When to use gustaría versus quisiera

Question

What determines whether to use gustaría (me gustaria ver - I would like to see) instead of quisiera (quisiera leer - I would like to read)?

gustaría

Answer 1

I'm not sure. I just know that I would say, "Me gustaría leer." I would use the term "quisiera" as a means of being polite, for example when ordering in a restaurant. "Quisiera la especialidad de la casa, por favor."

As a rule, I use "Me gustaría ...." to indicate that I would like to do something.

Answer 2

In my humble opinion I believe the phrase "I would like to see" is simply seeing something/someone per say (it could be a book) but the phrase "I would like to read" indicates the actual action of reading (such as a book, a sign, etc.) When you "see" something/somebody you don't have to "read" the thing or the person. Hope this helps or at least gets the ball rolling.