Capital Swagger or Andalusian Charm
Madrid rewards couples who like cities with a bit of swagger. The Prado holds Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's black paintings and a room of Bosch. The Reina Sofía across the boulevard has Picasso's Guernica. The Thyssen-Bornemisza fills in everything between. You can see the highlights of all three in two mornings. The rest is neighborhoods: wine bars in Barrio de las Letras, the Sunday Rastro and vermouth in La Latina, grand streets in Salamanca.
Seville looks the way many people picture Spain before they have been. The Real Alcázar is a working royal palace of carved plaster, glazed tile and fountain gardens. The cathedral holds Columbus's tomb. Its Giralda tower climbs by ramps. The pleasure is also in the ordinary, from a glass of manzanilla at a tiled bar to families still out in the squares after midnight.
Madrid has more to see. Seville has more atmosphere per block.
Romantic Moments
In Madrid, book the Prado for opening time and head straight for the Velázquez rooms before the groups. In the afternoon, rent a rowboat on the Estanque Grande in Retiro Park and walk to the Palacio de Cristal, a glass pavilion that hosts free art shows. Watch the sunset from the Templo de Debod, a real Egyptian temple rebuilt near the Royal Palace, then head to the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop over Gran Vía. After a late dinner, join the line at Chocolatería San Ginés for churros dipped in thick chocolate.
In Seville, take the first Alcázar slot and head for the gardens. Climb the Giralda. Rent a rowboat on the canal in the Plaza de España as the light changes on its tiled alcoves. Walk the river to the Torre del Oro at dusk, see flamenco in a venue that seats a few dozen people and book a candlelit evening at an Arab-style bathhouse in Santa Cruz.
Both cities have a rowboat moment. Seville's evenings are more intimate.
Hotels Compared
Madrid's luxury scene has grown fast. The Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid occupies a Belle Époque palace on Plaza de la Lealtad, between the Prado and Retiro Park, reopened after a long restoration with its gilded salons intact. Rates start at roughly $1,000 a night. Other luxury hotels occupy restored bank buildings near Puerta del Sol and grand addresses in Salamanca. Smaller design hotels and apartments in Las Letras cost far less. Ask for an interior room if you are light sleepers, since street noise carries late.
Seville's best hotels are converted mansions built around patios. They cost less than their big-city equivalents. Hotel Alfonso XIII, a neo-Mudéjar palace beside the Alcázar gardens, is the classic splurge from roughly $650. Corral del Rey, with 17 rooms in a 17th-century casa palacio and Mercer Sevilla in El Arenal are intimate alternatives from roughly $400. In summer, a rooftop plunge pool is worth paying for.
All rates are approximate ranges that vary with season and events.
Eating Out
Madrid eats at the bar counter. Order a caña or a vermouth and a small free tapa often arrives with it. Classic bites include patatas bravas, croquetas de jamón, garlic shrimp and the fried squid sandwich sold near Plaza Mayor. Cocido madrileño, a chickpea stew served in courses, makes a cold-day lunch. Sobrino de Botín, founded in 1725, roasts suckling pig and lamb in a wood oven. Skip the busy Mercado de San Miguel for the Mercado de San Fernando or Mercado de la Paz and for weekday menú del día bargains.
Seville is a tapas city first. Order a plate or two, then move on: spinach stewed with chickpeas and cumin, salmorejo, fried fish and slow-cooked pork cheeks. Drink chilled fino or manzanilla from the sherry triangle nearby, or tinto de verano on a hot afternoon. Tapas are cheap enough to try four bars in an evening.
In both cities, book special dinners for 9:30 p.m. or later. Locals arrive after you.
Weather and Timing
Both cities are at their best in spring and fall. Madrid shines from April through June and from mid-September through October, with days from the mid-60s to low 80s. Seville's classic season is March through May, when orange blossom scents the city and days sit in the 70s and from late September through November. Holy Week and the April Fair in Seville are spectacular but can triple hotel rates, so check dates.
Summer is hot in both but harsher in Seville, where July and August afternoons commonly exceed 100°F. Madrid often reaches the upper 90s. Many family restaurants in Madrid close for part of August as locals leave. Small bars in Seville may close for a few weeks too.
Winter favors Seville. It is mild and often sunny, around 60°F at midday. Madrid is cold and crisp, with nights near freezing, bright blue skies, December lights and short museum lines. Either works for a winter city break.
Getting There and the Train Between
Madrid is the gateway. Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD) has nonstops from cities including New York, Newark, Boston, Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. East Coast flights take about seven to eight hours. Taxis charge a fixed fare to the center. Metro Line 8 and the Airport Express bus are cheaper. You will not want a car. Toledo is about 35 minutes by fast train and Segovia around 30.
Seville has no US nonstops. The high-speed train from Madrid reaches Santa Justa station in about two and a half hours, with Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo competing so advance fares can be low. In Seville, the old town is best on foot, though taxis cannot reach many hotel doors in Santa Cruz. Córdoba is about 45 minutes by fast train, Jerez around an hour.
Because of this geography, most couples arrive in Madrid, recover from jet lag with a lazy first day and a late dinner, then head south.
The Two-City Honeymoon
Madrid and Seville combine so naturally that pairing them is the default. Two or three nights in Madrid covers the museums, Retiro and a couple of neighborhood evenings. Then take the train to Seville for three or four nights, with a possible day trip to Córdoba. Add Granada for two or three nights to make a full Andalusia loop, returning to Madrid by train for your flight home.
If you only have five nights, consider two in Madrid and three in Seville rather than five in one place. If you would rather avoid the capital, connect through a European hub straight to Seville Airport.
Practical notes for both: buy Prado, Royal Palace, Alcázar and cathedral tickets online a few days to a week ahead in spring and fall. Watch phones and bags in Puerta del Sol, on the Madrid metro and around the Rastro. Cover shoulders and knees for Seville's cathedral and churches. Licensed white taxis and ride apps work well at night in both cities.
