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The only thing Madrid doesn't have is a beach, but it has everything else: museums, monuments, parks, good food, nightclubs, bars…How to get to Madrid city centre?
-- Arriving by plane:
The flights will arrive at Madrid Barajas airport, which has 4 terminals: T1, T2, T3 and T4.
If you do not have too much luggage, or want to get to the city center as cheap as possible, the best is to take the subway (Metro). In the case of T1, T2 and T3 terminals, the subway stop (which is inside the airport) is "Airport T1-T2-T3." For T4, the subway stop is "Airport T4" and you can found it a few meters from the Arrival Gate. Line 8 is the one that takes you to and from the airport.
The cost of the simple ticket is 1€, but as you are inside the airport you will have to pay an additional fee of 1€, so you will finally pay 2€.
-- Arriving by train:
The two most important railway stations in Madrid are Atocha and Chamartin. The first is located in the south of the city center but you can walk up to "Puerta del Sol" without problems. In case you want other means of transportation, the subway line that passes through Atocha is the line 1.
Chamartin station is located in the north of the city, but also a few minutes from the center, where you can go using lines 1 or 10, as both pass through this train station.
Where to go in Madrid? (click to see some pictures):
-- Palacio Real (Royal Palace): free on Wednesday.
-- Jardines de Sabatini (Sabatini Gardens)
-- Templo de Debod (Debod's Temple)
-- Catedral de la Almudena (Almudena's Cathedral)
-- Plaza Mayor (Main Square)
-- Puerta del Sol
-- Puerta de Alcalá
-- Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park)
-- Casa de Campo
-- Real Madrid Stadium - Santiago Bernabeu)
-- Atlético de Madrid Stadium - Vicente Calderón
-- Museo del Prado (Prado Museum): free on Sunday.
-- Museo Reina Sofía (Queen Sofia Museum): free on Sunday.
-- Plaza de Cibeles
-- It is also highly recommended to spend one day to go to Toledo, another day to go to Segovia, and another day for El Escorial Monastery. Three quick getaways that you cannot miss!
Madrid city map:
Here is a really good map of Madrid city: Madrid Map.
Here is a little video about our days in Madrid and Toledo.
Eating in Madrid - Tapas Bars:
On weekdays, at lunch, many restaurants offer an "Executive Menu", that usually costs around 10 € and includes 1st dish, 2nd dish, bread, something to drink and dessert… the best if you are really hungry! My recommendation is to seek the place that best fit your tastes, because in the front door of all this restaurants you will find dishes offered.
In the afternoon the best is to "salir de tapas" and drink some "cañas". For those who do not know, a "caña" is a glass of barrel beer, and "tapas" is what they give you to eat with this glass of beer, usually a "tapa" consists of a little bread with something on it (bread with ham, tuna, pâte, "tortilla", etc.). The best time to start is at 8pm, and if you are with some other people will be more fun; but I think the ideal is being 4 people. It is the most typical way to have dinner, and the cheapest way too.
I specially recommend the next four Tapas Bars:
-- Bar "Los amigos": it is almost at the corner of Navas de Tolosa street and Veneras Street (metro stations: Callao, or Santo Domingo, or Opera). They serve excellent tapas with each beer you order, and I recommend to order too the "Patatas Bravas" (potatoes with some hot sauce, they are excelent!).
-- La Esquina de Eusebio: it is located in the Caramuel street nº16 (metro stop Puerta del Angel). This is definitely the best Tapas bar in Madrid! The "caña" is only 2€ each and you can eat anything you want. Tapas are served on trays in the bar, and people are passing trays from hand to hand and serving themselves. You can also ask for some big meat steaks that here are delicious! (see picture behind).
-- Casa Mingo: it is located on Paseo de la Florida nº34 (metro stop Principe Pio). Here their specialty is the roast chicken, and order it with a good cider! You can also take the opportunity to visit the Goya's tomb, located beside the bar.
-- Cerveceria Galatea: the address is Principe de Vergara nº4 (located between the metro stops Principe de Vergara, and Nuñez de Balboa). Here their very best dishes are hamburgers and hot dogs! You can not leave Madrid without eating them.
Nightlife in Madrid - Night Clubs:
In Madrid if you like dancing, you can go 7 nights a week, but obviously when more people are going out is on Friday and Saturday.
It has different options for everyone:
-- Huertas / Puerta del Sol: In this area you have many options, from little "bars" (places to have a drink, listen to music and maybe even dancing), until fairly large nightclubs. Weekdays, if you walk through this area, there are many people offering discount cards, and invitinge you to free shots ("chupitos"), or a beer or "sangria". If you do this, you can go walking and at the same time drinking for free! During weekends is not like weekdays, but you can always get some discounts on drinks. Usually you pay around 6€ to go in a bar, and a drink is included.
-- Gaviria Palace: this is a pretty big club which is about 2 minutes walking from Puerta del Sol. Thursdays is the "Countries Party" in which when you go inside, they give you a sticker to put on your chest, that says your country, it's really funny! And the entry costs about 12 € and includes 2 drinks. On weekends is a little more expensive, but there are more people and different kinds of music.
-- Kapital: it is located close to Atocha, and is a 7-floor nightclub! It has many musical styles, depending on the floor in which you are dancing, and the entrance is about 18 euros (a drink is included).
-- Salsa / Merengue / Bachata: if you like dancing tropical rhythms, you have these two great places to go: "El Son", which is about 2 minutes walking from Puerta del Sol. Admission is free on weekdays and there is a band that plays live. On Mondays they bring Salsa classes for beginners. On weekends to enter you have to pay about 7€ with a drink included; "Azucar": it is located near Atocha, and the entrance on weekends costs between € 10-12 with a drink included.
-- Torre Europa: it is between the metro stop Santiago Bernabeu and there are several small clubs all together. Admission is free every day for all of them, and the drinks costs around 7€. All this clubs play different kind of music as the night goes by.
In Madrid if you like dancing, you can go 7 nights a week, but obviously when more people are going out is on Friday and Saturday.
It has different options for everyone:
-- Huertas / Puerta del Sol: In this area you have many options, from little "bars" (places to have a drink, listen to music and maybe even dancing), until fairly large nightclubs. Weekdays, if you walk through this area, there are many people offering discount cards, and invitinge you to free shots ("chupitos"), or a beer or "sangria". If you do this, you can go walking and at the same time drinking for free! During weekends is not like weekdays, but you can always get some discounts on drinks. Usually you pay around 6€ to go in a bar, and a drink is included.
-- Gaviria Palace: this is a pretty big club which is about 2 minutes walking from Puerta del Sol. Thursdays is the "Countries Party" in which when you go inside, they give you a sticker to put on your chest, that says your country, it's really funny! And the entry costs about 12 € and includes 2 drinks. On weekends is a little more expensive, but there are more people and different kinds of music.
-- Kapital: it is located close to Atocha, and is a 7-floor nightclub! It has many musical styles, depending on the floor in which you are dancing, and the entrance is about 18 euros (a drink is included).
-- Salsa / Merengue / Bachata: if you like dancing tropical rhythms, you have these two great places to go: "El Son", which is about 2 minutes walking from Puerta del Sol. Admission is free on weekdays and there is a band that plays live. On Mondays they bring Salsa classes for beginners. On weekends to enter you have to pay about 7€ with a drink included; "Azucar": it is located near Atocha, and the entrance on weekends costs between € 10-12 with a drink included.
-- Torre Europa: it is between the metro stop Santiago Bernabeu and there are several small clubs all together. Admission is free every day for all of them, and the drinks costs around 7€. All this clubs play different kind of music as the night goes by.
Madrid city transport:
-- Metro (Subway):
it is the better mean of transport of the city. The typical waiting time is between 2 and 5 minutes, but if it is very late at night, maybe you will have to wait about 15 minutes. It is open every day from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. of the next day, so it is almost always working. The only problem is when you go out at night and you want to come back before 6am, but there are other means of transport to use. If you want to see the subway map, go to Metro de Madrid
-- BuhoMetro: This is one of the best solutions to the problem of going out at night and wanting to come back before 6am. This buses that operate only on Fridays and Saturdays, have a 15 or 20 minutes frequency and make the same way of the metro lines. They only stop in the bus stops that coincide with metro stations, and take the number of the subway line that emulate, for example L1, L2, L3, etc.
-- Buses: besides BúhoMetro there are also common bus lines. At every bus stop there is information about the lines that stop there and if you want to know when the next bus arrives, simply follow instructions and send an SMS! Overall, during the week, at business hours, it is not a good mean of transport as many traffic jams occur and it may take much to go from one point to another in the city. I recommend it for the night, or if there is no other choice! At night there are night services, that have the letter "N" before the number (N23, N1, etc..). The Plaza de Cibeles is a strategic point (near the zone with more bars and nightclubs) from which emerge services to virtually all city directions during all night.
Something that can save you a lot of money, is the 10 trips ticket sold in the Metro stops. It is useful for both Metro and buses (including BúhoMetro). The single ticket costs 1 € and the 10 trips ticket 6.40€.
-- Metro (Subway):
it is the better mean of transport of the city. The typical waiting time is between 2 and 5 minutes, but if it is very late at night, maybe you will have to wait about 15 minutes. It is open every day from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. of the next day, so it is almost always working. The only problem is when you go out at night and you want to come back before 6am, but there are other means of transport to use. If you want to see the subway map, go to Metro de Madrid-- BuhoMetro: This is one of the best solutions to the problem of going out at night and wanting to come back before 6am. This buses that operate only on Fridays and Saturdays, have a 15 or 20 minutes frequency and make the same way of the metro lines. They only stop in the bus stops that coincide with metro stations, and take the number of the subway line that emulate, for example L1, L2, L3, etc.
-- Buses: besides BúhoMetro there are also common bus lines. At every bus stop there is information about the lines that stop there and if you want to know when the next bus arrives, simply follow instructions and send an SMS! Overall, during the week, at business hours, it is not a good mean of transport as many traffic jams occur and it may take much to go from one point to another in the city. I recommend it for the night, or if there is no other choice! At night there are night services, that have the letter "N" before the number (N23, N1, etc..). The Plaza de Cibeles is a strategic point (near the zone with more bars and nightclubs) from which emerge services to virtually all city directions during all night.
Something that can save you a lot of money, is the 10 trips ticket sold in the Metro stops. It is useful for both Metro and buses (including BúhoMetro). The single ticket costs 1 € and the 10 trips ticket 6.40€.
How to get from Madrid to Toledo?
To travel from Madrid to Toledo, we did it by bus, and we both think that is the best way to go.
Buses leave from Avenida America bus station, and you can get there by subway. The subway station Avenue America is located just inside the bus station (lines 4, 6, 7 and 9).
The company that brings you to Toledo is Continental Auto, the journey time it is about 45 minutes and the ticket cost around 10€. The frequency of buses is really good, a bus every half hour or something like this.
When you arrive to Toledo, near the station there is a tourist information office in which you can ask for a city map with the main places to visit.
Cheap accommodation in Madrid:
I looked for several hostels before traveling to Madrid. Basically services are the same in most of them, and prices too. After an intense search I decided to stay in the Cat's Hostel, because is very well located and is very cheap. You can search for more information below.
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