Should we go to Madrid or Barcelona?

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laxydaisical

They're both great cities. I tend to be a little more biased towards Barcelona, but that's because I'm from there. I'll give you the pros and cons of each city to help you decide:

BARCELONA

Pros:

Definitely more beautiful and picturesque than Madrid. La Rambla is arguably the most beautiful promenade in the world. There's a reason why Barcelona receives more tourists than Madrid.

The beach! Perfect for cooling off in summer. Something that Madrid obviously doesn't have. Also if you have time, Barcelona is in close proximity to some lovely beachside towns such as Sitges, Caleya, Gava, etc.

The climate in summer is more bearable than Madrid.

The unique and original architecture of Gaudi is definitely worth seeing and unlike anything you'll see anywhere else in the world. There's La Sagrada Familia (an amazing cathedral), Parc Guell (a beautiful park that overlooks all of Barcelona), La Pedrera and Casa Batllo (apartments).

Shopping! Barcelona is the fashion capital of Spain! It arguably has the best Fresh food market in the world (Mercat de la Boqueria). Alcohol is cheaper in comparison with the rest of Western Europe (France, Italy, U.K.)

The food! Catalan cuisine is more refined and sophisticated than Spanish cuisine.

The Gothic Quarter. It's an old labyrinth of lanes and alleyways with quaint little shops and bars, and beautiful little squares.

Cons:

Petty crime (it's notorious for pickpocketers) be sure to be constantly vigilant on the Metro, La Rambla and the Gothic Quarter. Don't let this deter you though, you just have to take precautions such as not waving your wallet/purses/handbags about, don't leave backpacks/handbags unattended when in bars and restaurants and you should be fine.

People may not be as friendly as in Madrid. Infact Catalans are sometimes known to be worse then Parisians!

The language. Barcelona is located in the north eastern region of Spain known as Catalonia which has it's own language, culture and history. Some Catalans are fiercely opposed to Spain and may often not appreciate it if you attempt to talk to them in Spanish. Plus all street signs, train stations, etc. are in Catalan.

Too many people!

The Gothic Quarter at night. It's great during the day, but it turns into a seedy area after the sun's gone down.

MADRID

Pros:

Nightlife! Although Barcelona has a great nightlife too, Madrid is notorious for it's party animals. Traffic jams at 4 in the morning are all too common on the weekend.

Tapas! Tapas is not a type of food, but a 'style' of eating. You can do this in Barcelona as well, but because all the tapas bars are spaced out, your less likely to go to different bars as you would in Madrid. Because of the close proximity of bars in Madrid it's popular to "tapear" through heaps of them.

There's more variety of food, offering the best of all regions of Spain.

El Prado. Great art museum that houses an abundance of the very best in Spanish art.

Beautiful parks that can be found in various locations around the city.

Cons:

Lack of iconic monuments. There's not much to really do or see.

The climate. Because of Madrid's high altitude, this means summer's are hotter than in Barcelona.

No beaches to stroll down or cool off. The best there is is a heap of sand on the Manzanares river.

Madrid's surroundings are quite ugly. None of the beautiful lush, green hills that surround Barcelona to the north.

Hopefully this'll make your decision a lot easier!

madridistaesp

Barcelona!!

There is much more for you to do in and around Barcelona. Barcelona has equal numbers of museums etc. that Madrid has........and more! It is set on the coatline, you can take trips up or down the coast to certain places and go to water parks, there is the Universal Studios theme park at Port Aventura, Camp Nou stadium, La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Las Ramblas, the nightlife is excellent......there is sooo much more fun to be had in Barcelona!!
I also disagree with a previous answer.......in the summer..... Madrid is EXTREMELY hot and it's almost like a sweat box, because you do not have the escape or breeze of being near the coast. Barcelona enjoys a hot but comfortable climate in the summer so go there :D

Jane S

You'll probably have fun either way.

Madrid is the more classic of the two.

Barcelona is more cosmopolitan and modern.

Do your research as to what to do when you're there...You really SHOULD make time for both...and more!

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