Planning trip to Madrid in April

Suggest the Gran Via area near the intersection of Calle Funercal and Calle Monterna...Hostas Phillipe V or Hostal Montecarlo...both are good, clean, and central. There are also some hotels in the area as well. Check out www.madridman.com and their websites as well. The Royal Palace, together with the Royal Armory is a must - The Armory especially for a 14 yr old (boy?). The Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol, even the Prado would be good. Think that both of you would enjoy the Prado. Also the Park Retiro - fantastic!! Barcelona will be a bit out of the way - 3 hours by AVE train. Suggest Toledo or Sevilla instead. 1/2 Hour and 2 1/2 hours respectively. Plan to stay over night in either city at least. Posada de Manolo Hostal in Toledo and Hostal Santa Anna in Sevilla...both cities will be of interest to you both as well.

Try blogging on Lonely Planet's Thorn tree forum as well. There's a guy who is from Spain and is very helpful with suggestions. Of course, I'm sure there are many experienced travelers on RS as well but, I've used both and have found them quite good.

Barcelona is definitely not a "side-trip" destination. I think a 14-year old would have a great time in Barcelona though (especially with all the Gaudi attractions), so you might want to think about actually staying there for at least a couple nights. It'd be a good way to break up your week in Madrid. If that's not an option, then day trips to Toledo and/or Segovia would be a good idea. Madrid's museums are good, but heavy on art. I'm going to guess that a 14-year old would get bored fairly quickly, so I'd suggest breaking them up over multiple days. And as long as you're okay with it, a bullfight at Las Ventas would be a fun event. The crowd can get rowdy, but it's definitely an unforgettable experience.

Puerto del Sol is the heart of Spain and it doesn't get more central than that. Hotel Europa sits at P del Sol is a great three star hotel that could not be better location. We always request a front room with the tiny balcony overlooking the plaza but it can be little noisy at night. A higher floor is better than lower floor. If noisy is problem then request a room on the back side. Not sure I would recommend a bull fight for a 14 year old as a fun activity. Certainly a cultural activity and a part of the Spanish legacy, However, we did go once and that was enough. After three fights, the bull won one, lost one, and the third was tie -- but the bull always loses in the end.

Agree that Barcelona isn't a side trip but a completely separate destination. El Escorial, on the other hand, is another great daytrip...easy by train. It's a long walk from the station to the palace through a huge and beautifully tree-lined park. The mountains sit just beyond the complex, so you get a real feeling of being out in the natural surroundings. Bring a fold-up travel Frisbee, and spend some time in the park with your son. There's a really good pizza place in town right across from the palace complex...can't recall name but it's on lower level of a building with a few shops...kids always love pizza. You probably can't miss it...really small town. Lodging: near Europa, check out Hostal Acapulco...inexpensive, very clean, and highly-rated on tripadvisor. Europa has a nice café with outdoor seating...good café con leche!

Though Madrid was beautiful and classic Spain, I thnk that a 14-year-old would have a much better time in Barcelona which is more young and hip. The 3-hour AVE trip was definitely worth the price IMO. You could probably spend 3 days in Madrid, and 5 in Barcelona. I spent 11 days in Barcelona and 1.5 days in Madrid.