Travel guide Madrid

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This guide whimsical, affordable and very personal will allow any tourist who comes to Madrid to know, what I believe, defines the city. It will not include each green space liable to be visited, but all which you should not miss. It does not cover all the options existing in Madrid shopping stores nor brands where you can only access your gold card. However, will be useful if your budget is limited (not zero because Madrid, like the rest of Spain and even Europe is a bit expensive for the depressed pockets of non-European origins). This guide will also be useful as well if you're going to get around Madrid by subway or bus but, even so, you want to shop for you and your friends for a few euros under the universal banner of "good, nice and cheap". I will not even drive you through the history, art and culture of the Spanish people, but we'll tell you what impressed me most (and I think are worth a visit) even if you think that art is not your strength. Finally, always remember that you can choose and book from the directory of Hotels in Madrid of Torurists Club. Good hotels, where you can stay with the Internet's lowest prices. These are my recommendations to not to spend too much

Arriving Madrid

If you arrived by plane from Barajas I recommend you go to any part of the city by subway (very good and economic service) that you take inside the airport. And if you did not bring a notebook in you backpack, for a few euros you can send news home via mail at the airport and visit the Tourist Club, to orientate yourself with this guide. By the way, I comment you that the fastest way to get around in Madrid for a few coins is the Metro. In every station you can get a subway map to find out what connections you have to take to get anywhere. Anyway here we will give you the references of the main places to visit so you do not waste your time on the road. Here you can check the official website of Metro de Madrid . Oh! before leaving the airport, buy a Guia del Ocio de Madrid. It only costs one euro at any kiosk and you can be updated about events that occur meanwhile you are there, and other useful information and addresses for you to enjoy the city in the best way.

What to visit

In Madrid you can amaze yourself with unique buildings of modern architecture, a good example are Torres Kio
Torres Kio, (est. Chamartín), first leaning towers built in the world, living with beautiful palaces and monuments of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A good place to start to learn about Madrid and its people are the center of the city: Puerta del Sol. By the way, to mention that this is a good place to stay, so I'm leaving for you another link where you can find a good selection of centrally located hotels in booking.com (with dates of arrival and departure you can sort them by price). On the main street, you access to the Plaza Mayor (actually not too surprising), then on the Bailén street is the Royal Palace
Palacio Real with its museum and the Church of Almudena
Church of Almudena . Further, along Bailen street, there is an important stop at Sabatini's gardens
Sabatini's gardens. Sabatini Gardens are cared, pretty, and can be visited free of charge and worth a short break splashed in admiration in front of the fruit of the complicity between men and nature. A place that every good guide Madrid recommends, how much more our own, is the Spain Square
Spain Square (with its huge central monument to Cervantes). Yes, it is enjoyable, but generally there is too noise and people, not invites to stay a long time.

Finally, to say you know Madrid property, there are 2 places in town you must visit. Those are the Cibeles Square
Cibeles Square (beautiful sculpture and fountain) and the Puerta de Alcalá
Puerta de Alcalá, ordered to built by Carlos III and built by the architect Francesco Sabatini (well, internationally known for the song of Ana Belen), both on Alcalá street. I recommend you visit during the day (try to take pictures in bright sunlight) and at night with its fantastic lighting (do not resist to take some extra photos.) You'll be amazed to discover the contrast (probably as much as me).

Art

You could not be a fan of art and culture, but you can not miss the Prado (Paseo del Prado). Admission is not expensive (about 7 euros) but it worth to visit. It's huge, covering Spanish paintings, Italian, Flemish fifteenth to eighteenth centuries. It is the first time I saw a Titian closely, I got me fix to see Las Meninas by Velázquez, I was surprised with the gorditas that Peter Paul Rubens liked to paint (incredible that in a few years the ideal of female beauty has changed so much). I overshadowed my soul with some works by El Greco and admired for a long time "naked" and "dressed" Majas de Goya (impressive). Fan or not these artists you will feel they were well spent those 7 euros. For lovers of culture, we encourage you to walk along the Paseo del Prado about 5 streets to get to the Museo Reina Sofia (Atocha). This museum is one of the best in Spain and exposes a large collection of works by Spanish artists as Picasso, Juan Gris, Dali, Goya and Miro.

Green strolls

If you already spent a few days of their week in culture, arts, history and shopping, it's time volcarte outdoors: Retiro Park
Retiro Park (behind the Prado). There is a huge lake where one can even rent paddle boats to sail a little and beautiful and cool shaded paths dotted with benches for resting or reading. It seems incredible to feel such a peace in the middle of traffic and noise of the city. At the Casa de Vacas, in addition, there are exhibitions.

Shopping Tour

Do you already know Madrid? It's time to go shopping. Puerta del Sol is the commercial, touristic place and km 0 of Madrid. If you have little time for shopping, there you'll find everything you look for clothing, accessories, souvenirs (buy the bear and strawberry tree, symbol of the city) and typical items of Spain. If you choose the Puerta del Sol as the central axis, you have Preciados street, del Carmen street, Gran Via and Calle Mayor, all pedestrian, with dozens of options at reasonable prices. Do not miss a visit to the Corte Inglés, huge stores, with shopping options for all budgets, tastes and ages, or stores like Zara clothing and accessories with best quality and price. If you are in the Plaza Spain, will have a huge range of shops in Calle de la Princesa.

One recommendation: the Hipercor, at Méndez Álvaro subway station, I found gifts for all my people, with a limited budget. Consider it a choice ...

Where to eat cheaply in Madrid

In Puerta del Sol and the area around the Plaza Mayor is a large variety of bars and restaurants. You can walk the streets and venture into one, because they are generally good. A classic tourist recommendation to get a cheap lunch is the Museum of Ham, which is a very typical restaurant chain with lots of hams hanging everywhere. Here you can eat well with dishes for about 10 Euros and also taste typical ham sandwich or take a "cañita" (beer). We visited more than one and all convinced. An additional point, a typical dish from Madrid you can not miss are the "tapas". In the downtown area there are dozens of bars where locals and tourists gather at all hours to chat and enjoy the food. At night, these bars have a very special atmosphere, my advice is: do not miss them. Surely, will visit more than one, because everyone has an original and enjoyable climate.

A popular place in town is El Tigre (Street Princesa, 30, Bank of Spain and Chueca station), especially with a young cosmopolitan atmosphere where you can taste good relatively cheap "tapas" or dinner. If your age requires you to be quiet do not go too late because sometimes after 19:00 starts to fill.

The night in Madrid

This vibrant city on the day it is no less at night. It is one of the few cities in Europe where you can go out at night any day of the week without getting bored. In the area between Puerta del Sol, Calle Atocha, Paseo del Prado has many bars, pubs and nightclubs that are open until dawn. Most suitable places for me are Kapital (Calle Atocha) or Joy Slava (Sol).

The younger tourists of Tourist Club (16 to 25 years) will find great fun in Argüelles (low Argüelles), a confined space where all locals are dance clubs and pubs, with music, mostly Tecno.

Finally, to calm souls, a walk through the center at anytime, or go Alcalá street from Sun to Alcala Gate, past the Cibeles, will surely be a simple but unforgettable ride. It is admirable how nice illuminated are buildings and monuments in Madrid at night.

Where to go with your kids

For them to also remember the trip you could take them to Zoo aquarium (Metro: Line 10 - est.. Casa de Campo), which is at an area of 20 hectares which houses a zoo, an aquarium, a dolphinarium (with capacity for 3000 people and regular exhibitions of these anumales) and an aviary, containing over 500 species of animals from 5 continents. Open daily until 18:00. You can also travel on the city 40 meters high in the cable car in Madrid (Metro Argüelles), a walk quite original with a different perspective of the city, who enjoy children and their parents too.

So far my recommendations but if this guide helped you, send usyou pictures of Madrid in gratitude, that we will post here with ours

Here we list booking.com recommended hotels in Madrid, sorted by district

Centro | Arganzuela | Retiro | Salamanca | Chamartín | Tetuan | Chamberi | Fuencarral-El Pardo | Moncloa-Aravaca | Carabanchel | Usera | Puente de Vallecas | Ciudad Lineal | Hortaleza | Villa de Vallecas | Vicálvaro | San Blas | Barajas |

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