the view down on the Passeig de Gracia is great).
Wandering thru the Barri Gotic is a lot of fun, even though a lot of those 600 year old buildings have Foot Lockers and Starbucks on their ground floors! Make sure you stop in the Placa Reial (a fantastic, lively, palm tree-lined square) and have a falafel and sangria.
Also, the cable car ride up the side of Montjuic to the caste is a fun, and the view from the top over Barcelona, the mountains and the harbor is great.
There's so much to do. I would pick up a Time Out Barcelona guide. It's got all the attractions covered, plus fairly detailed descriptions of the clubs and restaurants (Plus it tends to be younger and hipper - a welcome change from most of the travel guides.)

Wow! Many many thanks! Got heaps of info on Barcelona now. Just one question - What is the Diagonal? Anyone with some tips on Madrid bout where are the must sees?

Hi Chelsea -

One thought - on the fodors.com website, if you click on "destinations" then find Madrid, you can see their "what to do in 3 days" itinerary, which will help.

But, to give you some ideas. If you have any interest in museums, there are 3 right near each other - the most famous being Prado, but I actually liked Reina Sofia better (it has Picasso's Guernica, one of the most famous paintings in the world).

The Palace is nice. From Plaza Mayor you can walk around the Cava Baja area which has lots of restaurants and bars. Also wander around Puerto del Sol - big shopping area, and spend some time in the wonderful Parque de Retiro. There is also an old theatre you can tour, and a cute monastery that I enjoyed visiting.

Karen

Great! thanks heaps people. I was thinking of packing light with summer clothes then a friend told me that Spain in late Sept/early Oct would start to get a bit chilly esp during mornings and nights, is that right? Any info on what the weather would be like? Is it definitely inappropriate to pack shorts and singlets?

My husband and I did a trip to Spain two years ago and here's what we loved: Andalucia, espcially Sevilla, nice for architecture, and Cordoba. We also enjoyed Barcelona and took the boat at the port to visit the Balearic Islands of Ibiza and Majorca. Each one is different and has a "character" of its own. If you rent a car to get around you'll see that much of these islands are still "virgin" and you can avoid touristy things. I'd pack some jackets and warm sweaters for late September because it can get chilly around then. Enjoy!

Chelsea,

A great tip for you: there's the Merce festival going on in Barcelona 20-24th September. It's 5 days full of parties, concerts, human towers, fireworks and lots and lots more all over the city. You'll love it!
And the Diagonal is a big avenue which crosses all of Barcelona, and goes in a diagonal way, as opposed to the square blocks shape of the Eixample area (a bit like Broadway in NY or something)

chelsea 1980
I will not like to discourage you from your Ibiza intentions, but I am afraid that in late Sept early October if not all but must of the youngters will be gone and you will fine a very quiet island. Nice but calm.
On the other hand Madrid and Barcelona will be full with young people showing their summer tan in any of the many hang out places.