Take the train, not a plane. Barcelona Sants to Madrid Atocha runs 2h30–3h05, and four operators compete on the route so fares are low by European standards: roughly €55 booked in advance on iryo or a Renfe AVE Turista fare. Atocha is a ten-minute walk from the Prado, which is why the train beats flying door to door. Book six to eight weeks ahead, so late July is close to ideal timing.

The Prado's main building is fully open in 2026. The Foster + Partners Hall of Realms extension slipped to 2027 after archaeological finds on the site, so nothing is disrupted for a 2026 visit.

What it costs

Take the three nights. Two nights gives you one usable day, and one day in Madrid means the Prado and nothing else. The third night costs about €260 more and roughly doubles what you get out of the trip.

One booking note: if you ticket Madrid–Doha–Brisbane from the start, the airfare difference is small. If you book Barcelona first and change it later, expect a change fee on top of the fare difference, which is where the €75 line above could grow.