Three full days is right for Madrid; four with Toledo

Day 1: old Madrid and the palace, then Debod at sunset

Day 2: a full morning at the Prado, then Retiro and the Crystal Palace

Day 3: the Thyssen in about 90 minutes, then the Reina Sofía

Two days covers the Prado and old centre, not all three museums

Lunch from 2pm, dinner from 9pm: a Madrid day runs to midnight

Pairing Madrid with Barcelona or Seville? The split is in the guide