Barcelona or Milan?

This is where the two cities differ most. Barcelona has several kilometres of sand running from Barceloneta to Mar Bella, so a swim fits into an ordinary summer afternoon of sightseeing. The beaches are man-made and crowded in high summer, but Sitges and the Maresme coast are a short train ride away.

Milan has no coast at all. Swimming there means the Idroscalo basin, the city's open-air pools or a train of about an hour to the pebbly lidos of Como and Maggiore. It works as an occasional outing, but it can't be part of every day.

Both cities eat very well, but in different styles. Barcelona's food is Catalan and Mediterranean, with olive oil, seafood rice, pa amb tomàquet and calçots. Its covered markets are central to daily life, from Santa Caterina to Sant Antoni, and the day often starts with a late-morning vermouth.

Milan cooks with butter, as in saffron risotto, ossobuco and cotoletta, and it is a good place to try cooking from every other Italian region too. Its daily ritual is early-evening aperitivo with generous snacks around the Navigli and Brera, while street food and markets matter less than in Barcelona.

Barcelona has more to see. The Modernista buildings, from the Sagrada Família to Park Güell and the Palau de la Música, exist nowhere else, and below them lie a Gothic Quarter with Roman walls and the Picasso and Miró collections. Exploring all of it easily fills a week.

Milan's sights are few but of the highest rank: the Duomo's rooftop, the Last Supper, the Brera paintings and the Rondanini Pietà. Because much of the city is modern, these come in clusters rather than one long walk through old streets, and two or three days covers the essentials.

Barcelona's nights are longer and wilder. Bars fill after eleven, clubs peak around two, and each district has its own crowd, from the medieval cellar bars of the Born to Gràcia's squares and the electronic club nights that run through summer.

Milan goes out earlier and dresses up more. The evening grows out of aperitivo on the Navigli towpaths, and the clubs around Corso Como have strict doors. The scene is polished rather than late, and it goes quiet in August.

Barcelona has more nature close at hand. The wooded Collserola hills start at the edge of Gràcia and Sarrià, the Carretera de les Aigües gives a flat run with views over the city, and water sports go out from the northern beaches. Montserrat and the cliffs of the Garraf are an easy day.

Milan itself is flat and often hazy, with parks and canal towpaths for cycling. Its strength lies further out, with the lakes and the Prealpine ridges above Lecco for serious hiking. In winter there are ski resorts, but they take a full day.

Barcelona offers good outings across Catalonia: Girona by fast train, the Dalí museum at Figueres, Roman Tarragona, Montserrat and the cava cellars of the Penedès.

Milan has the deeper choice, because it sits where Italy's high-speed lines meet. Verona, Turin, Bergamo and Lake Como are all about an hour away, and Bologna, Mantua, Parma, the Borromean Islands and even Lugano in Switzerland are close enough for a day out. You could spend a week taking day trips and see a different city every day.

Barcelona is far easier with children. The aquarium, the hands-on CosmoCaixa, the Tibidabo funfair reached by funicular and the beach can fill a week, and children are welcome everywhere, including in restaurants late at night. The crowded old town is hard work with a pushchair, though.

Milan copes well enough. The science and technology museum, with its submarine, is a good choice for a rainy day, and Parco Sempione has room to run. Beyond that, the main attractions are made for adults, and the theme parks mean a trip out of the city.

Both cities are easy without a car, with flat, walkable centres and simple colour-coded metros. In Barcelona the climbs come at the edges, with funiculars and cable cars to reach Montjuïc and Tibidabo, and the long, flat seafront promenade suits a bike.

Milan's main sights are closer together, and its dense tram network, still running the old orange cars, makes the city pleasant to see from street level. The weak point is the long transfer from Malpensa airport.

Milan is a destination in its own right for shopping. The Quadrilatero della Moda holds the flagships of fashion houses born in the city, La Rinascente and the Galleria have set the standard for Italian style for generations, and design showrooms and boutiques in Brera add a second specialism.

Barcelona is good but less important for fashion. The Passeig de Gràcia has the big names, while its best finds are independent shops in the Born and Gràcia and things to take home such as espadrilles, ceramics and cava.

Neither city is cheap, but Barcelona is easier on the wallet. Hotels and Gaudí entry fees are the main costs there, while set lunches, market counters and neighbourhood tapas keep everyday spending reasonable.

Milan is Italy's most expensive city. Hotel rates jump during trade fairs and fashion weeks, and meals in Brera cost a lot. An aperitivo that doubles as supper and a room near a metro stop outside the centre help most.

Both cities have a great opera house, but Milan's carries more weight. Barcelona's Liceu runs a full season, a concert under the stained glass of the Palau de la Música is memorable, and Sónar and Primavera Sound fill early summer with music.

La Scala is one of the world's opera landmarks, with a season that opens in December. The Piccolo Teatro, Italy's first public theatre, adds serious drama, and big summer concerts fill San Siro. For classical music, plan a Milan trip outside summer.

Neither city is a place to rest, and both send you elsewhere for real calm. Barcelona has a few Arab-style bath houses in the old town, and the quiet comes from long lunches in Gràcia's squares and evening walks in Collserola.

Milan has a large thermal spa complex with outdoor pools and the restored 1930s Bagni Misteriosi for a summer afternoon. Its best escape is the lakes, where lakeside villas and quiet walks are an hour away.