Spain and Portugal have always sat high on my European bucket list—mostly because they’re supposed to be two of the cheapest countries in Western Europe.
And yeah… cheap is relative. Because from what I saw, they weren’t dramatically cheaper overall—just different flavors of expensive.
Still, when a deal shows up, you don’t argue with it.
I grabbed a last-minute return flight to Madrid using my all-you-can-fly pass on Wizz Air. No overthinking. No spreadsheets. Just click.
The schedule was aggressive:
Land in Madrid late Wednesday night
Fly back to Rome on Saturday night
Then turn around and fly home to Phoenix Monday morning
Was it enough time?
Absolutely not.
Was it still worth it?
Also yes.
That’s kind of the tradeoff when you chase cheap flights and flexibility—you don’t always get enough time, but you get access. A taste. A reason to come back. And sometimes that’s all a city owes you on the first visit.
Madrid wasn’t done with me.
I just ran out of runway.
As I blogged about in my Spain football blog,
I managed to squeeze in both Madrid and Barcelona—along with their legendary football stadiums—by bouncing back and forth on Spain’s high-speed rail.
The train itself was unreal. I’ve taken the Channel Tunnel between London and Paris, but somehow this felt even faster. Smooth, quiet, no drama—and at times we were pushing nearly 300 km/h.
Blink and you’re in another city.
No airport security.
No wasted hours.
Just sit down, watch the countryside blur, and suddenly you’re somewhere else entirely.
Being able to visit Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and Camp Nou on the same short trip felt borderline unfair—in the best way.
Spain’s rail system alone is reason enough to come back and do it properly next time.
Fast trains, football temples, and not enough time—
a recurring theme of this trip.
One of the best parts was having real competition on the route. There were multiple high-speed rail companies to choose from—Renfe, iryo, and Ouigo—which kept prices refreshingly reasonable.
I paid $40 to go from Madrid to Barcelona, and $63 to head back on a Saturday night. For speeds pushing 300 km/h, that’s borderline absurd value.
Barcelona itself was instantly likable—especially the city center. Narrow, cobblestoned streets, tight corners, and that old-world layout that forces you to slow down and wander. It felt lived-in, textured, and human-scale in a way that makes getting lost part of the experience.
Fast trains, fair prices, and streets meant for wandering—
Spain quietly does this part very well.
I spent two days in Barcelona, which barely scratched the surface. If there’s one obvious advantage Barcelona has, it’s the location—you get the best of both worlds: a major city and the sea.
Being right on the Mediterranean Sea changes the whole feel of the place. I took a bus tour that covered roughly 30 miles of coastline, and even in the off-season it was impressive. Beaches, waterfront neighborhoods, long promenades—it just keeps going.
I couldn’t help but imagine how unreal it must be in the summertime, when the city fully leans into that coastal lifestyle. Barcelona feels like a place where you could slow down, stay longer, and let the city and the sea split your attention evenly.
Two days wasn’t enough.
But it was enough to know I’ll be back.
I spent most of the day just riding the metro around the city.
I only spent a few hours in Madrid before bolting to Barcelona, so I made sure I came back to Spain for a proper wrap-up.
I arrived back in Madrid on 04/04/25, checked into an excellent hostel, and booked just one night. One of the underrated perks of hostel life is flexibility—you can store your bags, grab a towel, and even shower later in the day. That worked perfectly since my flight didn’t leave Madrid until 9:00 PM on 04/05/25.
With limited time, I kept the list tight. There were only a few things I needed to see:
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Royal Palace of Madrid
Puerta de Alcalá (Madrid’s Arc de Triomphe)
No rushing.
No overplanning.
Just enough time to close the Spain chapter properly—exactly the way it deserved.
Real Madrid — pre-game vibes!
I caught the buzz outside Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as fans poured in and the energy started to build. Scarves out, chants warming up, that unmistakable match-day electricity in the air.
Unfortunately, I had to catch a flight back to Rome later that day, so I couldn’t stay for the match itself.
Still—soaking in the atmosphere was more than enough to remind me why football culture in Madrid hits differently.
