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Madrid & Bareclona

Hi there,

I'm heading to Spain for 8 nights in early October. We are arriving in Barcelona and departing from Madrid. At first we were going to stay in just one of the major cities but were so torn that we decided to just split it. Now that it is booked, we are deciding on day trips from each city. Toledo seems like a good choice from Madrid and it appears that Barcelona has some nice beach towns to explore. Just checking to see if anyone suggests any place in particular that could be done in a day. We are into art and nature but also just want to see nice places that will give us a view of Spain.

Thanks!

-J

Posted by
513 posts

There are several excellent day trips from either. As you said, Toledo from Madrid and a beach town from Barcelona are popular choices. You might also consider trying Segovia ,only about 30 minutes from Madrid by AVE, and Tarragona, a similar distance from Barcelona.
Segovia has a 2000 year old viaduct system built by the Romans and used on into the 20th century, as well as a beautiful cathedral and a Moorish castle. Tarragona was one of the major cities of Roman Spain and has an arena from that era and many other Roman sites, as well as a beach location.

Posted by
65 posts

My family did a similar trip last June, but started in Madrid. We did not day trip from Madrid but from Barcelona took the bus to a beach town Tossa de Mar. It was a very easy bus ride and we did not feel rushed at the beach. The medieval town right on the water was fun to explore and the sea food delicious. The Atocha train station in Madrid is gorgoeus with a garden in the center full of turtles. We still talk about the Calxa Forum in Madrid and we loved the Magic fountain display in Barcelona, have fun!
Erin

Posted by
4535 posts

Stiges is another beach town easily reached from Barcelona by train (it's on the way to Tarragona). I haven't been but it's well known for it's charm. I wouldn't recommend Tarragona for the beach, but the Roman ruins and archeological museum are worth seeing. Very dramatic setting along the coast. It would be a full day, but you could ride to Tarragona early and see a few of the main Roman sites in the center, then spend the afternoon/evening at Stiges. Trains run almost hourly.

Toledo is the main daytrip to take from Madrid and easily fills a full day. An easy 35 minute ride by train. Don't miss the cathedral, the two Jewish synagogues and the museum with numerous El Greco works (not to be confused with the El Greco House). The tiny little Mezquita is a gem if you enjoy Moorish architecture and history (Roman, Visagoth, Moors and Medieval Christian). With only 4 nights, that's about all you'll have time for but the backup is Segovia. Note that the Moorish castle (alcazar) in Segovia is nice but is mostly a late 19th century reconstruction. You'll see better examples of Moorish architecture in Toledo. The aqueduct is pretty stunning though and the cathedral is nice. El Escorial, the rural royal palace, is another option and would take less than a day. It is reached by bus (45 minute ride).

Posted by
11294 posts

I loved Girona. The guidebook I was using at the time said it was "a world-class city waiting patiently for the world to notice, and they were 100% right. It has Arab baths, old Jewish quarter, loads of atmosphere - everything except tourists. It's about 90 minutes from Barcelona by bus or train.

Posted by
2927 posts

An update to Harold's post... to visit Girona you can take a fast speed AVE train instead -merely 16€- and it takes you from the centre of Barcelona to the centre of Girona in just 40'.

@ gottfried.ritter: I'm sure you had your reasons, but splitting a short 8 days holiday in two major cities such as Barcelona and Madrid wasn't probably the best move as both, especially Barcelona could keep you occupied for three or four weeks on its own. If to that you want to include day escapades, I'm afraid you'll end up not really knowing too much of them. As alluring as it might sound -and it indeed is-, given your circumstances I would limit my escapades and leave them for another trip and focus on the two big cities. If you must, when in Barcelona I'd advice a visit to Montserrat.

Posted by
12172 posts

From Barcelona, I'd take a train (from the station by the Olympic village, Estacio de Franca) north to Arenys de Mar. It's a nice little town on the beach. The train takes you there quickly and cheaply. I'm not aware of a cheap day pass on Spanish trains (there might be one, ask at the TI) but the prices are reasonably cheap, so you could add any of the small towns between there and Tossa de Mar if you wanted to hop around. These are all beach towns - no sights to speak of.

Toledo is a good choice. I personally would rather stay a night in Toledo. Segovia is another relatively easy day trip from Madrid. Aranjuez might be another good choice. All different directions from Madrid.