5 Nights in Spain - Split Cities or Stay

Posted by JohnA on 03/14/24 09:35 PM

A friend and I will be traveling to Spain this July for 5 nights. Want to do Barcelona and Madrid. Trying to decide whether we can do justice to either location if we split between the two. My initial thought was to fly into Barcelona, spend 2 nights, travel to Madrid and spend the remaining 3 nights. Flying out of Madrid. That only gives 1 full day in Barcelona and 2 full days in Madrid.

I'm starting to think that we need to pick one or the other and day trip from a home base. Looking for thoughts and suggestions. Pretty neutral on which location would be preferred.

40 year old dudes that will be doing a mix of historical/sight-seeing things as well as tame nightlife activities (getting too old for anything too crazy).

Thanks in advance.

Posted by funpig

Vancouver, BC, Canada

03/14/24 09:48 PM

1313 posts

If you have already bought your open jaw tickets for Barcelona and Madrid, you have no choice but to split yours days.

If you have not already bought your tickets, I would prefer to fly in and out and stay the whole 5 days in one city. I'm glad that you appreciate the math of calculating travel days. By staying all five nights in one city, you would have four full days to enjoy. Between the two cities, you could flip a coin. At the moment, I would lean towards Barcelona. Tomorrow, I could easily change my mind.

Posted by Marco

Miami

03/14/24 09:54 PM

338 posts

Stay in one city. If you like art museums, go to Madrid. If you don’t care much about art museums, go to Barcelona. But Madrid also has the much better day trip options in Toledo and Segovia… tough choice.

Posted by jaimeelsabio

Mid-Atlantic area

03/14/24 10:15 PM

7157 posts

With the drought in Catalonia and with your very limited time, head to Madrid. There are a number of nice day trips you can take from it.

Posted by Pat

back in the Americas

03/14/24 10:34 PM

723 posts

With your limited time frame I'd choose just one, not both, and my choice would be Madrid. Lots to see and do there and also great for daytrips within easy reach: Toledo, Segovia, Avila, Alcalá de Henares, and more.

Posted by MariaF

Ontario, Canada

03/14/24 11:51 PM

4656 posts

It's going to be hot and crowded in Barcelona in July...you'll need to add cruise day trippers to the throngs of tourists. Madrid may also be hot and crowded, but minus the cruise crowd and there is a massive park for a shade and nature break. I would choose Madrid.

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

03/15/24 01:49 AM

28082 posts

Madrid's average July high temperature is 6 degrees (F) above Barcelona's, but Barcelona can be (maybe "will be" would be more accurate--I'd don't know) muggier, so it may not feel any cooler. You'd have access to beaches in Barcelona, though. It's a tough call unless you're nuts for wackadoodle Art Nouveau architecture (that would be Barcelona). The drought in Catalunya could be the thing that tips the balance.

Posted by leibowitzjaime

03/17/24 06:31 AM

2 posts

I think that would help you answer your question and if I had to choose or decide which one over the other I'd go with visitng Madrid given the situation.
Here's the original link to the website for reference: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/think-twice-about-visiting-barcelona-this-summer-2024

From the original forum on this website: "This year in Barcelona and the wider Catalonia region we are enduring our most severe drought ever recorded. Most city fountains have been shut off, there is a ban on refilling hotel swimming pools, there is a ban on watering public gardens, beach showers are shut off, and hotels now ask guests to limit showers to just four minutes. If conditions don't improve, water may even need to be shipped in from neighboring regions, just to keep Barcelona functioning over the summer.
I fear the tourist season this summer in Barcelona will bring on even more restrictions, when we will have a collision of a climate crisis and overtourism crisis to create a really dreadful situation for both locals and tourists. Please consider alternative destinations in Spain this summer."