4 of us going to Madrid for a city break. Any useful tips. We are 50's/60's so don't bother with night clubbing tips. Our hotel is near the palace. The sort of info that would help
1. Palace - in most cities usually best to get to these sort of places early as they get crowded later. Is this also true here. Also we don't normally bother with guided tours so presume we do the same. I have seen that we should allow 3 hours, is this about right?
2. Prado museo - similar questions
3. Bernabeu - is this worth a visit?
4. hop on hop off bus. In some cities these give a good overview, in others seem a waste of time. Any views on this for Madrid?
5. Restaurants to be recommended; dinner or light lunch. For dinner would be ideally in walking distance from palace area.
6. Day out. As we have 3 full days plus a couple of bits of days we are thinking of doing a day trip out. I have seen Toledo, Sergovia and El Escorial mentioned but not sure whether reasonable. If so would it better to go on an official tour from the city or a diy trip. If the latter how practicable?
7. any other useful info
Thanks in advance for any useful tips
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Comments
Toledo, Segovia and Avila all worth a look. There are always excursions available in the hotes.
I wouldn't bother personally with the tour bus or tours generally. It is a very walkable city and pretty compact so with a decent guide book you could get around and see the main sights. Pick up a ten ticket metro bus pass for €12.20 which you can share amongst the group until it runs out if you want to hop on the bus or metro - both are great services, clean and reliable.
Will think of some restaurant tips but off the top of my head would say a place called La Opera de Madrid which is close to the palace. Lunch is main meal of the day here so go for that then go for tapas on Cava Baja at night or around Plaza Santa Ana.
Although Real Madrid are horrible, a visit to the Bernabeu is very impressive. If you happen to be here in the football season go to Atletico instead. Much better atmosphere and they move to their new stadium at the start of next season.
Best day trip for me is Segovia and very easy to get there. Lovely journey via the surrounding sierras to get there as well. Toledo is also lovely and well worth going to but I find it more touristy and crowded than Segovia.
Last tip - learn a bit of Spanish before you come as not many staff in bars or restaurants speak English (unlike Barcelona, for example).
Have a great time and let me know if you need anything else!
As for eating I presume we would still be able to get a main meal in the evening if we wanted to or do not many restaurants cater for this?
As for day trips to Sergovia or Toledo, how would you get there? Is it best to do a hotel tour, particularly as we don't speak Spanish.
You can get the high speed train to both Segovia or Toledo but their train stations are a bit out of town so.getting a bus is easier as it drops you off more central. There are dozens of bus stations in Madrid but I know the bus to Segovia goes from Moncloa and there is a ticket machine there. Toledo I think goes from Plaza Eliptica. I have seen tours advertised but I have never taken them so don't know if it's worth it but I have seen one advertised which is a combination of Segovia and Avila in the same day so that might be good, if a little rushed.
There is usually a 'legends' game at the Bernabeu at the end of the season for €5 and this season it is against Roma. If it's on when you're here it would be well worth going to - Figo, Roberto Carlos, Zidane and Raul amongst others usually turn out for Real.
There's some great food and even the restaurants in the touristy areas like the Plaza Mayor aren't horrendously priced.
As said before, it's a late night city and most people were going out as we were going to bed, though my 11 year old daughter did insist we seek out hot chocolate and churros around midnight on the night we arrived.
Keep your wits about you - and it can be a lovely place, wasn't my cup of tea though (my company was far from amicable, too)
Trips out are best done by train from Atocha. Segovia is about 100 minutes through the mountains; Toledo a little closer, and El Escorial about an hour. Salamanca and Cordoba are also within a couple of hours if you want to venture further. Toledo is a lovely walled city but you have to walk up the hill from the station (20 minutes), though there is a bus. Segovia has the aquaduct, and is nice. El Escorial is where you should go if you are into Spanish royalty, as that's where they are all buried (you should pair it with a trip to Franco's tomb close by at Valle de los Caídos). Also Aranjuez has a summer palace which is a good visit.
Our favourite restaurant is El Botin just off Plaza Mayor; Hemingway's favourite restaurant too apparently, and great for suckling pig, garlic soup, and rustic food. We also really liked Posada de la Villa (on Calle Cava Baja). Plenty of good restaurants around but unless they are touristy, don't expect to see them open before 9pm, and certainly not busy until 11pm.
Some nice bars on Calle Echegarry, and around Plaza Santa Ana.
You can walk around Madrid without too many issues (usual pick pocket warnings aside), and there are plenty of bars and places to get tapas (light lunch option) - you can actually do tapas bar crawls and not have to worry about dinner if you want, the food is so plentiful! The metro system is also quite good, and on a par with London.
The Parque des Attractiones (theme park) is great and opens at midday normally; if you get there early you get no queues for the rides. The ski lift thing at Casa de Campo is OK. Faunia - a Polar & jungle ecosystems in zoo with hundreds of animal species kept in their natural habitats - is another unexpected and unusual fun experience if you like animals.
Have fun!
Really like Madrid, but the locals really are on a different time zone. Prado is a must, even if you're not massively into art. So many fantastic paintings.
A trip out to the Sierra is also easily doable and there's some lovely walks. You might find it hotter than you imagine even in May.
Just thinking about it makes me want to go back there.
San Bernardo and Noviciado will take you there.