Madrid or Barcelona?

[YankeeCruiser]

Ok, for those of you who have been to Spain, which city would you rather stay in for a few days - Madrid or Barcelona - and why? We will be going to the America's Cup in June, flying through one of these two, and have not been to either. Thoughts/suggestions (esp. for neat, funky, not horrendously expensive places to stay) would be greatly appreciated. Both DH and I are up for adventures, and we both speak Spanish, so are open to "off the beaten path" ideas.

 

Thanks!! :)

[ab0si]

I would choose Barcelona -- my wife would also and we seldom agree on "best city" in a country. Madrid has three wonderful museums and Plaza Mayor is fun, but the city Barcelona is much more lively. It has a very active "arts" scene -- everything from classical music to post-modern painting and verything in-between. There are several "funky" hotels there, also. It is also closer to Valencia, not that that is a big deal.

 

BTW, Valencia has a world class aquarium. Don't miss it when you are there.

 

Paul

[JoanneCam]

I've been to both (see my post today) and although I like Madrid fine, Barcelona is so much more of everything.

[kdowneymd]

Absolutely Barcelona. It is a beautiful city, great to walk around and many different things to see in manageable doses ! The museums in Madrid are wonderful but it is a large city with congestion, pollution and lots of people. The intimacy of Barcelona makes the experience more enjoyable.

[Dushi]

We spent a week in Madrid in 2005 and 4 days in Barcelona in 2006. If you plan to stay put, then Barcelona has more to do and is more charming. Since you speak Spanish, Madrid is centrally located and you can easily take day trips by train to neighboring towns such as Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, and Avila. The Atocha station was a bit daunting the first time, but we finally got the hang of things the 2nd time we took a day trip.

[NAS-KARR]

You are in a NO LOOSE situation......but nonetheless I'd pick BCN cause of it's size.

CIAO,

[Denn33]

I haven't been to Madrid, but Barcelona is wonderful.

[Mike Andrews]

I agree Barca is much the better City