I know it's doesn't look cool, I know the best way to experience a place is to just go, walk around, explore, but sometimes you just need a guide book. When it comes to an entire country like Spain I recommend one travel book and that is the Eyewitness Series from DK. I have heard people criticize this series, because it is relatively picture happy, but I think in this case it is a good thing. In order to get a complete overview of one of the largest countries in Europe it is hard to read page after page of text and grasp the places you would like to visit. I mentioned in my previous post about Barcelona that I first went to Spain for one simple reason. I saw a picture of the Sagrada Familia and I knew that I had to see that place. Eyewitness has amazing snapshots of some of the best places in the country, whether they are famous buildings, landscapes, local dishes or people. The descriptions of each place are relatively short, but this also cuts out personal opinion and allows you to shape your own ideas through experience. This book is simply a jumping off point, something that you can look over before you leave, place a few stickies in and take with you.
There are a few other features I like about this book. It gives fairly good hotel and restaurant recommendations in the back along with a money guide to inform you how expensive a place is. There is nothing worse than spending months planning for a trip only to get to your hotel and find that your room is too small, too big, to dirty, too smokey and you just cannot bare to stay there. It is so nice to have at least some sort of option (this book includes address and telephone numbers of hotels). I have followed the recommendations once or twice and though a lot are very touristy the majority of them are good. Within the book, in a specific city or town there are also the editors favorite hotels and restaurants and these are highlighted in a bit more detail.
If packing space allows I would also recommend taking a pocket guide of each of the major cities you will be visiting, particularly Madrid and Barcelona, because there is so much to see and chances are you will be referencing the book quite a bit. A smaller book is easier to tote around for the whole day and easier to whip out quickly.
Also feel free to pay an insane amount of money on a laminated city map from your overpriced travel store, but I wouldn't. Granted these maps do last and are waterproof, but they are generally small and are broken up awkwardly and I find a bit hard to follow. The best place to get a map is either at your hotel, hostel or tourism office. You will most likely find one at the airport, train station or metro station as well. Receptionists, tour guides and information desk workers are trained to help you, and please don't be afraid to ask them to mark where you are and where you would like to go, it will save you time and some guess work. I would grab a few maps, because they tend to get pretty warn out and you never know when you will lose something.
4) The Spanish Steps and the Mouth of Truth: Everyone has seen the film "Roman Holiday" and if you haven't you should! As a teenage girl visiting Rome for the first time I have never come to have another more exciting experience than standing on the Spanish steps where one Audrey Hepburn stood and realizing where I actually was. Another scene from the film takes place at the " Bocca della Verita." It is a bit hidden but the walk to and around this area is splendid and its a good neighborhood to escape tourists and just get lost among the buildings and ruins.
3) Piazza Navona: This is what Rome is all about. People watching, drinking wine, eating gelato, sitting in a neighboring square talking with friends. My first trip to Rome was less than perfect, but when we were feeling low we would return time after time to this area and just sit, look, listen and talk and then everything would be right again.
2) Pantheon: One of the best preserved buildings from Ancient Rome. It was built in the 2nd century AD and admission if free! This is another place that could only be found in Rome. The sheer size of the building, the immense amount of genius it took to building and remain upright today is baffling. The surrounding area is a bit of a tourist trap, especially for meals so my advice is to stop to sit and have a drink, then move on. 
1) Trastevere neighborhood: Any time of day is good to come to this neighborhood. I happened to go at a strange time between meals. My friend and I found a small restaurant with only one other patron and sat down. It was down a little street next to a variety store and across from several apartment buildings. Down the street you could see children kicking a ball around and at one point during our time there we witnessed a nice young man ask out a very nice young woman. We drank an almost insane amount of delicious red wine and devoured the single best pizza of my entire life. Our faces got sunburned, we were tipsy, but were sublimely happy.
