Suggestions for Length of Stay

A week in Madrid wasn’t too long for us, ten years ago - in October. We actually had an apartment booked for 7 nights, but wound up spending one of them at a hotel in Segovia, so it was a modified week.

From there, we headed up to Bilbao and San Sebastián and Basque country for several nights, and finished in Barcelona. Barcelona was just three nights, so unless you truly need more time there, dividing your second week between Valencia AND Barcelona could work!

What time of year is this trip? Weather can be quite different in Barcelona and Madrid. Madrid is colder in the winter and hotter in the summer.

How to divide the time will differ from traveler to traveler. it depends on a number of factors, including:

• Interest in art museums (a bigger part of the Madrid experience in percentage-of-time terms).
• Interest in architecture (Barcelona's funky modernista buildings and the Barri Gotic being much more distinctive than what you'll find in Madrid). A lot of the top Barcelona sights require prepurchased, timed entrance tickets, making short visits difficult to manage.
• Plans for out-of-town day trips (good options from both cities, but Madrid arguably has more/better possibilities, which include but are not limited to Toledo, Segovia and Cuenca).
• Tolerance for sightseeing in really crowded conditions (a significant issue at five of the top sights in Barcelona).

Personally, I find Barcelona more distinctive and interesting than Madrid, but I could happily spend a week in Madrid, focusing on the art museums and exploring the various neighborhoods. People who don't like crowd scenes but feel they have to go inside the famous sights may find Barcelona a challenge if they don't allow plenty of time for low-key sightseeing as well.

Valencia is a good possibility for a third city, but I'd also consider Zaragoza, which is right on the rail line between Barcelona and Madrid. Choosing Zaragoza rather than Valencia would reduce the time spent on trains from about 5 hours to roughly 2-1/2. Zaragoza is often unpleasantly hot in the summer, however.

On the other hand, the menu of potential side-trips from Barcelona as well as Madrid is so extensive that you could easily sleep every night in one of those two cities and make some out-of-town forays.

Barcelona 5 days,
Madrid 3 days with 2 more days doing day trips to Toledo and Segovia,
rest in Valencia.

You will miss Seville, my favorite city in Spain.

You’ve received good advice. Generically, without knowing what you like to do or see or if you’ve ever visited before, I’d suggest 4-5 nights each in Madrid and Barcelona and a couple nights in Valencia if you’re intent on it. There are plenty of other cities one can visit.

Another way to look at your question is to consider trying to see less in each place. Pick one or two sights per day max and give yourself time to wander around, sit at a cafe etc. over the years I’ve found that if I let go of having to do every sight I enjoy the places I do visit better and am less exhausted. That said reducing the number of places you have on your travel itinerary does make it easier to take a slower pace. A lot of day trips can be just as exhausting as three distinct legs of your trip. Based on your post it sounds like this is your first trip to Spain. Perhaps tell us more about your interests and we can provide better guidance. I spent one trip to Spain just in and around Madrid for two weeks so you could easily have one home base and day trip from there for example.

Imo, 7 days for Madrid is too much; even if you do day trips to Toledo and Segovia. I would take 2 of those days plus one from Barcelona and spend that time in Zaragoza. The latter has sights from ancient Rome, remains from the period of Muslim rule - - including an intact palace still in use by the government- - and a fair representation of Art Nouveau buildings.

Pace is a personal choice. A week in Madrid and a week Barcelona sounds like heaven to me! If you get restless, hop a train and do some day trips.

Have a great time!

Of course, there are loads of cities and experiences to enjoy besides Madrid and Barcelona. But for the relaxed, leisurely experience you describe, I think a week in each is about right. (Allowing for a day trip or two from each.)

A week in Barcelona is easy to fill with its long list of "must-see" sights. That list is shorter in Madrid, but the secondary list, the "also interesting" is much longer. For those who take the time and bother to explore Madrid more deeply, a week starts to feel short.

I'm also a strong proponent of the idea that Spain is best experienced in the 'in-between' moments: strolls, terraces, cafes, lunches, etc. Another argument for an itinerary with plenty of time in one place.

Try this idea.
Madrid - 5
Valencia - 4
Barcelona - 5
Trains, relax, get to know each city

We have spent 6 in Barcelona (my first visit was 5 on business trip)
We are planning 6 in Madrid (2nd visit for me)

When we travel, we try for a 4-night minimum in each place. Some very small cities (for example, Auxerre, France) only get 3 nights.

Even though I haven’t been to Valencia, I like DaveBarnes allocation of nights. The only thing I might change is possibly 3 nights in Valencia and add an extra night to Barcelona. I like both Madrid and Barcelona equally, but IMO there are more interesting sites and neighborhoods in Barcelona than in Madrid.