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First time in Madrid (3 days in April)

Posted by on

My 15 yr. old daughter and I will going on her first trip to Europe the second week of April and our first stop will be Madrid from Friday morning to Monday morning. I suppose the easiest way to get from the airport to our hotel near the Palacio will be via taxi, correct?

What would be the best way to get a great overview of Madrid without walking too much? Would a hop-on, hop-off bus be advisable? We're both in good physical shape but my daughter doesn't really like to walk. :-) We both love art, architecture, flowers/ gardens, castles and are adventurous (I'm vegetarian) foodies. We're traveling on a budget and would love to join an inexpensive tour, perhaps one that includes authentic tapas. Has anyone here taken a Sandeman tour of Madrid?

I'd love to take the train to Toledo but would 2 days in Madrid and 1 day via train in Toledo be too strenuous and would I need to book the Toledo train ticket ahead of time?

Thanks so much!

Posted by
3643 posts

We did the HOHO bus tour our 1st time in Madrid and found it very worthwhile. I especially liked that we rode through some areas with Art Nouveau architecture that we wouldn't have seen on our own. 4 nights (3 whole days) in Madrid, with 1 of them a day trip to Toledo sounds like a sensible time allotment to me.

Posted by
7175 posts

Just head to Mercado San Miguel for great food and tapas bar counters. It's quite close to Plaza Mayor.

Posted by
42 posts

We took the metro to the airport from the Sol stop. It took almost an hour but it did save $. I think we had to change twice but the walking wasn't bad. You have to pay a 3 euro surcharge at the end of the trip to get into the airport. I guess a taxi would be easier but the metro wasn't bad.

Posted by
15788 posts

In Madrid there's the metro and the Cercanias (suburban train). From the airport, use the Cercanias. It is faster and less crowded. If you take it to Vodafone Sol (Puerto de Sol), you can take the elevator up to street level and avoid stairs. If you get there by metro, you'll have a flight of stairs to walk up with your luggage.

Posted by
11294 posts

A taxi from the airport to the center has a fixed rate of €30 and no tip is needed. Arriving jetlagged, for two people, that's what I'd recommend.

You can't beat the Prado for art, and you should also get to the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia museums. The Sorolla museum is interesting and different, because it's the artist's former house, with a lovely patio in the Andalusian style. Retiro Park is lovely (behind the Prado).

For food, a great place to start is the Mercado de San Miguel. It's open long hours and has many vendors, so you can browse and find something suitable for each of you. Be aware that a lot of the classic tapas involve ham and seafood. And by "seafood" I mean squid, octopus, shrimp, snails,etc - not fish - although I've certainly seen tapas with tuna (atun). I believe patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a mildly spicy sauce, as commonly available as French fries in the US) are vegetarian, and as long as you're not vegan, a tortilla española (eggs, onions, and potatoes) is a ubiquitous option.

In such a short time, with your first day like being a bit of a haze due to jet lag, I wouldn't go to Toledo.

What are you seeing on the rest of your trip?

Posted by
5 posts

Thank you so much for all your tips, much appreciated and helpful!
After Madrid we will be heading to Paris (4 nights) and then to visit my family in Germany for a week.

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