Which town to extend in - Madrid OR Lisbon?
We are considering booking the Douro w/Madrid & Lisbon. We have never been to Spain or Portugal. We plan to fly into Barcelona for a few days on our own there, then take the train to Madrid to meet up w/Tauck for the tour. We will only be able to extend/use our GoT on ONE end of this trip - either Madrid OR Lisbon. For those who have been to both towns, which town would you extend in & why? Thank You.
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I prefer Lisbon - compact, hilly (I'm a native San Franciscan), walkable. BUT Madrid has the Prado. Depends on the vibe and sights you are looking for.
This was addressed before; the answer depends on your interests. If museums interest you, Madrid is ideal. Toledo is an easy day trip and offers a look into how three religions lived in harmony.
Lisbon is a great city to explore on foot. The limestone tiles that line several boulevards are beautiful. Same for the azulejos tiles.
The food in both cities is delicious and relatively inexpensive. Tapas in Madrid and octopus in Lisbon are all I need. Spaniards eat dinner quite late and if considering restaurants, the locals do dress accordingly since multigenerational dining is considered almost a sacred affair for them. Rather refreshing in my opinion.
I would recommend using the search bar for more in-depth suggestions—mine and a few others who have been to the peninsula numerous times.
Lisbon has my vote.
We've done both and each has it's charms. As kfnknfzk said, Toledo is an easy train from Madrid but I didn't find it all that interesting. If you've never seen it, it might be worth while just so you know what it is. But I didn't find it worth a second trip.
Overall, I'd choose Lisbon if I could only do one.
Thanks everyone! I also asked this on both of the Tauck Facebook pages and while everyone likes both towns, Lisbon was def the most popular to extend in.
We have been to both many times. I would choose Lisbon between the two. I would also consider a side trip to Porto. The tour visits there, but I really like the city.