For those who've been to Madrid & Barcelona Spain...?

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Chelsea

It really depends on what you are looking for. I have been to both and both offer different things to do.

Madrid is like any major capital city with awesome shopping, and things to do. El Palacio Real (or Royal Palace), the Prado Museum (El Greco, Velazquez, Peter Paul Rubens, Goya, etc), the Reina Sofia Museum (Art by Picasso and Dali), Plaza Mayor, are all must sees. If you want to see other cities, Segovia and Toledo are easily accessable. Segovia has the best preserved aquaducts in Spain, and the Alcazar palace is amazing!! Toledo is a city built by the Moors and is incredible also. Both cities could be done in a day and are only about 30 minutes from Madrid.

Barcelona is in Catalunya where they speak both Spanish and Catalan. Barcelona is very rich in culture and very unique. The Gaudi buildings are unlike anything else I have ever seen. Especially La Sagrada Familia, a church that looks like a sandcastle - google an image of it!! Also The Parque Guell is above the city but is also very unique. Finally La Casa Mila is another incredible building. The Gaudi architecture make walking around Barcelona incredible. Las Ramblas is a pedestrian street with street performers and is very entertaining. The beach, Picasso museum and Parc de la Ciutadella are also must sees. Like Madrid, Barcelona has many places to shop.

Both cities have amazing night life and by day are very exciting. They are also connected by daily train and bus trips, check out www.renfe.es (train) or http://www2.alsa.es/portal/index.asp?lang=en (bus) for schedules.

Good Luck and enjoy the beauty of Spain!!

Justin D

It really depends what kind of vacation you're looking for.

If you're looking for a relaxing one with good weather, go to Barcelona. Nice beaches, good scenery (Las Ramblas, La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell), and a really cool flea market by the Port de Barcelona.

If you're looking for a place more like New York (but still not as crazy), go to Madrid. I personally prefer Madrid, as I lived there for 4 months. The food is outstanding (el jamon serrano, la tortilla espanola, pescado frito, bocadillo con lomo y queso) and they even have American restaurants, although I advise to go to the spanish ones. Plaza Mayor has some of the best, yet most expensive restaurants.

Nightlife in Madrid is great. For bars check out Dubliners (in sol, lines 1, 2, and 3 on metro), where they have american music and satellite tv. Casa de cerveza (in bilbao, line 4 metro) is a great pregame spot. 10 euro for all you can drink til 1:30am. Best club by far is Kapital (atocha, line 1), which is a 7-floor club of madness.

Sightseeing in madrid - check out Plaza Mayor (sol), Parque del Retiro (Retiro), Plaza de Espana, El Reina Sofia (museum in atocha), El Museo del Prado, La Casa America, and la Plaza de Cibeles.

Just make sure if you go to Madrid you know some Spanish, and also they use a verb tense called vosotros which is only used over there. They speak more english in barcelona.

dinodino

You an do most of the major sutff in both places spending about three days in each. But Toledo can be a day trip from Madrid and thats a really great place to visit also.

The Major Stuff in Madrid -- Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace, walking around the old part, Prado, Reina Sophia Musuems, partying till dawn on Saturdays. Great restgaurants

Barcelona -- Old Parte, Ramblas, Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Picasso and Miro Musuems, the underground Roman City, Guadi stuff, Eixample District. Pretty good nightlife but not like Madrid. Good food.

Lorelay

I'm a spanish woman from Madrid, I live in Madrid and I have been working in Barcelona. I recommend you to go to Madrid, the only thing that can you choose Barcelona is the beach, but you have Valencia 300km far away from Madrid and many people goes to spend there a weekend. Normally if you have near the beach you go less than if you need to do an small travel. madrid is a exciting city, all you want to do or buy, you will find. It's a city open 24 hours, at every time you get out there is people on the street. Madrid is in the centre of Spain, so you can visit many nice places around in a weekend. You have culture, many history thing to visit, our food is not the same as Barcelona, in Madrid you can find the real Spanish, all our traditions, because the people of CataluÃ±a (Barcelona) says that they aren't Spanish they are Catalanes, so visit Madrid, it will be a great experience.

PioneerDreams.com

I have worked in Madrid and also having taken a weeks holiday in Barcelona
I would say it really depends on what you are after. Barcelona has wonderful architecture etc for your typical tourist of which there are many. Royal Palace, Gaudi stuff, The Marina, The Ramblas etc.
Madrid has equally the same beauty about it, Royal Palace, Retiro Park, Puerto Del Sol, Plaza Major etc however without the tourists.
If I were to choose between the two Madrid would win every time. You can truely immerse yourself in Spanish traditional life there.
Also thin about spending some time in Valancia. Lots to do and see and until recently completly off the tourist trail.
Buen Viajes !
Whereever you end up make sure you research the tourism sites before hand to find out what fiestas are on during you trip. You cant experience the Spanish culture without seeing how the spaniard party!!

lawrie
http://www.pioneerdreams.com/index.php

Mark S

Hi I have visited Barcelona twice and have been working in Madrid for 8 weeks. Barcelona has a nice beech but other than that there is little to choose between the 2. Travel is incredibly cheap as is food. Madrid has the bull fighting and a lot more culture in my opinion.Boating in the Retiro lake is a must

Gabi

What can I say? I'm from Barcelona and there's a huge rivalry between the two. I much prefer Barcelona because the weather is better, is prettier, has beach, sight seeings and lot's of museums and shops. Must sees? I would say all of GaudÃ (especially La Pedrera, Parc GÃ¼ell and Sagrada Familia), Tibidabo/Mirablauu, Montjuic, the beach, the zoo, the Aquarium, Camp Nou ...

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