Barcelona and Madrid, which city is better for traveling?

Question

Barcelona and Madrid, which city is better for traveling?

Answer 1

Barcelona is a really cool city.  There's no where like it in Europe with all the crazy architecture.

Answer 2

Barcelona by far. Madrid is just another boring capital city. For culture, nightlife, amazing architecture and heapst to do Barcelona is awesome. You can spend a whole day just wandering done Las Ramblas and seeing everything there is to buy and watch all the street entertainment. Nice beaches too and an awesome marina.

Answer 3

It depends on what you like. Madrid is a larger city, and has plenty of museums and cultural things to see. There is also a lot of nightlife going on there. Barcelone is by the sea, so there are nice beaches there. Also, probably more partying in Barcelona. Barcelona also has lots of museums and art, but not as much as Madrid. I personally liked Barcelona more.

Answer 4

If you decide to go to Barcelona, forget about using your Spanish as most people will insist on speaking Catalonian.

If you are looking for culture, Madrid has three of the most important art galleries in the world, the Royal Palace and you can take a day trip to Toledo, which is also quite an awesome place to visit.

If you are looking for fun, Madrid has plenty of fashionable places to go. You may even run into David Beckham himself!!!

Answer 5

Personally, I like Barcelona as it is a small, walkable city with lots of attractions. The Gothic quarter is awesome and the Gaudi architecture is very cool. They also have lots of piazzas and parks. It is very cosmopolitan and has a good night life. It can also be very expensive and, as it is a port city and many conferences are held there, accommodations can be difficult.

Madrid shouldn't be overlooked. It is a bigger city, but it has some very famous museums and beautiful parks. Shopping and nightlife is also good. One advantage to Madrid is that you can take day trips to some of the other Spanish cities very easily on either a motor coach tour or on the train. Toledo and Segovia are two that I would recommend.  

If you have enough time - why not do both? The train trip between Madrid and Barcelona has gotten much quicker over the past few years. To save time, I would recommend the night train. You can leave Barcelona at 11pm and arrive into Madrid at 8am ready for a day of sightseeing.

Which ever one you visit, I think you will be hooked and want to see more of Spain. The people and culture are wonderful!

Adios!