Madrid

stargazer 68

Heading to Madrid shortly - 10 of us! We are staying near Atocha train station so current plan is to get the airport bus to the station and then walk to the hotel - providing we dont get lost!

The Plaza Mayor seems to be the place to be but its half an hour away from our hotel. Any other suggestions? Does anyone know if the red tour bus goes near the station - cant seem to find it on their route map. We could use it as a sort of taxi -did it in New York and it was great.

Strumms

Madrid is a fantastic city and you choose well to base yourself close to Atocha. The bus runs from arrivals to Atocha with a couple of stops, the express one that is and it costs a fiver each way from memory and takes only about 20-25 mins. Perhaps 30 minutes if it's rush hour due to the traffic.

When you say the place to be I am guessing you mean nightlife ? Plaza Mayor is worth a look and there is a nice atmosphere here in the evening's with some good restaurants but many touristy ones also. Also close by just of the Plaza is the San Migual Market which has a great atmosphere all of it's own but can be on the pricey side, it's mainly Tapas stands plus some beer and wine / sangria and meat / fish stalls... Also check out the 'La Latina' area which is the kind of up and coming 'hip' area for bars and restaurants popular with the locals mainly and is cheaper also than the area around the Plaza. Also near to Atocha is the Prado district and I'd recommend taking a look around Calle de Moratín and that area full of narrow winding streets where there are some good bars and Tapas places again very popular with the locals...

Don't get too hung up on distances, central Madrid is not only very walkable but there is an extremely good and reasonably priced metro that connects the city and beyond even.

Never did the tour bus thing so can't advise on that but it's a great city to visit especially this time of the year....

Jimbob1977

There are three fabulous museums... the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen.

The Retiro Park is beautiful, with its rowing boats. Like a Stephen's Green or Central Park.

The main squares have stunning fountains and architecture.

The Serrano district, if I recall, is the fashionable shopping area.

Football fans can get a guided tour of Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium. It's really good.

You can also go salsa dancing.

It's a late night city. People head out at 11pm and there's serious traffic jams at 4am on weekends.

There are those red Hop On buses and the metro is excellent.

Ted_YNWA

Was there last year & echo what Jimbob has said.

We went to both Prado & Thyssen (virtually across the road from each other), much preferred the Thyssen, has a greater mix than Prado which seemed to have a heavy concentration of Renaissance styles.

Metro is quick & very easy to use, but the whole central district is easy to walk around.

I always prefer to walk around, you get to see different things when you go off the beaten track. Very safe city.

stargazer 68

Thanks folks. Will take a look at all those.

Gatica

Great city to walk, shop, eat and enjoy the sun... Great museums already mentioned, the botanical gardens are just beside the Prado and the Retiro park is huge.
If you like wine or G&Ts then the best area has to be La Latina alright. You can walk down all of Cava Baja, up Cava Alta, around Almendro and the plaza by the Church there. Great wine and tapas bars. It's a great way to taste the wines and food. Personally love La Martina, Posada del Leon and Taberna Del Capitán Alatriste.
With kids there's an amusement park on the metro line and a large zoo.

Nemanrio

Perhaps a stupid question but I don't know a piece of artwork from a hole in the wall, so would it be still worth visiting an art gallery?

If so where else would people recommend?

Ted_YNWA

Nemanrio wrote: »

Perhaps a stupid question but I don't know a piece of artwork from a hole in the wall, so would it be still worth visiting an art gallery?

If so where else would people recommend?

I'd be the same as you, but ended up going to 2 galleries there. The Prado is the more famous one, was nice but you get your fill on the Renaissance / religiousy paintings after a while.

The Thyssen, just across the road had a better mix of landscapes & historic scenes there as well. Much preferred this one & was less crowded too.

elperello

This is the "must see" in Madrid.

It's quite fascinating even if you know nothing about art and is important in an historical context also.

http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp

Gatica

Nemanrio wrote: »

Perhaps a stupid question but I don't know a piece of artwork from a hole in the wall, so would it be still worth visiting an art gallery?

If so where else would people recommend?

Depends on whether you enjoy looking at it. You don't have to be a connoisseur to enjoy a pretty picture... or if you like to read about the artist and his style while looking at the actual painting.
If you don't enjoy that at all, then don't bother and do something you'll like. Otherwise, I don't see the harm in going to enjoy a couple of hours looking at artwork.

Mr rebel

I am finding this thread useful as I am heading to Madrid next month. I am staying in the Peurta De Sol area and wonder if it is a good base to explore the city from?

arch_stanton

Hi, Puerta del Sol is dead centre of Madrid so you're within 20 minutes walk or a short metro/bus ride of everything. The centre is pretty compact so you can do a lot on foot. Close by you have the plaza mayor, the royal palace, parque del retiro, cibeles, the prado and reina sofia museums. Plenty of shopping too. Are you going on your own or with family, bunch of lads, mixed group? What sort of things are you interested in and how long will you be there?

Mr rebel

Thanks for the info:) It is a solo trip and I will be there for just three days. I am looking to visit some museums and the main landmarks, while being close to some good nightlife is also important.

n1ey

Dovies wrote: »

Heading to Madrid shortly - 10 of us! We are staying near Atocha train station so current plan is to get the airport bus to the station and then walk to the hotel - providing we dont get lost!

The Plaza Mayor seems to be the place to be but its half an hour away from our hotel. Any other suggestions? Does anyone know if the red tour bus goes near the station - cant seem to find it on their route map. We could use it as a sort of taxi -did it in New York and it was great.

You can walk to Plaza Mayor. The famous department store is there.
I would walk from a rented apartment near Plaza Mayor to Atocha. It isn't that far.

Bill

arch_stanton

Mr rebel wrote: »

Thanks for the info:) It is a solo trip and I will be there for just three days. I am looking to visit some museums and the main landmarks, while being close to some good nightlife is also important.

Museums and major landmarks are all pretty much in walking distance of Sol. The metro will get you anywhere. A 10 journey ticket is about €12 and is valid on the metro or bus. You have to pay a supplement on the metro for the airport.

The Prada and Reina Sofia are both huge and you could easily spend half a day in each. The Royal Palace is worth a look too. If you do the tour don't forget to have a look at the armory at the end. It's on the far side of the main courtyard and not usually covered by the guided part of the tour.

If you're around on a match day for Real or Atletico you can buy the tickets online from ticketmaster or entradas.com. They are usually available to the general public about 5 days before the game. There's also a stadium tour of the Bernabeu.

For nightlife, most bars in the centre stay open until 3am on weekends with some others and nightclubs open until 6. The area around the Plaza Santa Ana is like the Madrid version of Temple Bar, a million bars but a bit touristy.

The area north of Gran Via around Tribunal and Malasaña is better. South of Sol you also have the Latina area, again with lots of local bars and tapas spots.

There's a terrace on the roof of the Circulo de Bellas Artes with an amazing view. I think admission is 3-4 euro and drinks are pricier than usual but it's worth it to spend an hour and take in the view. There's also a terrace on top of the main hotel in Plaza Santa Ana but I haven't been.

Mr rebel

I've just been reading an article about how Madrid is rife with petty theft with pickpocketers targeting tourists. It even says to avoid the metro when arriving at the airport with your luggage or it will be pulled off you by thieves.
I like to use the metro in all the major cities I visit as cabs can be expensive.
Is it really that bad there?

Gatica

I've honestly never seen anyone getting luggage pulled off them in Madrid or in a subway. The metro there is a great way to get around and as long as you're careful and not flashy, I don't think it's an issue.

I do think it's pickpocket central, same as Barcelona, so you really gotta watch your pockets and handbags/backpacks. Don't have money or valuables in loose pockets, if someone stops you on the street asking for directions and they look dodge either pretend you don't understand and walk on or keep a firm hold on your handbag. We had someone try that on with us, with one hand she was holding up a map, with the other she was trying to unzip a handbag, thankfully we noticed in time to swat her hand away and briskly walk off. They also recommend walking with your handbag across your body, rather than on your shoulder and in front of you instead of to hip and side. These are just precautions and you don't need to be paranoid, but yes, it happens more than here at home.

helimachoptor

Was in madrid twice and both times got the metro from the airport, however neither time did i have any issues with pick pockets or theft and i didnt see any either.

I defintely think it felt safer than Barcelona

anothernight

I lived in the city centre of Madrid for many years and no one I know was ever a victim of pick pockets or theft. Maybe you need to look like an obvious tourist for them to target you, idk. For comparison, a couple of my friends (not tourists) have been victims of theft in Dublin, and Dublin isn't a dodgy city at all for that sort of thing. I lived in both cities the same amount of time, so it's a like for like comparison.

Don't look absolutely clueless and you'll be fine.

Mr rebel

Thanks guys. I'll make sure to be extra vigilant and also leave my card in the safe at the hotel, and only bring out a small sum of cash at a time to be on the safe side.

54and56

Heading to Madrid for a weekend with the family (2 adults and 2 kids aged 11 and 15) soon and staying in an AirBnB apartment in the Malasaña neighbourhood which is pretty central. Any suggestions for cycling or walking tours? I can google them but would prefer a recommendation. They all look great online!!

Also, any recommendations for kid centric activities, particularly at night?

super_furry

Anyone know the best way to get tickets for Atletico Madrid home games? On their website, they only seem to sell VIP packages.

54and56

super_furry wrote: »

Anyone know the best way to get tickets for Atletico Madrid home games? On they're website, they only seem to sell VIP packages.

http://www.viagogo.com/Sports-Tickets/International-Soccer/European-Premier-Leagues/Spanish-Premier-League/Atletico-de-Madrid-Tickets

arch_stanton

Hi, firstly on the subject of pickpockets, yes there are some around the tourist hotspots but so long as you're careful about your belongings as you would be on the bus, dart or luas in Dublin you'll be fine. I'm there a decade and haven't lost anything yet.

Keep your wallet, phone etc in a safe pocket. Watch out if anyone gets unnecessarily close on the metro or bus and avoid anyone waving bits of paper, maps or tat in your face if you're sitting out having beers.

Thefts are the usual dips into bags or pockets or lifting phones from terrace tables. Violent bag snatching or muggings don't generally happen. In spanish law a "hurto" is a low value theft without violence (so pickpocketing) is much less serious than a "robo", theft with violence so the bad guys know to keep to the easy option. Often it's groups of teenagers as minors can usually only get a slap on the wrist.

For Atletico tickets, what game were you looking at? I can see there are regular tickets for the next home game against Sporting Gijon, for the next against Deportivo there are just a few in the south terrace (fondo sur), plenty for the Bayern match, then just a few again for the game against Granada. The stadium itself is quite compact so there's no real bad spot

Keep an eye on www.entradas.com and www.ticketmaster.es Both sell home tickets and there can be a slight difference in availability between the two. Even if it looks sold out now tickets can reappear online. If season ticket holders aren't going to a game they can have the club resell the seat for them so availability can change all the time.

super_furry

It's for the Deportivo one alright, I'll keep an eye on both, thanks a lot.

Mr rebel

Sorry for all the questions, but is English generally understood in Madrid? (at bars, hotels, etc). I always at least try to learn some basic phrases in the native language of where I am visiting but my Spanish is particularly brutal.

Ted_YNWA

We found it no issue with using English.

Only have the basic Por Favor/ Gracias etc... bits of Spanish

arch_stanton

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

We found it no issue with using English.

Only have the basic Por Favor/ Gracias etc... bits of Spanish

Young people will speak English, ranging from Manuel level to fluent and are keen to practice. The older generation not so much. They generally appreciate people making the effort if they have a few words of Spanish.

In the more expensive fashion shops you'll manage fine with Mandarin too. They all have Chinese shop assistants now for the rich tourists

athtrasna

Heading in 2 weeks, any advice for January in Madrid? Sunday to Wednesday so not exactly the exciting time of the week

54and56

athtrasna wrote: »

Heading in 2 weeks, any advice for January in Madrid? Sunday to Wednesday so not exactly the exciting time of the week

1. Take in a Real or Atletico match if there's one on whilst you're there. Tickets are available on http://www.ticketmaster.es.

2. Tour the museums. We found them very good.

3. Walk through the city and eat a lot of tapas.

4. Do a cycling tour - really very good and great way to see the city.

5. Take the cable car up the mountain and walk back down.

6. Visit the zoo.

7. Do a day trip to Toledo - http://www.nakedmadrid.com/2014/03/31/toledo

BailMeOut

go to Casa Mingo for dinner! http://www.casamingo.es/?lang=en Really simple delicious food served with cider but great atmosphere and great for larger groups.

Mr rebel

Visit the Prado and Royal Palace, the Prado in particular is a nice way to pass 3/4 hours.

The Puerta Del Sol is a good, lively place to indulge in a bit of people watching.

I'd also recommend getting the metro to the business district for some nice night photos of the leaning towers and the other tall buildings behind them.

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with Madrid I have to say and it would be my least favourite capital city that I've visited after Bratislava. Saying that, Madrid has the best metro system I've encountered as it feels so new and efficient....makes exploring the city very easy.

dar100

Strumms wrote: »

Madrid is a fantastic city and you choose well to base yourself close to Atocha. The bus runs from arrivals to Atocha with a couple of stops, the express one that is and it costs a fiver each way from memory and takes only about 20-25 mins. Perhaps 30 minutes if it's rush hour due to the traffic.

When you say the place to be I am guessing you mean nightlife ? Plaza Mayor is worth a look and there is a nice atmosphere here in the evening's with some good restaurants but many touristy ones also. Also close by just of the Plaza is the San Migual Market which has a great atmosphere all of it's own but can be on the pricey side, it's mainly Tapas stands plus some beer and wine / sangria and meat / fish stalls... Also check out the 'La Latina' area which is the kind of up and coming 'hip' area for bars and restaurants popular with the locals mainly and is cheaper also than the area around the Plaza. Also near to Atocha is the Prado district and I'd recommend taking a look around Calle de Moratín and that area full of narrow winding streets where there are some good bars and Tapas places again very popular with the locals...

Don't get too hung up on distances, central Madrid is not only very walkable but there is an extremely good and reasonably priced metro that connects the city and beyond even.

Never did the tour bus thing so can't advise on that but it's a great city to visit especially this time of the year....

The bus tour is really good

athtrasna

Just back. Plans went out the window. We wandered, we chilled, we shopped and we ate and drank. Weather was too good to spend inside, 17 degrees yesterday and sun splitting the stones. Don't feel we missed out, we saw a lot, from the outside

54and56

athtrasna wrote: »

Just back. Plans went out the window. We wandered, we chilled, we shopped and we ate and drank. Weather was too good to spend inside, 17 degrees yesterday and sun splitting the stones. Don't feel we missed out, we saw a lot, from the outside

Its great to hear you had a wonderful time just wandering and grazing your way round the city. At least the list of things to do you got from the thread were available should you have needed them.

We really enjoyed Madrid and wouldn't hesitate to go back, really chilled out city.

Bucharest in April is next up for us, not sure it'll be as laid back as Madrid but should be interesting nevertheless.

frink

Hi everyone, going for a weekend with the other half end of February. Any recommendations for restaurants? Staying near the Plaza de Colón

BailMeOut

frink wrote: »

Hi everyone, going for a weekend with the other half end of February. Any recommendations for restaurants? Staying near the Plaza de Colón

go to Casa Mingo http://www.casamingo.es/?lang=en