October 2018. Madrid & Barcelona trip. Revised to Barcelona & Lisbon. 12 days.

Are you arriving in one city and departing from another? The high speed AVE train connects the two - a wise decision. Toledo is an hour south of Madrid....many transport options.....a bus ride might be your best bet. I can suggest several top notch tour guides in Madrid and Toledo if interested.

Toledo and Segovia are the classic day-trips from Madrid, though Toledo is certainly worth an overnight or two.

From Barcelona there are a lot of possibilities for side-trips. Montserrat is often recommended, but I haven't been there yet. I loved Girona.

The ave train in incredible!
We just got back from Madrid last weekend and I would usually advise to avoid here until after July and August and yet it was an incredibly pleasant temperature!
TORREJON is very impressive. Lots to see here and it was about 20 minutes away.

We're starting a 10 day trip in Barcelona/Figueres/Girona, then Zaragoza then Madrid/Toledo, and then on to Seville and Lisbon. I'll share what we've decided to do.

Is this your first visit to Barcelona and/or Madrid? If you enjoy Gaudi's work and Modernista architecture, Barcelona could fill 6 days and nights. Montserrat is a good day trip (or a little less than a full day) as is a visit to the Dali Museum in Figueres. Girona is another near-by place worthy of a visit for most of a day. All can be reached by train. One or two of these could be visited while you're in Barcelona within the 6 days. As we've visited many of the Gaudi landmarks on previous visits to Barcelona, this time we're focused on Parc Guell and a day-journey to the Dali Museum (we had tickets to the Museum on an earlier visit, but one of us was ill, so we're trying again this time). We will stop for a while in Girona on the way back to Barcelona from Figueres, but the length of time we'll have there will be too short, we're sure. We'll at least get a snapshot of the place and perhaps return on another visit for a longer period of time.

Our forthcoming visit to Madrid/Toledo will be our first. We're staying 3 full days and nights in Madrid, however, 1 day will be a trip to Toledo and return. I wish we had more time in Madrid, but we don't. We're planning a part of the two other days we're there to visit the three major museums. We're planning on picking up street food near Parque del Retiro and spending 3-4 hours roaming around and people watching. We're also visiting the Palacio Real on one of the two "museum" partial days. If you spend 6 days in Barcelona, why not spend the other 6 based on Madrid, with a day trip to Toledo and/or perhaps Segovia?

With 12 nights ...

Day
1. ARRIVE Barcelona (5N)
2. Barcelona
3. Barcelona
4. Day to Girona or Montserrat
5. Barcelona
6. Train to Zaragoza (2N)
7. Zaragoza
8. Train to Madrid (5N)
9. Madrid
10. Day to Toledo
11. Madrid
12. Day to Segovia
13. DEPART Madrid

Thank you all for your personal recommendations and comments about what to see and do in Madrid and Barcelona.
But we are now revising our trip to go to Barcelona and then to Lisbon.
12 days (excluding the 2 days round trip travel time from NY-Europe).
Fly to Barcelona for 5 ? days with day trips to towns nearby.
Then fly to Lisbon and spend 6-7 ? days in Lisbon with trips to cities/towns nearby.
No car rental. Travel via train.
Prefer to stay in paradores in Spain and pousadas in Portugal although will consider other hotel suggestions.
We enjoy experiencing the local food, architecture, arts, music (jazz, classical, opera), dancing and walking to see local sights of those who live in these cities.
NOTE: We are not "seasoned" travelers in Europe and find the RS forum very helpful for the personal experiences of the RS community.
Would greatly appreciate your feedback on this revised trip.

Having spent 10 days in Lisboa last September-October I have some recommendations.

1. Buy a Viva Viagem card for each of you at the airport and put €15 on it. https://www.metrolisboa.pt/comprar/cartao-viva-viagem/
2. Stay in an AirBnB in the Bairro Alto. It is hip and happening.
3. Ride: a. the 28 Electrico (only €1.20 with your Viva Viagem card). b. the Elevador Santa Justa (only €1.20) c Ascensor de Bica d. Ascensor Gloria
4. Have a bica and nata at Manteigaria. https://www.facebook.com/manteigaria.oficial/
5. Visit the Museu Coleção Berardo of Modern and Contemporary Art in Belem. http://en.museuberardo.pt
6. Visit the Jardim Botânico Tropical in Belem. http://www.bgci.org/garden.php?id=149
7. Eat & Drink at (we went twice to each of these): a. Hotel Memmo Bar Terrace - http://www.memmohotels.com/alfama/hotel-overview.html b. Mercado de Campo de Ourique - https://mercadodecampodeourique.pt

8. Satisfy your burger craving with a great burger at Al Cultura do Hambuguer - https://www.facebook.com/aculturadohamburguer/

9. See my Yelp collection for more https://www.yelp.com/collection/c4DDuTqoI-3WsEeUfcSH8A

Although I like both cities, I think Barcelona needs more time than Lisbon, and it's your first stop, so you may not accomplish much initially due to jetlag.

Although I never managed to attend any of them, in 2016 I saw posters promoting jazz concerts at a couple of Barcelona churches, one of which was very near Placa Catalunya.

Hotels in Barcelona and Lisbon:
Hi,
We so appreciate the RS community responses since Europe is a new travel experience for us on our own.
Has anyone stayed at the hotels listed in the RS books? Price level: 100-170 euros.
Other than those listed, what other hotels do you suggest ( and have stayed in) that are centrally located.
From what I have read the paradores and pousadas are not in the center of these cities.
And do you recommend any of the European chain hotels?
We would like to make reservations this week.
Thanks,
Fritznyc