Just got back yesterday from the big tripDonaldFDraper said:
Debrief from your trip. Any can't miss places? If you were to do it again, how many days would split between the two assuming you have 7 days flying in/out Madrid?
Barcelona - 5 days
Madrid - 2.5 days
Paris - 4.5 days
Amsterdam - 2.5 days
Out of all of these, I think I have to choose Spain in general as my favorite. Absolutely loved both Barcelona and Madrid and not sure I can choose between the two. If I were to re-plan, I'd probably take a day off Paris and give it to either Madrid or Amsterdam. Probably Madrid and take a day trip to either Toledo or Segovia. We didn't plan ahead and buy tickets beforehand so when we got to the station to buy train tickets to Toledo they were sold out for a couple hours and then came back too late so we opted just to explore Madrid more which was awesome.
Barcelona:
We were fortunate in Barcelona to have a friend that is from there that was there for the summer. He took us to a few super authentic Catalan restaurants that tourists don't go to which was a very cool experience. We stayed in L'Eixample left of Passeig de Gracia which I felt was a very nice and convenient location. If I had to do it over again I'd probably stay in Gracia. I really really loved that neighborhood. Quieter with more locals but still a cool place for bars/restaurants/shopping.
We bought tickets a month ahead of time for La Sagrada Familia and added on the Nativity Facade Tower. Insanely cool views but if you have a fear of heights then you might have some issues winding down the scary spiraling staircase. Elevator up/Stairs down. It was beautiful and one of those one time tourist things.
We also went to Park Guell. Lots of tourists and I didn't enjoy it. If you go first thing in the morning or last in the evening I feel it would be better. After that is when we walked down to the Gracia neighborhood and fell in love with it. If you go to Park Guell then I recommend you walk to this neighborhood and explore. Lots of little squares all throughout to relax and have a drink and people watch.
We did a motorcycle tour our last day which we should have done our first day but was still fun regardless. It's just that we had explored so much of the city prior that many of the things we saw we already had seen. But riding around on a motorcycle and sidecar through Placa d'Espanya and all around the top of Montjuic was super cool.
We of course walked down Las Ramblas which is blah for me. Got off of there and went into the big market La Boqueria which I loved. Walk around, buy some overpriced jamon, sit, drink a beer. Very cool. Touristy of course but still cool.
Obviously you have to explore the Gothic Quarter and Born. If you wanna go to a small super old cool bar and try vermut then stop in this little place called Zim. We loved it.
These are the Barcelona highlights. We did a bit more. Stayed out late and woke up late. Just enjoyed the way the Spanish do. My recommendations are pre-plan the things that will take you hours to do if you don't. I typically hate buying tickets or reservations to things before a trip but in some cases you just have to if you want to see it. Other advice is to move out of the tourist areas and explore in the locals areas. El Raval is gritty but cool....and I didn't feel unsafe there. Phones and wallets in front pockets and never once felt like I was at risk of being pickpocketed. I think a lot of people blow this way out of proportion. But seriously...front pockets all the time everywhere.
Madrid:
We weren't here very long. 2.5 days. I could have definitely stayed longer because I really loved Madrid. I found it to be very friendly and had a more locals feel to it. Of course, all the usual tourist places were packed but I typically steer clear of those anyway. A quick peak then dive into neighborhoods the rest of the time.
We stayed in Chueca which is just northeast of city center. It's technically considered the gay area. Stayed at Only You hotel which was very nice and super close to the metro. But we typically walk most everywhere unless we're super exhausted and need to save the feet.
Our first half day we met up with one of my husband's friends that lives there. First went Mercado de San Anton to have a beer and some tapas. Walked down through Puerta del Sol and the Palace area. Then back up to Chueca for more bar hopping.
Full day 1 we walked down to the Prado Museum and spent maybe an hour and a half exploring that. Not a huge museum person so a quick glance around is enough for me. But the area is beautiful down there. After we finished that we walked up Calle de las Huertas and over to La Latina. Stopping along the way for drinks/tapas. Again, if you've never had Vermut I highly recommend. Perhaps some people won't like it but I love it and wish it was a thing here in the states. And of course eat your weight in jamon. And one of my favorite things are the croquetas (croquettes). When we were in La Latina on Cava Baja, unfortunately many of the tapas places we wanted to go were closed. If you can, try to plan your trip outside Mondays and Tuesdays. These are typically slow in Spain and not many tapas places are open. Regardless, some were open and we stopped in Casa Lucas and they had amazing croquetas. Get a mix of the jamon and cheese and the mushroom and cheese and wash it down with a cold caa. Still dreaming about those damn things.
We then walked over to this little restaurant called Txirimiri. I heard their tortillas (not the same as tortillas that we know and love) were really good. And they of course were. Loved it actually.
After that we walked up north into the Malasaa neighborhood which was really cool. Love the vibe there. Cool shops and bars and restaurants and plazas. Sat down by a window at a bar and just people watched which was very entertaining. Then we headed back to the hotel to rest for a second before going to meet another one of my husband's friends for drinks and dinner.
The last day we went down to the Atocha train station in the morning to try to hop on for a day trip to Toledo. Unfortunately, I didn't plan ahead on this one and most of the tickets were sold out. So we didn't get to do that which was fine because just got to explore more of Madrid. I didn't mention Gran Via before. It's a beautiful and iconic street and though busy, I recommend walking up and down it. The views of the building are pretty great. Anyhow, we walked over to the Huertas area again and stopped in a place for some vermut and salmorejo and boquerones. So good!
Walked up to La Venecia which is probably the oldest bar in Madrid. Famous for their jerez (sherry). They say Hemingway used to frequent the place. I think they get a little tired of tourist so be polite and try to speak a little Spanish at first. Also, no pictures...or be discreet if you want one. Walked around the corner and stopped in a place called Viva Madrid for some more jerez. Then headed back up to Malasaa to explore a bit more before heading back to our neighborhood for dinner then back to the hotel to pack up and get a somewhat decent night of sleep.
In summary, I really did love Madrid. But I could see someone going and not. The key is to get out of the tourist traps and into the neighborhoods. Research where the locals good and what they eat and drink. Makes for such a more authentic and fun experience.
Check out this youtube channel to help you better prepare. All about Spain. It helped me tons.
Spain Revealed
