Madrid Tips please!

tomparker95

tomparker95

tomparker95

Associate
Joined
9 Jan 2013
Posts
1,632
Location
Worthing, West Sussex
Going to Madrid in September (21-26) with a mate staying here - (Hotel Ilunion Atrium Madrid) - apart from go to see Real play, any tips please for food, beers, things to do /see - all recommendations welcome!

Also anything to avoid, areas to steer clear from or beware of please too.

Thanks all :)
 
Loads of thieves in madrid- I saw a horrible violent street robbery (much blood!) there, so be aware.

Go to the Prado, and plan for about three hours there. It is the most incredible museum I have ever visited.

The Park near the Prado is a nice walk.

From the prado to the Royal Palace is a longish walk that goes through the plaza major and the other big square.

Loads of dodgy chica bars in madrid- avoid these!

If you get a longer train journey, you need a passport or photo ID.

If you can, day trip to Salamanca on the train. Salamanca is awesome. I think it's about 90 minutes each way.

El Escorial is an easy day trip (90 mins each way?), and the Palace is fantastic. The Spanish civil war memorial is around 30 euros taxi (each way) from el escorual train station- do NOT cheap out and get the bus, or you'll have a LONG walk from the gates.

Segovia is 30 mins by train, but is pretty much just a big roman aqueduct.

Avila is a beautiful walled city, and the train ride goes through the mountains. It's around 90 minutes each way.
 
potatolord said:
Loads of thieves in madrid- I saw a horrible violent street robbery (much blood!) there, so be aware.

Go to the Prado, and plan for about three hours there. It is the most incredible museum I have ever visited.

The Park near the Prado is a nice walk.

From the prado to the Royal Palace is a longish walk that goes through the plaza major and the other big square.

Loads of dodgy chica bars in madrid- avoid these!

If you get a longer train journey, you need a passport or photo ID.

If you can, day trip to Salamanca on the train. Salamanca is awesome. I think it's about 90 minutes each way.

El Escorial is an easy day trip (90 mins each way?), and the Palace is fantastic. The Spanish civil war memorial is around 30 euros taxi (each way) from el escorual train station- do NOT cheap out and get the bus, or you'll have a LONG walk from the gates.

Segovia is 30 mins by train, but is pretty much just a big roman aqueduct.

Avila is a beautiful walled city, and the train ride goes through the mountains. It's around 90 minutes each way.
Click to expand...
Awesome thanks for that! Restaraunts at all you'd recommend? Also what are chica bars? :P
 
tomparker95 said:
Awesome thanks for that! Restaraunts at all you'd recommend? Also what are chica bars? :p
Click to expand...

Chica bars are Girlie bars. There seemed to be a lot of those.

I can't recommend any restaurants- only had the one night in Madrid.

There's a train station in the airport, so you can get into madrid easily with that. Metro stations are easy to get about and run often.

You need to buy a travel card (like an oyster card) for the metro trains- think it was about 5 euros for the card, from the machine in the station. You then load it with whatever journeys you want.

If you go distance on a proper train, buy your ticket in advance. Trains sell out, and you can get stuck somewhere for hours if you don't- this happened to us.

Madrid van be hot in September, so take suitable clothes and suntan lotion.
 
Spaniards generally never tip at restaurants with table service, and if they do it's next to nothing because a service charge is usually included in the bill (look for the servicio incluido mention). If service is not included (servicio no incluido), you should tip up to 10%.
 
To answer the OP, good calls in the thread so far. I always liked a walk through Malasana -> Sol -> Plaza Mayor -> Palacio Real with visitors. The food market next to Plaza Mayor is decent but avoid eating at the places in the square as scenic as it is.
The food scene is really good in Madrid - don't have up to date recommendations unfortunately but food tends towards simplicity with great quality ingredients over fussiness. Some local specialities to try would be orejas de cerdo (pigs ears) and Cocido Madrileno. They also do really good ox tail and blood sausage (revuelto de huevos con morcilla- blood sausage with scrambled eggs is my favourite).
Some local ham shops have little bars attached where you can get a small beer and order some jamon iberico. Get something at about 25-30 euros for 100g with some bread with tomato and enjoy. Don't bother with museo del jamon shops.
 
Last edited:
tomparker95 said:
Going to Madrid in September (21-26) with a mate staying here - (Hotel Ilunion Atrium Madrid) - apart from go to see Real play, any tips please for food, beers, things to do /see - all recommendations welcome!

Also anything to avoid, areas to steer clear from or beware of please too.

Thanks all :)
Click to expand...
Look for Asadores, and as for carne asada, for dinner main menu.
Look for a Pastelería, if you can try and buy tarta de whisky ( you can buy mini ones as well and get some enpanadas de carne, they do tuna as well. If they have a personal tarte that has layers of pastry and cream ( forgot the name) get it lol.
When you go out for drinks ask for liqueur 43 with coke, see if you like it or try a voll damm beer.
Try find a place that does good Pulpo gallego (octopus).
 
Last edited:
Casa Julio for croquettas - we go every time and once ordered 12 between 2 and it was wayyy too many. It's a little off the beaten track but you do get to see a bit of the ordinary Madrid on the way there
Parc del Retiro - we spend a couple of afternoons at cafe's slowly sipping canas of beer and reading books for a few hours. The OH went a few weeks ago and said the cafes in the park are no longer table service - disappointing. There's a glass house there as well as a gallery that tends to have weird art in it (free)
If it floats your boat, I'd heartily recommend the Naval Museum €5 or so to get in
Madrid is quite compact so we walk everywhere
I found the Royal Palace a bit disappointing apart from the chapel, but others seems to rave about it
As for the big 3 galleries, The Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza area head and shoulders over the Reina Sofia, although that has Guernica, the rest of it is craftless tat IMHO
The Thyssen-Bornemisza has a nice outdoor cafe, and the Prado can be free if you get the timing right (used to be Thursdays after 2pm or something)
The Mercado de San Miguel is v touristy buy well worth a visit
Flamenco? Try Las Tablas
 
Last edited:
Awesome thanks for the tips guys, much appreciated all. Gonna try and get Real Madrid tickets if they're playing at home that weekend as well :)
 
Proper flamenco night place, where you can sit down and have a meal. I kinda got dragged along in protest about Spanish tap dancers and leg flailing, but it turned out to be really good, great guitar playing and the dancing was spot on well, proper passionate stuff, loved it the end.
 
potatolord said:
Depending on luck, you could possibly catch atletico or vallecano as well.
Click to expand...
We're gonna do Real or Atletico - as only one play at home each week for obvious reasons. Vallecano isn't a bad call -ideally if they play a sunday and Real on a Saturday!

Not sure how easy Atletico tickets would be to get hold of to be honest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom