Flying into Madrid and out of Barcelona December 17-26. How much time should we stay in each city and what day trips should we take or should we stay elsewhere? We just determined we could make the trip, but have not done much research on traveling in Spain.
Thanks,
I thought 4 nights in Madrid were enough. Its strong point I found is the art museums.
I took daytrips to Toledo and Segovia from Madrid.
You can get a way with 4 nights in Barcelona, 5 nights better
This is the rail site if you choose taking train to Barcelona;
http://www.renfe.com/
The earlier you book the better; I found out over xmas to new years the trains are pretty busy.
You need to get a guide book and read about the sights in each city. Madrid and Barcelona are rather different; many tourists have fairly strong preferences for one or the other and might split their days 5/3. You are in the best position to judge whether you'll ultimately want more time in Madrid or Barcelona. Keep in mind that on the 17th you'll probably be sleep-deprived and jet-lagged, so it would be prudent not to expect to accomplish much that day other than wandering around. I'd only count Dec 18 - 25, inclusive, for planning purposes.
Also read about the major/most convenient potential day-trips to see if any of them sound appealing enough to pull you out of the big cities--keeping in mind that the weather (especially in the area around Madrid) might be rather cool in late December, and it will get dark early everywhere. Among the most popular side-trips are:
Madrid: Toledo, Segovia, Avila, El Escorial, Cuenca. Cuenca requires early purchase of AVE train ticket to make the trip affordable.
Barcelona: Figueres (Dali), Montserrat (at altitude--potential weather impact). There are beachy destinations but I don't know what they're like in December.
I'd go with a 4:5 split, given Christmas Day closures in Barcelona will limit your plans somewhat.
December
17. Arrive Madrid (4N)
18. Madrid
19. Day to Toledo
20. Madrid
21. Morning to El Escorial. Evening train to Barcelona (5N)
22. Barcelona
23. Barcelona
24. Possible day trip (Girona ?)
25. Barcelona
26. Depart Barcelona
I didn't think Madrid was anywhere near as interesting as Barcelona. Others love Madrid. If you love painting, you'll want 2 days for the 3 major museums (Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia). The Palace is nice and the Naval Museum (between the Prado and Thyssen) is very good (you need to take your passports withyou). Both my visits were in February and the parks weren't anything to write home about. I really liked Toledo (as a 2-night, 1.5 day visit). On the other hand, I spent 5 days in Barcelona first time, 7 second time and I still have things on my list I haven't seen yet. Girona is a nice day trip, but redundant if you go to Toledo. Monserrat would be good if the weather's sunny. I enjoyed going to Figueres for the Dali Museums, but only on my second visit.
Other consideration is what to do Dec 24 and 25 as things will start to close early on Dec 24 and little will be open on Dec 25th. This might mean wanting to add more days to Barcelona for sites and wandering around on Dec 25th.
If you are a family of 4 as your 'name' indicates, then you have to consider how to entertain kids.
It will also be colder in Madrid than Barcelona.
Christmas Day does offer some big sights still open for you.
•Sagrada Familia
•Casa Batllo
•Park Guell
Have yourself a very Gaudi Christmas.
Thanks to all for your replies. Now may alter and do Madrid south to Seville and Granda.
Would love to see Barcelona, but may need to do that on another trip. Thoughts on Madrid south for 8-9 days?
Thanks!
Going from 2 to 3 cities in 8 days (with one being Xmas Day) is a step back, in my opinion. Also, neither Granada or Seville is s gateway city, which will add to your logistics.
I agree with David. Andalusia needs careful planning or it is rushed. Why not consider staying in Madrid then with daytrips? Toledo, Segovia, Avila. Numerous lesser visited cities with castles to explore.
I think Madrid (with side-trips) and Seville (with a side-trip to Cordoba) would be a good plan. Only two hotels if you don't have to pass through Madrid at both ends of the trip.
My favorite side-trips from Madrid are Toledo, Segovia and Cuenca. Cuenca is at altitude and might be chillier than Madrid in December. It sort of requires advance planning so you can snag a cheap AVE ticket. You would not want to pay full last-minute AVE fares for that trip, and the slow train takes much too long for a day-trip. To me there's really no comparison between Avila and Cuenca. I haven't been to El Escorial.
Thank you. I appreciate the insight and perspective.
