Going to Madrid in a few weeks. What is the best way to get around the city without a car.

Not sure if by the Castle you are referring to the Royal Palace? Best way to move around in Madrid, from an economical point of view, is the subway or metro system, no doubt.

Where is your hotel? I will be in Madrid next month and plan to walk everywhere. I will take a taxi from the airport. You can buy tickets for the palace and prado ahead of time on the official websites:

https://www.patrimonionacional.es/visita/palacio-real-de-madrid

https://www.museodelprado.es/en

Definitely no need for a vehicle. Most of the main tourist sites are walkable unless there are mobility issues. Personally, I see no reason to buy a tour package when you can easily buy tickets to the sites you want to visit. The package may include places you don’t want to visit and at that point it’s wasted money.

Primary sites are what you’re interested in. Check the Things to Do section on TripAdvisor, or search on popular sites in Madrid to find things of interest to you. It has plenty of museums, but if you’re not into museums there’s no reason to mention them. If you’re looking to save money, visit the Prado and/or Reina Sofía during their free hours.

I use the metro to get to/from the airport, but otherwise walk everywhere.

On a trip to Madrid two years ago, my husband and I walked a lot and used the excellent Madrid Metro system (busses and subway-type trains). Upon landing at the airport, we purchased “7-day multi-pass zone A” that covered all areas of Madrid, including transit from the airport to our hotel near Gran Via.

Checking the official MetroMadrid.es website, I don’t see that exact pass offered today, however there are a number of options including a “Tourist Ticket” valid for 1,2,3,4,5 or 7 days. You would need to do the math to see if you would use the metro system enough to make a pass worth it. Otherwise you can purchase single rides.

Regarding museum/attraction passes, we purchased the Paseo del Arte pass that included the Prado, Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Currently at €32,80, this is a good deal if you plan to go to all three museums. We’re huge art fans so it was a no brainer. If you’re interested in art beyond what’s at the Prado, the Reina Sofía houses Picasso’s Guernica and the Thyssen-Bornemisza has a fantastic modern collection.

Thanks everyone, this is very helpful. And I did mean Palace not Castle, my bad.

Much of the very center, you will walk, the Metro is handy, but limited in usefulness for the city center. Good for your hotel if staying outside the city center and getting back and forth.

There are various tourist cards, but we have usually just gotten the rechargeable multicard, and loaded a 10 ticket package. Two people can use the same card (scan in, hand the card to the other person) That drops a journey to 1.20 euro or so. The tourist card is an option, but I have never used that many trips in a day to make it worth while unless I was staying away from the city center.

The most economical transit pass for Madrid:

• Multicard: €2.50
• Add Metrobus 10-Journey Ticket

That allows you to use the buses and metro/subway in any zone of central Madrid that tourists would normally be visiting. You can also share the card between two people, so if your friend has two journeys left, they can pass it back to you and you can use the remaining ticket on their multicard.

The tourist passes aren't worth the price.

Thanks everyone, I now have a plan. Appreciate all the input.

See El Retiro Park, walk in from main entrance to the parks rear entrance, so nice
Be very careful of pickpockets. first hand experience.