Have 3 days in Spain, Barcelona or Madrid?

May I ask when you will be visiting and what are your specific interests? Thanks!

We will be going around October 20th, and enjoy taking in local experiences of any kind!

Where would you be coming from and what time of year? The reason I ask, is that if you were in Marseille, for example, the best option might be Barcelona. Do you have a preference on plane or train to get there?

We are flying in from Frankfort.

My guess is...if you were to ask 10 travelers which of these two cities in Spain they preferred, 7 of 10 would say Barcelona. I like Madrid more, but that is mostly because of the Art museums and the proximity of Toledo.

Thank you!

Blue is correct - I would say Barcelona is a more interesting city than Madrid and it would be my recommendation.

Madrid does have at least two world class museums and palace, but Barcelona has a really good Picasso museum and a gothic quarter and some great markets and a unique cathedral and some great architecture.

If you want the most "Spanish" city is definitely Madrid since Barcelona is Catalonian rather than really Spanish. So if you want to sample "Spain" in one place go to Madrid with a side trip to Toledo. If you want the more interesting city as a one off I'd vote for Barcelona.

=Tod

So with Frankfort, you can get to either easily. I've been to both. I love Barcelona and the other places I visited in Catalunya. Madrid was nice enough, but I like other places in Spain much more. Three days would barely put a dent into all that is available for Barcelona, so if you are ok with just getting a taste of it, its a great city. If it were me, and it turned out Madrid worked out better for this trip, I'd spend 2 nights in Toledo (30 minute train ride from Madrid) and just 1 night in Madrid.

Both cities are great. The Prado in Madrid is wonderful. I am not a Picasso fan, so that museum in Barcelona didn't interest me.

Madrid would be my choice due to taking day trips to Toledo and Segovia. You can't miss on either.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful responses! I have enough now.

Hello, apologies I was not able to follow up with my initial question, but I just wanted to give my two cents on this question. Even though I am from Barcelona, I would actually recommend you visit Madrid instead. 3 days is the perfect amount of time for Madrid, it allows you to see the sights and then maybe do a day trip, without feeling rushed.

Unfortunately 3 days in Barcelona cuts a bit short, and does not allow one to do one of our many day trips from the city. Best save Barcelona when you can devote 4-5 days to not only explore the city but also the surrounding region of Catalonia.

P.s the various parks of Madrid should be stunning, as in October the trees will have nice yellow and red Autumn colours.

Madrid and Barcelona are totally different cities. But I prefer Barcelona more than Madrid because of its laid back vibe as well as the unique Gaudi architecture. If you want to take a breather from your business trip I highly suggest visiting Barcelona.