Madrid

• Destinations
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• Spain - Mainland: Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. It is the third-largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-largest in the European Union after London and Paris.

While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; a large number of National museums, and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums.

In the years the Cibeles Palace and Fountain have become the monument symbol of the city.

The nightlife in Madrid is undoubtedly one of the city's main attractions. Tapas bars, cocktail bars, clubs, jazz lounges, live music venues, flamenco theatres and establishments of all kinds cater for all tastes and ages. Every night, venues pertaining to the Live Music Venues Association La Noche en Vivo host a wide range of live music shows. Everything from acclaimed to up-and-coming artists, singer-songwriters to rock bands, jazz concerts or electronic music sessions to enjoy music at its best.

• Real Madrid Area Vip

  Some symbols represent the highest glory of History. Others talk about strength, honour, spirit of selfimprovement, art, passion… There exist many symbols, but none like Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

  No other, because many of the most glorious pages of football History have been written inside its walls. From its tiers, some privileged have proudly seen the best players of all times raising a sport to the category of art. Here, more than anywhere else, one can understand the meaning of never surrendering for the love to one’s colours.

  Welcome to the VIP Area of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Where History takes shape in an exclusive and special atmosphere.

• Public holidays

  National Holidays

  • 6th January: Epifanía del Señor
  • Holy Friday
  • 1st May: Fiesta del Trabajo
  • 15th August: Asunción de la Virgen
  • 12th October: Fiesta Nacional de España
  • 1st November: Todos los Santos
  • 6th December: Día de la Constitución Española
  • 8th December: La Inmaculada Concepción
  • 25th December: Natividad del Señor

  Regional holidays

  • 15th May: San Isidro (Madrid's patron saint)
  • 13th June: San Antonio de la Florida (Moncloa neighbourhood's patron saint)
  • 16th – 25th July: Virgen del Carmen festivities (Vallecas neighbourhood's patron saint)
  • 6th – 14th August: Virgen de la Paloma festivities (Madrid's popular patron saint)
  • 7th August: San Cayetano (Cascorro neighbourhood's patron saint)
  • 10th August: San Lorenzo (Lavapiés neighbourhood's patron saint)
  • 9th November: Virgen de la Almudena festivities (Madrid's patron saint)

• Top things to do

  Top 10 Sights

  • Royal Palace. The largest royal palace in Western Europe.
  • Puerta del Sol. Madrid's most central and best known square.
  • Plaza Mayor. Enclosed square, perfect to sit outside and people watch.
  • Templo de Debod. An authentic 2nd Century BC Egyptian temple in the middle of Madrid.
  • Madrid Cathedral. Madrid's largest and most important church.
  • Plaza de la Villa. Historic square, home to the 15th Century Torre de Lujanes, 16th Century Casa de Cisneros and the 17th Century Casa de la Villa.
  • Puerta de Alcalá. A Madrid icon, this old city gate even has a song dedicated to it.
  • Gran Vía. Madrid's most famous and most central street.
  • Plaza de Cibeles. Central square where Real Madrid celebrates championship wins and home to the Bank of Spain.
  • Plaza de Oriente. Square located in front of the Royal Palace.

  Top 10 Things to do

  • Watch flamenco. Madrid is a stage for some of the best flamenco dancers in the world. Visit a flamenco restaurant for the perfect night-out. 
  • Watch Real Madrid play. In the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
  • Take an open-topped bus tour. See the most important sights and monuments in under 2 hours.
  • Eat at the world's oldest restaurant. Botin is recognised as such in the Guinness Book of Records.
  • Try some tapas. The quintessential and ubiquitous Spanish food.
  • Take a ride on Madrid's cable car. The Teleférico gives visitors panoramic views of many of the capital's best sights & attractions.
  • Walk in the Park. Enjoy the wide open spaces, rose-garden, boating lake, and the street theatre at the Retiro Park.
  • Go to the Rastro. Madrid's weekly flea market.
  • Try chocolate con churros. After all the activity above, you'll need to restore your energy.

  Top 10 Museums

  • The Prado. One of Europe's premier art museums, the Prado is a must when visiting Madrid.
  • The Reina Sofia. Picasso's 'Woman in Blue' and Guernica paintings are just 2 of the highlights.
  • The Thyssen-Bornemisza. Some say this is the world's best private art collection, now managed by the Spanish state.
  • CaixaForum. A new addition to Madrid's cultural offering, includes a vertical garden.
  • Fundación Lázaro Galdiano. Overshadowed by the famous museums listed above, but this is Madrid's hidden gem - one of the city's best art museums.
  • Goya Museum. The main attraction here are the frescos the famous painter was commissioned to paint in this chapel.
  • Museo Sorolla. The studio-mansion of the Impressionist painter Joaquin Sorolla exhibits examples of his works.
  • Casa Museo Lope de Vega. Dedicated to Spain's greatest playwright, this small museum reproduces a 17th Century Spanish home.
  • Archaeological Museum. The most important exhibit here is the Dama de Elche, a woman's bust from the 4th or 5th Century BC.
  • Naval Museum. One of the world's most important naval museums, right here in Madrid.

• Getting there

  Documentation
  If you are a citizen of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein: you will need a valid passport or ID card. If you come from another country: The maximum stay in Spain is 90 days. There are a number of countries whose citizens are required to have a valid current visa in order to enter Spain. Given that conditions may vary, we suggest that you contact the Spanish Embassy or Consulate to verify these requirements before you start your trip.

  Vaccinations
  No special vaccinations required.

  Climate
  The Madrid region features a Continental Mediterranean climate with cold winters due its altitude of (650 m (2,133 ft) above sea level in Alicante), including sporadic snowfalls and minimum temperatures often below freezing. Summers are hot with temperatures that consistently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August and rarely above 40 °C (104 °F). Due to Madrid's altitude and dry climate, diurnal ranges are often significant during the summer. Precipitation is concentrated in the autumn and spring. It is particularly sparse during the summer, taking the form of about two showers and/or thunderstorms a month.

  Medical Care
  If you come from an EU member state, you will require your European Health Card (EHC). With the European Health Card you will receive the same temporary healthcare services as any other Spanish citizen. It is available from the relevant healthcare organization in your country of origin. If you forget your European Health Card (EHC), you will have to pay any hospital, medical or pharmaceutical bills in advance, and then seek reimbursement from the relevant organization in your country of origin, providing all receipts. Countries that have community regulations: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, you have the same health regulations as the rest of the member states. Countries with bilateral agreements with Spain: Andorra, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay, you can also receive free medical and hospital attention in case of emergency due to illness or accident. For this you must issue the certificate corresponding to your country. In any case, you should contact the relevant office in your country for further details regarding current requirements to receive medical care in Spain.

  Currency
  The currency in Spain is the euro, the same as in other European Union countries. You can exchange foreign currency at all bank offices, open to the public Monday through Friday, from 8.30 to 14.00 h. It is also available at currency exchange shops as well as selected hotels. Payment using recognized international credit cards is also commonly available in shops. When you make a payment you should show your passport or ID card.

  Tipping
  In every establishment service is included within the price of the meal or drink. However, tipping is a common practice at bars and restaurants, hotels, and taxis, depending on the total price for the service, and on the generosity of the client. It is usually around five to ten percent of the total price.

  Value added Tax
  If the purchaser's residence is outside the European Union, then you can claim back the tax on any purchases totaling over €90.15. In order to do so, you must ask for the Tax Free check in the shop or business.
  There are various companies in Spain authorized to process the reimbursement of I.V.A. (Value Added Tax) for tourists.

• Did you know...?

  • Madrid is the European city with the highest number of trees and green surface per inhabitant and it has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world, with 248,000 units, only exceeded by Tokyo.
  • Parque del Retiro, formerly the grounds of the palace built for Felipe IV, is Madrid's most popular park and the largest park in central Madrid.
  • Atocha Railway Station is not only the city's first and most central station but also home to a distinctive indoor garden with 4,000 square metres of tropical plants.
  • Madrid has 3 important football (soccer) teams: These teams are Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
  • Madrid cuisine is very diverse: The most typical dish of the capital is ‘cocido madrileño’ (Madrid stew). However it is not the only one, there are others such as ‘callos a la madrileña’ (Madrid style tripe), garlic soup and ‘besugo a la madrileña’ (Madrid style sea bream).  As for ‘tapas’, in Madrid it is very typical to eat: calamari sandwiches, ‘bravas’ potatoes, ‘caracoles a la madrileña’ (Madrid style escargot) and also ‘huevos estrellados’ (broken eggs).
  • Palacio Real (Royal Palace) is the largest royal palace of Western Europe.
  • Kilometer Zero of the Spanish road network is in the Puerta del Sol.
  • Prado Museum is among the 10 most visited museums of the world.

• Trips, Tours & Activities

  • We offer guided tours and private vehicles.
  • We have regular tours.
  • We have city breaks to anywhere for one or two nights.
  • Train Tours for individuals from 4 to 15 days.
  • Fly and drive tours.
  • Wine tours.
  • With Golocio you can find the most exciting packages, with the best modern and attractive tours in various fields, like culture, gastronomy, history, leisure… and much more.

• Accommodation

  • Melia Princesa 5*
  • Hotel Urban 5*
  • Hotel Ritz 5*
  • Catalonia Gran Via 4*
  • Rafael Atocha 4*
  • Hotel Tryp Menfis 4*
  • Hotel Coloso 4*

• Transfers

  We offer private transfers as well as transportation between cities in modern and comfortable vehicles for individuals and for groups.

• Meetings and events

  We prepare all types of meetings and events that you need. We provide conference rooms, assistance, transfers, excursions, visits.

• What we recommended

  • Corral de la Morería (Flamenco show)
  • Asador de Aranda
  • Pedro Larumbe
  • Casa Botín
  • La Bola
  • Posada de la Villa

  Shops

  • The city of Las Rozas Village shopping
  • Calle Serrano
  • El Corte Inglés

  Shows

  • Florida Park
  • Flamenco shows

• Special events

  • Semana Santa (Holy Week, Easter) 
  • Cabalgata de Reyes - Three Kings processions (January)
  • Street Parties of San Antonio de la Florida (June)
  • Sports: The best football games