In terms of location Madrid is right bang in the centre of the country, which makes it easy to continue your journey to other surrounding parts. There are some amazing places to visit, including the beautiful Toledo, or the old town of Segovia which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Travelling to both these places is made easy by AVE fast train.

Barcelona has some real treats as well. There are a lot of fantastic beaches and nature surrounding the area. These are more geared towards sunny day trips which is great if you are looking for a true holiday feeling.

Keeping the kids happy on holiday is very important. Madrid has some great parks and terraces from where you can watch the kids play. A big must is Retiro park which has a theatre for kids on a Sunday. There is also the ‘fairy-tale’ glass palace with turtles in the lake.

 Barcelona also has great parks and playgrounds. There is probably an even greater range of things to do for the kids in Barcelona as you have the beaches and promenades as well as the Tibidabo amusement park.  

Both cities have a massive football heritage. Camp Nou in Barcelona is one of the biggest stadiums in Europe and has room for up to 120,000 spectators. Well worth a visit. You can also go backstage and see the changing rooms and the trophies in the museum. 

In Madrid the second largest stadium in Spain is called the Santiago Bernabeu, home to Real Madrid. Watching a game here with up to 81,044 fans is an experience you won’t forget. But if you can’t get to see a game then you can get a tour of the stadium instead.

 Which city is for you? Both have fantastic things to offer, whether it’s the international gastronomy on offer in Madrid or the incredible Gaudi architecture in Barcelona. So which one will you visit?