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•Which is Better, Madrid or Barcelona?: Nightlife
Two of my favorite nightclubs are in Barcelona (Sidecar and Razzmatazz). However, while Barcelona has some great individual bars and clubs, Madrid has whole streets of cool nightspots. Whatever your age or taste in music, Madrid will have somewhere for you.
Winner: Madrid
See also: Madrid Nightlife
•Which is Better, Madrid or Barcelona?: Wow Factor
When I last visited Barcelona (after two months in China and Siberia), I couldn't help but go 'wow'. Madrid's appeal is a little more subtle; it takes much longer to get a real feel for the capital than for Barcelona. You could find several reasons for this - the architecture of Barcelona is an obvious point in its favor, as is its setting between the mountains of Montjuic and Tibidabo and its more obvious 'center'. If you only had a weekend in Spain, you'd feel like you 'got' Barcelona much faster than you would Madrid.
On the other hand, the longer you stay in Madrid, the more you'll appreciate it (I don't think you could say the same for Barcelona).
Winner: Barcelona
See also: Things to Do in Barcelona
•Final Score: Madrid 6 - 6 Barcelona
I didn't deliberately rig this! The results are a genuine tie.
Gaudi has a lot to answer for. Through his weird and wacky architecture, Barcelona has become the city that captures the imagination of most visitors to Spain. If you have only a brief time in the city, you cannot fail to be impressed by Barcelona.
But take a little more time and Madrid's charms become apparent. Cheaper, with more variety, better food and generally more to do than Barcelona, Madrid gets the top prize for a longer trip.
If you're in the south of France and want a quick weekend in Spain and to experience Gaudi's architecture, Barcelona is the one for you. But if you have a week to spare to explore a bit more and you like art, go for Madrid.
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