Madrid or 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. If you are there to learn Spanish, make sure that you realize that in Barcelona they speak Catalan.

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.

As to any other city, Valencia is suppossed to be very nice, though I have never visited there. I spent 4 months in Caceres though there isn't a whole lot to do but not many Americans so I was more emmersed in the culture. It depends on what you are looking for. Seville is gorgeous as well with lots to do. I've stayed a few weeks there and I love the city, if you go during the summer, however, it will be HOT!

They are also connected by daily train and bus trips, check out www.renfe.es (train) or http://www2.alsa.es/portal/index.asp?lan... (bus) for schedules. Both cities are also have RyanAir and EasyJet hubs which is the cheapest way to fly across Europe.

Good Luck or Buena Suerte!

karatekiddo

MADRID FOR ME...I LIKE ALOT OF MUSEUMS AND A TOUCH OF CITY LIFE :) MADE BOOKINGS ALREADY. ENJOY AND SAVOR THE EXPERIENCE WHICHEVER U DECIDE TO GO TO THATS ALL THAT MATTERS.

lavidasigue40

Sevilla is more beautiful and has more history,plus the people are friendlier

la vita e bella

Madrid hands down, people are nicer there than in Barcelona (at least in my experience) and you are in the middle of Spain so you have access to many other beautiful cities. Have fun ! Remember to visit Granada, it's beautiful!

Mexvas12

Barcelona

guiri

Madrid is better for learning Spanish.

Catalan really messes up my Spanish. e.g. I thought that an esquirol was an ardilla for years.

p.s. Adam is not correct in saying that Catalan is easy to learn. It is quite difficult. Although it is a Latin language, it is difficult to spell and some accents are difficult to understand

Nicole

I know a few people who have been to Barcelona and it is supposed to be gorgeous from what I heard and saw(pictures)

coloradoman222000

madrid is the superior choice, it is in a centralized location and it is so much different than modernized barcelona. There is so much more to see in the capital spain than barcelona and even the surrounding areas such as toledo. Go for madrid its just plain better

Adam M

If you want to learn spanish go to Madrid, as Barcelona is in Catalunya and they have their own language, Catalan, and they do speak spanish, but more Catalan. But on the other hand, if you come to Barceloba, youÂ´ll learn 2 languages, Catalan and Spanish, and both are equall to learn. Same Easy. If you go to Barcelona, get a train inland, to Vic, which is a nice small city, and lovely countryside. also you can go to the Pyreenes on the same line, 2h. from Barcelona.

Semper Fidel

Nearly every city in Spain is worth going to, but Madrid and Barcelona are the hotspots :)

Barcelona is more Ancient Architecture Sight seeing, and REALLY good for turists. Nice hotels, good schools, for dance most of all. And some very interesting people around the street :)

Madrid is like the more..I don't wanna say civilized...umm, it has more of a "CITY" feeling. But with lots of museums, and El Prado is gorgeous. The parks are beautiful, and the restaurants...YUM!
The Museum of HAM! GO THERE, GO THERE GO THERE.

Sevilla is worth it too, and La Mancha is nice If you're into outdoors experiences too:)

Man J

barcelona, its closer to my girl and they have a huge airport!!!!!

Rachel

definitely madrid. its really nice and theres awesome hotels and a huge museum. also, you can take a tour bus and see all the parts. its really cool and u wont b bored!! also...go 2 gibraltar and some of the smaller places...theyre really nice 2

Xinoxano

Both are worth-seeing but they are as if they were capitals of different states: Madrid of Spain and Barcelona of Catalonia.

I'm from Barcelona and prefer Barcelona but I also like Madrid too.

Barcelona is better at:
- architecture
- has much more history
- a much better footbal team :-)
- you have the sea
- two official languages
- it hates bulllfight and is about to ban it (something unthinkable in Madrid nowaday)

Madrid is better at:

- museums (el Prado is to be compared to the Louvre in Paris or National Gallary in London).
- night life: definitely. In Barcelona we have too many tourists.

Kate J

My choices were Madrid, Salamanca, and Sevilla.

I Chose Sevilla, for the romance, the culture, and the fact that the program offered us classes RIGHT IN THE UNIVERSITY, where I figured I would have the better educational experience.

Salamanca was a huge temptation for the sheer history of it! Also, the immersion in the University was offered, and the Madrid program, apart from being a more "modern" city, and more crowded, was offered at an Instituto, where all my classmates were guaranteed to be anything but Spanish (mostly other Americans).

I chose Sevilla, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I've heard really good things about programs in Alicante, and Granada, as well. I should think that AlcalÃ¡ de Henares (surely there are programs there, as well) would be good as well.

Keep in mind that Barcelona is CataluÃ±a. Much less like true Spain, and more CatalÃ¡n. (not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind.

If you have never been in any of these places, Barcelona is this MASSIVE, way sprawled out city! I should think it would be quite intimidating.

Whatever you decide, you are sure to have a really good time, and you will think of that city as your other home town for many years to come.

*edit* I'm really amused by Semper Fidel's impressions of the city...I think Madrid has a more old and gracious feel than Barcelona, which has the huge "Modernista" (much more modern) part to it...(mostly in Eixample), but I guess, if you're looking at the BarrÃ Gotic, there's all that Gothic, and it's all built over Roman ruins...so, I see what he means.

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