Going to Madrid for a few days...looking for recommendations please!

livEwirE

Hi all,

My wife and I are off to Madrid on Saturday for 4 days. We're wondering does anyone know the best way to get from the airport into the center of Madrid? Is a taxi expensive? Don't really want to have to get a train and change multiple times to get to the hotel. Any suggestions on sightseeing, things to do etc? What is the best way to get around, we are big walkers but I believe it is a large city so we may not be able to get everywhere that way. We are staying in the Dormirdcine hotel.

Cheers,
~livEwirE~

tricky D

Their Metro is really great and you would only have to make 1 change at Mar de Christal (to Line 9) or Colombia (to Line 4) to get to Avieda de America leaving a 300 yard walk. This would be no problem if you are travelling light.

A taxi shouldn't be too pricey either as you pretty much get onto the A-2 just outside the airport, which goes about 11/12kms almost to within a block of the door of your hotel. Around €20 according to http://www.worldtaximeter.com/madrid.

If you're into Art at all, go see the Prado, there's some top masterpieces there (including one of my faves, The Garden of Earthly Delights by H Bosch/El Bosco, which had me rapt and chuckling for ages).

One thing I would do is check your hotel location on Google Earth, using Street View. Madrid addresses often have a few doors/premises using the same street number and note your hotel might not have the signage you would expect at street level and have the entrance upstairs. Can't see your hotel from the street but it looks like it's beside a church and up some stairs.

Enjoy!

Enjoy

rossie1977

yeah the madrid metro is really good for getting around madrid, the city itself is large but central madrid is very walkable and has some wonderful parks like parque del retiro and parque del oeste, the best way to explore central madrid is on foot i found. the best place to go on saturday night is around the puerto del sol area of town

moomooman

The metro is very handy for getting around the city, Taxis are cheaper than here but I guess a lot depends on time of day you're arriving.

Sol is a great area, lots of resturants and bars, nice bars too, not the drinking warehouses you get here.

Sol is walking distance from the Royal palace which also has a good museum downstairs, lots of weapons, armour and banners up to 1000 years old. The green area on a hill beside the palace has an Egyptian temple on it which is worth going in to explore. Its also close to the big statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. I'm told its good luck to grab the Donkeys sack.... :rolleyes:

From there walk uphill to Gran Via and its a major shopping district, some great bargains to be found.

Take an afternoon to explore the Retiro park when city life gets too much, its like stepping from a metropolis to the countryside.

I always found it a very safe city, much safer than Dublin but they do have professional pickpockets too, so keep your wits about you and dont carry much. I have heard of muggers, but the cops tend to shoot them... Likewise be careful witht he police, always carry some form of ID even a passport photocopy as if the cops stop you then can make life difficult

Enjoy!

livEwirE

Fantastic advice guys, really appreciate it

jt_dublin

Hi LiveWire,

You are going to a fantastic city. I think what I love most about the place it feels such a lived-in city and is not just another tourist capital. In most bars & restaurants, you will probably be surrounded by more madrileños that tourists. Which means you will get good food & service without being ripped off!

I've been quite a few times and these are a few highlights:

Mercado San Miguel: Just outside Plaza Mayor. There is a great buzz here day & night. Fantastic for tapas, wine, coffee etc..
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187514-d1520183-Reviews-Mercado_San_Miguel-Madrid.html

Flamenco Show: Las Carboneras is just behind Mercado San Miguel. Again it's not very touristy so you feel as if it is the real deal. The energy of the dancers was amazing. The guest dancer was fantastic too...I'm just glad we weren't in the front row as beads of sweat came flying off his brow with every twist & turn he made! We called in there during the day and reserved our seats for that nights late performance. We didn't have dinner but just came along around the time people were finishing their main courses. Entrance included a drink or 2 if I remember.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187514-d737255-Reviews-Las_Carboneras-Madrid.html

Ok, this might be a bit touristy, but the cave bars / restaurants just down from Mercado San Miguel are really good. Here is one of the many along here: The House of Mushrooms!
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d809698-Reviews-Meson_del_Champinon-Madrid.html

I dont know if you are into art galleries but I prefer the Thyssen Bornemisza museum to the Prado as it has a more wider range. Some of the impressionist paintings are wonderful.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187514-d198867-Reviews-Thyssen_Bornemisza_Museum_Museo_Thyssen_Bornemisza-Madrid.html

Madrid centre is very much a walking city. It's not too far from Plaza Mayor to the Palace, to Sol & to the Thyssen, Prado & Parque Retiro.

Buen viaje!

JT.

Unshelved

Consider a day trip to Toledo. You get the fast train from Atocha Station (the only station I've seen with a tropical garden in the centre!). The train takes less than an hour and Toledo is just spectacular. This is a good time of the year to visit because it won't be thronged with tourists.

The Thyssen museum - as mentioned in the last post - has a nice restaurant with an excellent-value fixed price lunch.

The drinking chocolate in Chocolateria San Gines - http://maps.google.com/maps/place?um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=chocolate+madrid&fb=1&hq=chocolate&hnear=0xd42287d383766c9:0xad469cc0ed50997d,Madrid,+Spain&cid=7536165071040463829 - is sublime! It stays open until 6am so it's a nice way to finish a night out - but it's great at any time. It's about half way between Plaza Mayor and Sol.

The tapas bars around Plaza Santa Ana are good fun for dipping in and out of - they stay open really late and are very lively.

El Rastro Sunday Market has to be seen to be believed - it's huge! You need to keep an eye on your wallet but it's well worth a look.

Madrid is a great city - hope you have a fantastic time.

livEwirE

Again, brilliant info thank, really looking forward to it now :D:D

livEwirE

I've heard there are a couple of theme parks in the area, has anyone been to Parque Warner Madrid and is it worth a trip? Can't remember the name of the other main one right now.

Zebra3

Wow, lucky you. What a fantastic city. One of my favourite places.

Just be very, very wary of pickpockets on the Metro and around the town in general.

If you're into football, Atletico are playing at home on Sunday evening. :cool:

livEwirE

Sound advice thanks