Travelling to Madrid?
Madrid is more walkable than the map suggests: half an hour on foot takes you from the Royal Palace to the Retiro, and across four centuries. Eat late, dine later, and don’t try to do it all in one day.
MAD
What to see in Madrid
9 ROUTESOur routes, not a list of everything. Places that have been there for centuries: no opening times or prices, which go stale.
- 01
Madrid in a day
6 hIf all you have is a long layover or a spare day, this straight line covers the old town and ends on the city’s loudest street. All on foot.Puerta del Sol · Plaza Mayor · Mercado de San Miguel · The Royal Palace and the Almudena Cathedral · Gran VíaRead the full guide - 02
The golden triangle of art
5 hThree world-class museums within ten minutes of each other. Doing all three in one day is a classic mistake: pick two.The Prado · The Thyssen-Bornemisza · The Reina Sofía · The Royal Botanical GardenRead the full guide - 03
Tapas in La Latina
4 hWe won’t hand you a list of bars: they close, they change hands, this year’s best is next year’s worst. We’ll give you the streets. Go down and pick whichever bar is packed.Cava Baja · Plaza de la Cebada and Plaza del Humilladero · The Basilica of San Francisco el Grande · Sobrino de BotínRead the full guide - 04
The Retiro and green Madrid
3 hMadrid has more trees per person than any European capital, and you’d never guess until you cross the Puerta de Alcalá. A morning walk, before the heat.Puerta de Alcalá · The Retiro Park · The Crystal Palace · Cuesta de MoyanoRead the full guide - 05
Malasaña and Chueca
4 hThe Madrid that isn’t on postcards: two adjoining barrios, one still hungover from the 80s Movida, the other the heart of the city’s gay scene. Afternoon and night.Plaza del Dos de Mayo · Calle Fuencarral · Mercado de San Antón · Plaza de ChuecaRead the full guide - 06
Madrid in a weekend
48 hTwo and a half days, well spread: old town, one big museum, a neighbourhood with a pulse and a short escape. The order matters more than the list.Friday: landing, then La Latina · Saturday morning: the old town · Saturday afternoon: one museum, not three · Saturday night: Malasaña and Chueca · Sunday: the Rastro, then the RetiroRead the full guide - 07
Day trips from Madrid
8 hMadrid sits at the geometric centre of Spain, and that pays off: four World Heritage cities less than an hour away by train.Toledo · Segovia · El Escorial · AranjuezRead the full guide - 08
Barajas to the centre: which one to take
1 hThere’s a metro, a train, two buses and a flat-fare taxi. The question isn’t which exist, it’s which suits where you’re sleeping and what luggage you have.Metro L8: if you’re travelling light · Cercanías C-1: if you’re catching an AVE · Bus 203 (Airport Express): if you land in the small hours · Bus 200: if you’re heading northeast · Taxi: flat fare inside the M-30Read the full guide - 09
Madrid: practical tips
1 hThe hours, the heat, the tipping and the mobile data. The things that change a trip and nobody tells you until you land.The clock: lunch late, dinner later · The July and August heat · Money and tipping · Getting around: it’s nearly all on foot · Data on your phoneRead the full guide
Airport to city centre
5 OPTIONSThe real options, with what actually decides it: which terminal it leaves from and where it drops you. Fares and timetables live with the operator, who keeps them current.
- MetroL8T1 · T2 · T3 · T4 → Nuevos MinisteriosThe only metro line serving the airport. It carries a supplement on top of the ticket.18-25 minFares and timesMetro de Madrid
- TrainC-1T4 → Chamartín-Clara CampoamorFrom T4 only. From T1-T2-T3 take the inter-terminal shuttle first. Four stops to Chamartín, where it connects with high-speed and long-distance trains.·Fares and timesRenfe Cercanías
- Bus203Atocha, por O’Donnell y CibelesThe Airport Express. Runs 24h, 365 days. Travel passes are not valid: it has its own fare, paid on board.·24 hFares and timesEMT Madrid
- Bus200Avenida de AméricaFew stops to the Avenida de América interchange. Its buses have luggage racks.·Fares and timesEMT Madrid
- TaxiT1 · T2 · T3 · T4 → Dentro de la M-30Flat fare to anywhere inside the M-30 ring. Official taxis are white with a red stripe and the city crest on the door.·Fares and timesAyuntamiento de Madrid
VIP lounges in Madrid
7Before you fly, or on the layover. Pay per visit, whatever airline.