How to spend 3 days in Barcelona without wasting money or time: the Old Town on day one, Gaudí on day two, Montjuïc and the beach on day three, with current ticket prices, metro tips and where to stay.
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Nine nights across Madrid, Seville and Barcelona, with Toledo and Córdoba as day trips: the order that avoids backtracking, real train and flight times, current ticket prices and the mistakes to skip.
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Spain and Portugal pair well because the food, the late dinners and the coastal light are shared, but the logistics differ. Barcelona is a compact city break, mainland Spain works as a two-week loop, and Portugal is small enough to cover in a week.
Use these guides to pick your cities, understand how the high-speed trains work, and decide where a beach island like Mallorca fits in. Each guide includes realistic daily plans and neighborhood-by-neighborhood hotel advice.
In Spain, the AVE high-speed trains make Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia easy to link, and booking a few weeks ahead keeps fares low. Portugal is best on a Lisbon-and-Porto spine, with a side trip to Sintra or the Algarve.
Meal times differ from the US. Lunch is the main meal and dinner starts late, so plan your day accordingly.
Start with: Barcelona itinerary, 10 days in Spain
Part of Europe Destinations & Itineraries guides. Browse the other topics there to keep planning.