What to Expect…

• Use your Spanish, even if you feel silly most people will appreciate it and there are less English speaks than one might expect!

• Prepare to eat LATE - most people in Spain and Madrid don’t even think about eating dinner until 9pm at night!

• Watch your purse! A lot of petty crime, specifically in the more tourist populate areas of Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol.

Transportation 

The Madrid Metro and Bus system are the GREAT. Don’t be afraid to use them! It’s the easiest way to get from one side of the city to the other. The Circaneas is the fast train if you’re feeling adventurous and wander outside the city center. Make sure you buy a “12 trip pass” (good for bus and metro trips!) at any metro station or at the metro station at the Aeropuerto. It’ll help save money and I can guarantee you’ll get use out of it!  

Where to Stay…

Using Airbnb in Madrid is a great way to really feel apart of the city and a taste of what living there is like!  

The best neighborhoods to stay in are Malasana, La Latina, Chueca  

Where to Eat…

Madrid is the city for food lovers! Enjoy a cafe con leche or a vino tinto at one of the bajillion cafes and bars scattered throughout the city. Spanish culture is to sit and soak up the ambiance of the bustle around you. Inside a cafe or out on a terraza, spend the day indulging in Madrids’s best quality.  

Let’s Talk Restaurants + Foodie Locations

• Petisqueira II  — tons of tapas

• Oh Galo ( Calle Pelayo)

• La Bicicleta - Nachos and snacks!

• Ajo y Sal - best croquetas, calamari and shrimp in garlic sauce (closed last time we went, but might be open)

• El Tigre ( multiple locations, but you order one drink and get pounds of free tapas, great for those on a budget)

• Plaza de España - Theres a Chinese restaurant at the top of Gran Via, down theses stairs going to the metro

• Neighborhood Lavapiés has the best Indian food and very urban hipster feel.  

Order the Spanish Classics: Tortilla, Croquetas, Jamon Iberica, Huevos Rotos!  And Drink a Gin and Tonic or Tinto de Verano

Must Try Cocktail Bars

• Circulo Bellas Artes (the rooftop bar for one of the best views of the city)

• Gynko sky bar

• NH Collection Hotel

• The Hat Rooftop

• La Venecia old fashion sherry bar  famous vermouth

• Sala Equis  — former porno cinema turned trendy bar

• El viajero rooftop

• 1862 - My favorite spot for unique and delicious cocktails with an old world vibe.

• Or bar hop on Cave Baja in La Latina for free tapas with your canas of Mahou

Did someone say Fiesta…?

Dance with the locals, travelers, and people of Madrid until the 8am the next morning at these clubs:

• Bogui

• Dubliners

• Kapital

• Barcelo

• Space Monkey

What to See….

• Plaza  Mayor

• Gran Via              

• Segovia

• Toledo

• El Escorial

• Avila

• Puerto del Sol

• Retiro park - Pay 2 euros to see the park in a paddle boat or walk through the Crystal Palace (most instagram-able spot in Madrid)

• Plaza de Espana

• Templo de Debod -  Pack a picnic and enjoy the sunset here, you won’t regret it!)

• Desperate Literature - My favorite book store in the world.

• Warner Brothers Theme Park

• Tour at Santiago Bernabeu - This is a MUST

• Palacio Real

• Mueso Del Prado / Reina Sofia  - Go see some Picasso IRL.

Forgot to pack Something….? 

Run into a  Corte Engles or a Carrefour,  or one of the many farmacias!

Full list by: Colleen McArdle