Mike's Mini Guide to Madrid
Getting There - Easyjet offer flights from around £25 each way, but watch out for special offers - we got flights for £30 return. Mid week flights will be cheaper and access to the tourist 'stuff' will be easier.
From the Airport - Avoid the Metro, you have to change and the time you save is negated. The best way is the airport bus, which you can pick up by leaving the terminal and heading to the right. Look for the EMT signs attached to the wall which point the way. It costs 2.40 Euros (around £1.70) and drops you off under Plaza de Colon. Assuming you have booked a hotel in the Centro Area, the easiest thing to do is to jump in one of the taxis waiting at the bus terminal. This should cost you no more than 4-5 Euros.
Accommodation - Make sure your hotel is in the Centro area as this is where all the main attractions are. We stayed at the Astoria Hotel, which is in a brilliant location - 2 minutes walk from Puerta del Sol and near loads of bars and restaurants. Despite being officially a 2* it is well equipped and the rooms are a reasonable size. The hotel appears on almost all booking web sites, but surprisingly the cheapest deal we could get was with Octopus, and we paid £22 pppn b&b, which is good for a city hotel.
Getting Around - Taxis are cheap, but be careful taking them at busy times as they charge by time and not by distance, so you pay to be stuck in traffic !!!! By far the best way around the city is the tourist bus, which costs 9 Euros for a 1 day ticket, or 12 Euros for 2 days. Three separate routes take you around all the major sites with commentary, and you can change routes and hop on and off any bus to your heart's content. It is a great way to see Madrid without messing about with undergrounds and/or having to walk miles.
Eating Out - Madrid is cheap enough to eat out. Avoid the restaurants with colourful boards outside showing different paella, as the food is generally poor quality. For the best meals, head towards the Plaza Mayor and check out the side streets off the main square.
Stuff to Do:
 If
you do take the bus from the airport, your first view of Madrid will be
Plaza de Colon, and the impressive monument to commemorate Christopher
Columbus discovery of America. |
   You
will almost certainly pass through Puerta del Sol several times during a
visit to Madrid. There are loads of shops in the area, and you can
pick up all three tourist buses here as well. Check out the statue
of Charles III (left) and the stutue of the bear and strawberry tree
(centre), which is Madrid's symbol. In front of Casa de Correos,
(right) try to spot Kilometre Zero on the pavement. Whilst here,
don't miss La Mallorquina pastry shop (look for a small door with loads of
people trying to go in an out !!) - I recommend the heart shaped pastry
covered in chocolate. |
   The
Plaza de la Cibelles (left) is a must for anyone interested in
architecture, although discovering that the most impressive building (seen
here) is the post office is a bit deflating. Check out the statue of
Cibelles, the goddess of fertility. The Puerta De Alcala (centre) is
considered as the gateway to the city, and this impressive structure dates
back to 1778. If you do use the tourist bus, do have a quick
look at the Bernabau stadium, home of Real Madrid and extremely impressive
(if only for the fellas) |
    A
definite must is the Palacio Real (left), and DO spend the extra 1 Euro
for the guided tour as it enhances the visit a lot. You can easily
spend ½ day here as there is loads to look at, not least the views from
the courtyard. Whilst at the palace, spend some time visiting the
neighboring Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena (centre left), which
is free to look around. Check out the carvings on the door.
Also very close by is the Plaza de Oriente (right and centre right), with
the statue of Philip IV. Some great bars and cafes close by serving
some great food. |
  If
you need to chill out for a bit, the Parque del Retiro is a great place
for a quiet walk. The tranquil lake and statue of Alfonso XII (left)
are surrounded by people relaxing, even in the cold weather. Whilst
here, don't miss the Palacio de Cristal (right), which looks amazing when
the pond is frozen over and the trees are bare. |
  The
hussle and bussle and guide books will lead you straight to Plaza Mayor
(left), which has numerous shops, bars and restaurants around it and is
supposed to be Madrid's heart. Good fun at night, but very
touristy! Do take time to travel a little further along the Calle
Mayor to Plaza de la Villa (right), where you will find some very
contrasting architectural styles. |
  Madrid
is packed with many museums. Amanda and I are not big museum fans,
so they tend to be missing from my mini guides. The Museo Cerralbo
though (left) is well worth a visit, as it is packed with interesting
little artifacts donated by and housed within the home of a extravagant
Spanish aristocrat, the Marquis de Cerralbo. If you are using the tourist
bus, get off at the Plaza de Espana (right) and have a quick look around. |
Summary - Madrid has a few too many museums for my liking, and the tourist 'spin' is mostly based on these museums. Having said that, it's a great place and the tourist buses make it dead easy to get about. If you have been to Barcelona, you can't help but compare, and Barca definitely has the edge for me.
