Itinerary: Madrid

1      Getting there and Getting Around

From Ireland, Madrid is one of the Spanish destinations offered at Dublin Airport. The following airlines fly to Madrid from Dublin:

·         Aer Lingus

·         Iberia Express

·         Ryanair

  Many major airlines fly directly to Madrid Airport as it is a prime located airport in the capital of Spain. American Airlines, Air Europa, Delta Air Lines and British Airways, to name a few, all fly into Madrid-Barajas Airport

When you arrive at Madrid-Barajas Airport, there is a taxi rank outside the door of the arrivals terminal. A large number of taxis flank the taxi rank to take you to your destination.

In the airport also is the Metro. The Metro is the quickest way to get around Madrid. If you are going for a weekend, a 3 Day ticket or a 10-trip travel ticket is the best form of ticket for the metro, just under €20. The metro line leaving from the Aeropuerto connects with many lines that will take you to your destination.

As for Budget- For 4 days in Madrid, it came to about €45 to €50 a day for me, but it all depends on the person but on average, a day would cost €50, considering you have the metro pass.

2      Where to stay

Madrid offers a lot of hostels and hotels and annually gets a lot of backpackers, students and weekend-breakers through its streets so as soon as you figure out that you will visit Madrid, booking your accommodation ASAP is key. A good area to get a place to stay is around Sol as Sol is the real center of Madrid. In Madrid, there are a good few hostels to stay in for example

·        Room007 Ventura Hostel, Ventura de la Vega (Near Sol)- I highly recommend

·        Las Musas Hostel, Calle Jesus y Maria 12

·        The Hat Madrid, Imperial 9

·        Mad4you Hostel, Calle Costanilla de San Vicente, 4

All above from 14.99 onwards

And some of the Hotels offered in Madrid:

·        Hotel Villa Real, Plaza de la Cortez

·        Hotel Europa, Calle del Carmen 4

3      Things to do

Madrid is vibrant with things to do. Historical sites, unique galleries and one of the most culturally intact capitals in Europe. Here is a list of places to visit in Spain’s capital:

•   Plaza Mayor: A beautiful square that gathers street performers and some venders all around the bronze statue of Phillip III of Spain.
•   Puerta del Sol: The real center of Madrid. All roads in Madrid seem to lead back to Sol. In Sol, you will find your favorite cartoon characters roaming around. Also in the Square is “El oso y el Madrono” the symbol of Madrid. It all circulates around 2 fountains and a statue of Charles III of Spain.
•    Parque del Retiro: This 118 hectare park is an amazing place to relax, rent a bicycle, rent a boat on the lake, chill out by the lagoon and basically just have some downtime. It’s a perfect place to watch the sunset!
•  Rastro: The most popular flea market in Madrid. This place is perfect to pick up souvenirs and other market items at a good price.
• Gran Via: The main shopping street in Madrid that has all the top brand stores and smaller boutiques that you could think of. Has really nice places to eat or get ice-cream!
•     Flamenco: Across Madrid there are many venues that show Flamenco shows, if you’re staying at a hotel or hostel be sure to ask for recommendations on the best flamenco shows, it’ll be worth it!
•   Atoche Station: Take a look through Atoche Station and look at the indoor rainforest and the many turtles having a siesta!
•    Art Museums: The Prado Art Gallery and The Reina Sofia host paintings of some of the world’s most famous artists (Goya, Picasso and Dali. These museums decorate historic pieces on their walls to the public.
•     Mercado de San Miguel: I think it necessary to pay a visit to the Mercado de San Miguel once on a trip to Madrid to experience this unique indoor market.

4      Where to eat and drink

Madrid is spoiled for choice with its many places that sell authentic Spanish food.

In the afternoon, nothing beats sitting down after a morning of walking around Madrid than sitting down with a nice bowl of calamares, croquetas and a glass of cold beer. For these afternoons, I recommend:

•          Ciudad Condal on Gran Via (Coming from Plaza de España on your left)
• Casa Labra (Beside Corte Ingles off Puerta del Sol)
• Meson de la Guitarra (Plaza Mayor area)- Try the chorizo

          For Dinner, it is nice to sit down and eat and have a glass of wine after your long day and here are a few places I recommend for dinner:

•    El Busco- It is a restaurant close to the Plaza Mayor that has authentic Spanish cuisine and fine wine to accompany it. Bustling atmosphere.
•  La Cabana Argentina (Ventura de la Vega)- Amazing Argentinian food and beautiful meat selections.
•    Barriga Llena (Calle Libertad, near Chueca)- Has authentic Mexican food served to Mexican standard.

And for a snack, there is only one place I can recommend:

•   El Brilliante- They have the best calamares in Madrid, award winning actually. If you enter El Brilliante, I recommend the croquetas con jamon or the bocadillo de calamares. Both of these are a treat that can be washed down with a nice Caña con limon (Beer and lemonade).

5      WHY MADRID?

A good question to ask before travelling to Madrid is “Why do I want to go there?” And hopefully I can come up with that answer. Madrid offers a rich historic culture with customs that date back centuries and food recipes that are generations old. The city is tamer then Paris or London but still has the city feel. It’s ideal for a perfect weekend away for sight-seeing and relaxing. The place offers art, history, socializing and other various things which makes it a wonderful vacation location!