More time in Madrid or Barcelona after RS Spain tour

Between the two cities, Madrid has the best day trips. However, you will already be seeing several of those on the Spain tour. In this case I would try to go a couple days early and do some things in or near Barcelona that aren't covered by the tour like Sitges and Figueres or Montserrat. You could do that after the tour but it is a long ways back to Barcelona from Sevilla by way of Madrid. Another option would be to fly from Sevilla back to Barcelona.

Also, consider spending the last few days at the end of the trip in Portugal's Algarve. Its easy to get to by bus from Sevilla and Faro is strangely well connected by flight to the rest of Europe. Look for budget flights on www.skyscanner.com. If you do the Algarve, then you might look at flights home from Lisbon instead. I hope this helps some.

I would recommend Barcelona. Even with the extra day you have added prior to the tour, you won't make a dent in seeing much. Barcelona is worthy of a week or more especially if you are considering doing a daytrip or two. If so, I would recommend Montserrat. Hope this helps.

I'd want more time in both, which I know doesn't answer your question.

I was in Spain last month, and here are some specific things not listed on your tour that I saw and enjoyed in each place. Look into these and see if they interest you; this will help you decide.

Madrid: Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Museo Sorolla, Parque de Buen Retiro, Mercado de San Miguel. Also walks around various neighborhoods: Bangladeshi/hipster La Latina (in Rick's book), and posh Salamanca and gay Chueca (not in the book),

Barcelona: Casa Batlló tour, Palau de Musica Catalana tour, synagogue, Hospital de Sant Pau, Museu Frederic Marès, Museu Nacional D'Art De Catalunya.

I took a day trip from Barcelona to Girona (not in Rick's book) and enjoyed the tour of the Jewish Museum and the Cinema Museum, as well as the vibe of the city itself.

Both are worth extra time if you can afford it - Barcelona before, and Madrid after.
Don't forget to add in a visit to Cordoba after the tour finishes, as the Mezquita is not included on the schedule.
Time in Madrid depends on your love of art and museums.
Both cities offer great day excursion opportunities as others have mentioned.
Barcelona is great just to hang out regardless.
Food is good everywhere. Enjoy.

Hi David,
We took the Spain Tour last fall and really enjoyed all of it. We arrived in Barcelona two days before the tour started and were very glad to have the extra time as there is a lot to see and do, so that is great that you have scheduled an extra day. However, our favorite city on the tour was Sevilla so I would suggest staying there for a couple of extra days after the tour ends. The tour stayed at Hotel Amadeus with a wonderful rooftop view of the city and like all RS Tours, it was located within easy walking distance of everything. We enjoyed the museums in Madrid, but I would much rather spend extra time in either Barcelona or Sevilla. Whatever you choose to do, I know you will enjoy the experience.
Teri

We just got back from the trip. We took a speed train to Cordoba to see the Mesquita and then boarded a later speed train to Madrid. We booked the same hotel. During out time on the Madrid tour we were there during the weekend. Spending an extra two nights there was like a big party all over the city. People were roaming the streets at 4 am. We took a day trip to El Escorial.
If I had had my choice, I would have spent 4-5 days there before the trip but we couldn't get frequent flyer tickets for our trip. Taking a long train trip back to Barcelona wasn't worth it, but I would go back there anytime. My husband likes Madrid because he lights to see the nightlife and enjoys and noise and crowds. We had 1.5 jet lagged days to see Barcelona and it wasn't enough, but we are seniors. If you want to do something like the Picasso Museum or La Pedrera you need advance tickets. You will have a wonderful time

David, I am also taking the RS Spain Tour, next April 18 thru May 1. I will be spending a few extra days in Barcelona before the tour, and then in Andalusia at the end. Seeing that you are also from Northern California, I wanted to mention that I found a return flight Sevilla-Frankfurt-San Francisco on United/Lufthansa, which does not go every day of the week. It did not show up in my initial flight search, but when I changed my departure date, there it was.

Thanks everyone for the advice. We have decided to spent a day or two after the tour in Madrid. The main reason is that we are stopping off in Paris for several days prior to goin home. There is only one carrier that flies non-stop from Sevilla to CDG and they charge over $250 one way. However, in Madrid, there are several air carriers and non-stops from Madrid to CDG are less than $75. So we'll take the train to Madrid and go from there to Paris. Take care.

I would suggest 2 or 3 days extra beforehand in Barcelona - Palau de la Musica Catalana, Casa Mila, Park Guell, MNAC, Miro Museum - as well as excursions to Montserrat, Girona+Figueres, Sitges+Tarragona.
The tour finishes in Sevilla from where an 'add-on' to Cordoba for the Mezquita is a MUST.
Return to Madrid for some more time and your flight home - spend extra time in the museums, as well as an excursion to El Escorial and Avila.

You can do both. As other replies have suggested, take several days prior to the start of the tour and visit sights in Barcelona that aren't covered on the tour. After the tour ends, take the train to Madrid and spend as much time there are you want, visiting sights that you didn't have time to see during the tour.