Madrid and Barcelona are the two main cities of Spain, both drawing in an international tourist trade and important economic centres for the country. However, the two cities attract very different kinds of people, with Madrid often described as the most Spanish of Spain’s cities; Barcelona in contrast has a rather more sedate pace and some may feel it is more geared towards tourists. So if it comes down to a choice between them, which should you pick?

Weather: Madrid is situated in the middle of Spain and suffers from extremes - it has very cold winters and very hot summers (regularly above 35 C). Autumn and spring are recommended as the best time to visit. Barcelona, situated further north and on the eastern coast has a more Mediterranean climate with summer lasting from May to October, and mild winters.

Eating out: In Madrid, the gastronomic scene is generally more diverse, with more areas of Spanish culinary traditions represented. With so many tapas bars here, a tapas crawl is very easy to do, as opposed to Barcelona, where the concentration is not so high. Here, food is more experimental and being by the coast means that seafood is particularly prominent in the local Catalan cuisine.

Culture: Both cities have wonderful attractions in terms of arts and culture. Whilst the more famous landmarks of La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell are in Barcelona, Madrid has a plethora of great art galleries and museums including Museo del Prado, home to several masterpieces by Velasquez and Rubens.

Beaches: Here, Barcelona trumps Madrid as it is situated right on the coast. There are seven beaches so ardent sunbathers will be in their element. However, the capital does have lots of green spaces so there’s no need to miss out on the sunshine. Casa de Campo is the largest area of parkland situated to the west of the city, whilst central Madrid has Parque del Retiro.

Of course, with low-cost airlines such as Monarch offering cheap flights to Barcelona (see their site for details) and many international airlines serving Madrid, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to visit both and compare for yourself!