Madrid is a capital without a sea, built on a hill, that does not sleep at night. Do not expect an architectural show like Barcelona’s; the strength of this place is in its squares, its museums and its street life. Locals go out for dinner at ten in the evening, and this turns out to be the hardest adjustment for a tourist. Three days for the city, one day for Toledo — that is how the route is built.
The art triangle: the Prado, Reina Sofia, Thyssen
The three great museums are on the same avenue, ten minutes from one another. The Prado is the centre of classical painting and Velázquez’s «Las Meninas» is kept there. In the Reina Sofia there is Picasso’s «Guernica», and in that hall people always fall silent. The Thyssen collection is arranged chronologically and runs from the Middle Ages to the contemporary period.
There is one practical note. The Prado is free in the last two hours of the evening and the Reina Sofia in the evening hours; check the schedule on the official site. The queue lengthens at that time, but the ticket money stays in your pocket. Do not plan more than two museums in one day.
The squares, Retiro and the Royal Palace
Puerta del Sol is the city’s zero point and all the roads of Spain are measured from there. Plaza Mayor is a closed rectangular square, its cafés are expensive and the square itself is free. The Royal Palace is among the largest palaces in Europe and closes on certain days because of official events.
Retiro park is the city’s lung, with a lake inside it and the Crystal Palace built of glass. On Sunday there are musicians and families there. If you like football, the tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium works all year round, while match tickets are sold according to the season. Taking the stadium and museum tickets in advance is important for a weekend.
Tapas and meal times in Madrid
Meal times are late: lunch is from two until three and dinner after nine. If you see an empty restaurant at eight, that is not a good sign. The La Latina quarter is the best place for tapas, especially on Sunday. The squid sandwich is the classic of the area around Plaza Mayor.
For lunch the daily menu called «menú del día» gives three courses for 13–18 euros and is the most economical choice of the day. The San Miguel market is beautiful but expensive; locals go to the Antón Martín market. Halal restaurants are spread through the Lavapiés quarter.
Read more: A Spain travel guide: Barcelona, Madrid, Andalusia, the islands and the AVE trains
Transport and day trips in Madrid
The metro has twelve lines and is counted among the best in Europe. A multi-journey ticket is the most economical option, and an extra charge is taken for the airport stations. From Barajas airport to the centre takes forty minutes by metro. You come from Baku with a transit, and the flight options can be seen on one screen on the bilet.az platform.
Toledo is thirty-three minutes by high-speed train and the medieval city has remained whole. Segovia is an hour away and the Roman aqueduct stands there. The AVE train to Barcelona takes two and a half hours and is more comfortable than the plane; compare the tickets in one search.
Season and budget in Madrid
April–June and September–October are the most comfortable months, at 20–28 degrees. July–August climbs to 38 degrees, it is a dry heat and half the city goes on holiday. Winter is 6–12 degrees, dry and sunny, and snow falls rarely. There is little rain.
A three-star hotel in the centre is 90–140 euros and in the Malasaña and Lavapiés districts 70–110. The Prado is 15 euros, the Royal Palace 14 and a metro ticket 1.5–2. If you want to buy the route ready-made, the Spain tours on the Granit AS site also cover Barcelona and Andalusia. Official city information is on the esMadrid site.
Conclusion
Madrid is a city of museums and streets, and on top of that it gives you the chance to cross into a completely different era in half an hour by train. Check the free museum hours, have lunch from the daily menu, and give one day to Toledo. For a visa and a route, fill in the application form.
Note: the prices in this article are those at the time of publication and may change with the season.
