Visiting Madrid – The City That Never Sleeps!

Madrid – The City That Never Sleeps!

Hola! (Hello in Spanish)

Madrid, a city located in the middle of the Castilian plateau is the capital city of Spain. Madrid is called the London of Spain and is known for its 18^th century architectural monuments and palaces and also for its home football team. At Madrid, you can stroll around its streets, visit its palaces during the day, watch a flamenco show, drink sangria and make it your perfect holiday. Madrid holidays can go on till sunrise with nightlife going on till almost 6am.

Best Season to Visit Madrid

Weather in Madrid can be unpredictable with extreme temperatures but Madrid has dry weather for the majority of the year. The best months to visit Madrid are the summer months from April to June and the autumn months from September to October. During winter, Madrid gets snow for only a few days.

Highlights (Special things to do in Madrid)

• Visit the amazing Plaza Mayor Square, the main landmark of Madrid for the actual Madrid experience.
• Enjoy the city’s aerial view of the massive palaces and gardens on a cable car ride.
• Try the Chocolate Con Churros (Spanish donuts) which is a specialty in Madrid given with a cup of chocolate sauce.
• Indulge yourself with a carafe of Sangria and enjoy a romantic dinner with your loved one at Las Tablas at the Plaza Espana.
• Try the delicious traditional Spanish tapas, spicy beef tripe and chickpea stew with meat and vegetables.
• Watch a Flamenco show and learn a few dance steps. This is one of the top things to do in Madrid.
• Visit a nightclub to feel the music and experience the nightlife energy of Madrid.
• Do not miss the bull fight at Las Ventas Bullring if you visit Madrid during May. This is the season for bull fighting festival called San Isidro.
• Enjoy the Spanish culture watching films, dance, music and theatre performances at the Circulo de Bellas Artes.
• Enjoy the streets of Madrid filled with music and festivities during the La Paloma festival.
• Visit Madrid’s art museum Museo El Prado (Prado Museum) which is the home of the best European painters including the famous Velazquez.
• Walk into the football field and dressing room of Real Madrid’s stadium Santiago Bernabeu.

Hotspots of Madrid

• Plaza Mayor Square (originally called Plaza del Arrabal): This is a huge traditional Spanish architectural square located at the center of Madrid. It has cafes and traditional Spanish restaurants and stores. It is the location for bullfights, celebrations, soccer games and markets.
• Royal Palace: This is the official residence of the Spanish Royal family. The entrance to the palace is through the vast beautiful Plaza de la Armeria.
• Buen Retiro Park (Park of the Pleasant Retreat and also known as Retiro Park): This is a must visit park with beautiful landscapes and lots of activities round the year. The park has puppet shows and other performances and free concerts. You can also enjoy a boat ride or a ride on the horse drawn carriage for a fairy tale holiday.
• Golden Triangle: This consists of the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia museums; the three art galleries are located within a short distance from each other and hence the name.
• Royal Theatre: Known as Teatro Real, this is Madrid’s Opera House. It has rich interiors that adds effect to the performances.
• Plaza de Cibeles: Cibeles Palace (Palace of Communication) has a stunning look and cannot be missed from anywhere in the city. The surroundings of the palace take you back to the 18^th century.
• Templo de Debod: Originally built on the Nile Valley in Egypt, it was brought to Spain via ship and then train and then reconstructed in Madrid. There is a museum inside which displays paintings and pictures telling the story of the temple.
• Nightlife in Madrid: Break a leg to Spanish music after midnight at the various nightclubs like Ole Lola, Joy Madrid, Marula Café, Liquid or Soul Station. The clubs have traditional tasty Spanish tapas and other traditional Spanish snacks and music from evening till the next early morning.

Shopping in Madrid

Visit the Sunday flea market at El Rastro with street music and performances, a must visit place in Madrid. Be careful in this area as it is known for pickpockets. Fuencarral Market (Mercado de Fuencarral) that is open till midnight has lots of shopping and loads of cafes, exhibitions and cinemas. Retail shopping with international brands is found in Salamanca and Goya Street. Plaza Mayor has Calle Toledo and El Mercado de San Miguel (San Miguel Plaza) if you want to shop for traditional Spanish products like leather and jute goods. Calle Ortega y Gasset and Jorge Juan St are the places for high end shopping and designer products. If you want to shop designer products at almost half the price then visit Las Rozas Village Chic Outlet at Las Rozas. Plaza de Espana in Madrid’s city center and Salamanca have huge shopping malls with a wide range of retail outlets and eateries.

How to reach Madrid

By Air – Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport or the Barajas Airport is the home of Iberia Airlines and is one of the largest airports in Europe. The airport has direct flights to all major cities in the world. The local transportation modes are available throughout the day and night with buses, trains, metros, taxis and 24 hours shuttles making it easy for tourists to arrive into the city at any time.

By Train – Chamartin and Atocha are the two train stations on Madrid that are well connected with the other areas in the city as well as cities outside Spain.

By Road – You can rent a car from the several car rental companies including Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Budget and others which have their offices at the airport, bus and train stations. Ensure to check the route much prior to any turns as GPS signal may not be available if you drive through the underground tunnels.

By Bus – There are 8 bus stations connecting cities within Spain and outside. The main bus station is the Estacion Sur de Autobuses where you can purchase tickets for all bus services even if they depart from a different bus station. Avenida de America bus terminal would be the place if you are travelling to/from Barcelona.

How to get around in Madrid

Madrid’s Metro network system is the second best in Europe after London. Metro is the most efficient way to move around the city. A single ticket will cost you between 1.5 and 2 Euros for 5 stations and the travel pass for unlimited travel within a day will cost you 8 Euros. The sign boards are in English and Spanish but the announcements are only in Spanish.

By Tram – Madrid has the Metro Ligero de Madrid network which connects 38 stations with 3 lines which makes it convenient to travel to any area within the city.

Cycles are recommended only to explore the narrow streets of Madrid or to cycle on the cycle paths available near the river side and parks. You can rent the regular cycle or an electric cycle from the cycle renting places which also offer guided tours.

Buses in Madrid cover the areas which are not covered by the metro. They offer free Wi-Fi facilities on their buses. There are night buses that are available almost every 20 minutes.

The local train called Cercanies has good connectivity between the city center and suburban areas and also some local villages. You will not have to take the train for most Madrid attractions.

Taxis are easily available anywhere within the city. Watch out for the taxi drivers driving through a longer route and crowded areas to increase the fare. Driving a car within the city can be cumbersome with traffic jams, narrow streets and limited parking space. Renting a car is not a good idea to travel within Madrid; it would be a good idea if you are traveling outside the city.

Top areas in Madrid

Madrid Centre – Located at the center of Madrid, this is the area to stay in if you are a tourist as it has the maximum number of hotels and most landmarks and monuments are located close by. The Hop-On Hop- Off buses also pass through this area making it a convenient location for a Madrid tour.

Barrio de las Letras (District of Letters) – You can see the Spanish culture in this area with squares, museums (few minutes to Prado Museum) and sidewalk cafes. The streets of Barrio de las Letras have inscriptions from famous Spanish writers.

Salamanca – This is considered as the area for the elite with high end houses and highly valued real estate. You can shop for high end designer products at Goya Street in Salamanca. The area has a lot of fine dining restaurants and classy pubs.

Malasana – This area is popular for its shopping and eateries and is an upcoming area. Malasana is similar to the Camden area in London where you can walk around on a Sunday afternoon visiting unique shops and sidewalk cafes with the local traditional Spanish snacks and coffee.

Chueca – Located very close to the city center, it is known for its Europride procession (march for the gay community) and lively and colorful neighborhood with unique stores, outdoor cafes and pubs. The most known Fuencarral market is at Cheuca.

Moncloa-Aravaca – Also known as Moncloa, it is located close to the city center and is popular for its residential properties.

Bajaras – The area with Madrid’s airport has a lot of budget hotels for tourists just outside the city. Fortress Castillo San Felipe de Bajaras (World Heritage Site), located on Hill San Lazaro is located in the vicinity.

Lavapies – This is one of the areas in Madrid where you will find restaurants and stores which are not traditional Spanish due to the large immigrant population living in this area.

San Blas – This is the old town of Madrid with narrow streets and old buildings.

Tetuan – This is not an area to stay at unless you want a long holiday with budget accommodation.

Gracias! (Thank You in Spanish)