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Travel guide
Madrid
3 days · 5 things to do
Best time to go: April to June, and September to October
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Welcome
Madrid, in a few days
Madrid is at its best after dark: the paintings of the Prado by day, then tapas from bar to bar in La Latina and terraces that stay full late into the night. A capital that keeps late hours and welcomes everyone.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Prado Museum · 2 to 3 hOne of the world's great art museums, with the finest collections of Velázquez, Goya and El Greco, including Las Meninas.
- Afternoon · Retiro Park free · about 2 hMadrid's central park, with a boating lake overlooked by a monument to Alfonso XII and the glass Palacio de Cristal.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Vincci Soho ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€130 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Plaza Mayor free · about 30 minThe arcaded 17th-century main square of old Madrid, enclosed by uniform façades and entered through nine archways.
- Afternoon · The Royal Palace · about 1 h 30The 18th-century official residence of the Spanish royal family, now used for state ceremonies, with lavish state rooms and the Royal Armoury.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Vincci Soho ↗€130 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Tapas in La Latina free · half a dayAn evening bar crawl along Cava Baja and nearby lanes in old Madrid, with a drink and a small plate at each stop.
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Tapas: small plates to share, and in Granada still brought free with a drink.
- Paella: Valencian saffron rice, eaten at midday and never at night.
- Jamón ibérico: acorn-fed ham, cured for years and carved by hand.
- Churros con chocolate: fried dough and thick chocolate, at breakfast or late afternoon.
- Gazpacho: cold tomato soup, drunk from a glass through the summer.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Dinner starts at nine or ten, and kitchens shut in the afternoon. Plan the day around it.
- A photograph of paella outside a restaurant on the Ramblas is a warning. Eat it at midday, elsewhere.
- Pickpockets work the Ramblas and the metro. Keep your bag in front of you.
- Order the menú del día at lunch: three courses and a drink for what one dish costs at night.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hola |
| Thank you | Gracias |
| Please | Por favor |
| Yes | Sí |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Perdone |
| Goodbye | Adiós |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? |
| I don't understand | No entiendo |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
| Where are the toilets? | ¿Dónde están los baños? |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
| Help! | ¡Socorro! |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €105 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June, and September to October
PlugC/F · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingOptional, round up the bill
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Make sure tetanus, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/madrid
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos: Pexels and Wikimedia Commons (Emilio J. Rodríguez Posada, CC BY-SA 2.0) · Details are indicative, check before you leave.