2 - 2.5 Days in Madrid - what to see and do

The Renfe site is not great for purchasing with a US credit card. I would consider buying tickets on this site. I have purchased multiple train tickets for May and it went smoothly. As for waiting, that depends on your comfort level. I tend to err on the side of caution. Personally, I'd rather spend the extra and alleviate the stress.

Re: Madrid - buy your tickets online for the Royal Palace and the Prado for sure. Alleviates some headaches. Make sure that you go to Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol in Centro. Seeing everything you mentioned is going to be a bit much to do in 1 and 1/2 days. Decide what is most important to you i.e. modern art vs. The Old Masters, Retiro Park (which is beautiful) vs Puerta del Sol (which is the heart of Madrid). You can't go wrong as long as you don't try to do too much in my opinion...

You stated I can buy a train ticket on this site. Are you talking about the Rick Steves sites or some other site beside the Renfe site?

I would not use a RailEurope link from this site or any other. All too often RailEurope doesn't present all the options, and there is frequently a substantial extra fee. If you can't get Renfe to work with payment by PayPal, I'd used trainline.eu, which does not appear to add any fees.

You can also purchase train tickets thru the Loco2 website. No markup. I recently purchased Madrid - Malaga and Córdoba - Madrid AVE tickets.

Wed April 25
pm...City Walk

Retiro Park & Palacio Cristal (glasshouse)
Puerta del Alcala
Plaza de Cibeles
Metropolis Bldg
Puerta del Sol
Plaza Mayor
Mercado San Miguel (for cava & tapas)
Plaza de Oriente

Thu April 26
am...Royal Palace
Spend time in the Sabatini Gardens, then head to Basilica San Francisco el Grande, before exploring the historic La Latina district. Have lunch on Plaza Santa Ana.
pm...Prado Museum

Sun April 29
am...Thyssen Bornemisza Museum

Royal Palace is a must-I enjoyed it more than Versailles.

After 2 failed credit card attempts to book a ticket from Madrid to Cordoba on the Renfe site and my credit card company locking my account due to suspected fraudulent activity and 2 phone calls to the credit card company to unlock the account I gave up on Renfe and went to the Loco2 site that tdweaver suggested and voila! I have a ticket. So simple - why do I try to make things so hard???

I'm not familiar with some of the sites in Madrid that David suggests so I will have to look for them on a map. I'm printing maps now because I can't figure out how to download offline maps using Google Maps and none of my friends or family can help me.

I haven't inquired about changing the date of 5/11 to visit the Alhambra as David suggested. At this late date it's probably not going to be possible to get an earlier date of 5/8, 5/9 or 5/10 but it's worth investigating.

Places listed on the Madrid Walk above are more places to see, rather than places to visit. A perfect way to deal with jet lag.

The Puerta de Alcalá (Alcalá Gate) is a Neo-classical monumental arch in the Plaza de la Independencia.

The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city. The grand edifice of the former post office, now city hall, overlooks the square.

The Metropolis Building (Edificio Metrópolis), at the corner of the Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía, is another iconic symbol for the city. Inaugurated in 1911, and built in the French, Beaux-Arts style, the building is topped with a cupola and gold winged statue.

The Puerta del Sol (Gate of the Sun) is a busy public square in Madrid. A 0 km point marks the centre of Spain’s radial network of national roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year.

The Plaza Mayor (Main Square), first built (1580–1619), is the central plaza of old Madrid. It is surrounded by a uniform complex of three-story residential buildings with 237 balconies facing a central equestrian statue of Philip III.

The Plaza de Oriente (1844) is a very pleasant public space between the Royal Palace and Royal Theatre. An equestrian statue of Philip IV is central to the square.

David, thank you. How nice of you to provide me with this information. Maybe I'll do the Hop On Hop Off Bus on the day I arrive. Will look and see where all it goes.

I’d advise active (walking the street) rather than passive (sitting on a bus) as the best way to deal with any jet lag.

I'll put in a vote for Mercado San Miguel as well. Large and busy, but it was not overwhelming. I enjoyed it more than Mercado de La Boqueria in Barcelona. Evenings at a café or wine bar of your choice on Plaza de Santa Ana are a highlight as well.