We have three nights (2 ½ days) in Madrid. The Prado is a must, but in our relatively limited time there I'm not sure we will be cramming in enough to make it worth it to purchase the Madrid Card. We could see a couple other Museums tops without feeling like we're on a treadmill. Also, I understand the lines are not bad at all at The Prado (in terms of skip-the-line with Card). And is it nuts to consider visiting Prado during their free times, the last two hours of each day (knowing that isn't nearly enough time but...)? Apart from whether to purchase the Card, any highlights we should not miss (that includes any off-beat discoveries, eateries, experiences you may have had!)
Posted by
Washington DC
27063 posts
I usually do not have time for all the places I hope to see in a city, so if it's borderline, I wouldn't buy the card unless I expected non-financial advantages from it. You can buy a ticket just for the Prado on the museum website. There's also a Paseo del Arte card that gets you into the big three museums.
I visited Madrid in late May 2015 and went to the Prado twice. One visit was on the free Museum Day, but I think no one knew the museum was free that day, so I'm not going to claim that the free evening hours will be similar. I saw essentially no ticket line on either occasion. I guess we need a report from at least one recent visitor who has gone to the Prado during the free hours. Keep in mind that experiences can vary significantly from day to day. I imagine a lot of the folks taking advantage of free time in a museum like the Prado are locals, so holidays and day of the week could be issues.
The Reina Sofia and the Thyssen were lightly visited when I was there, and I've never seen any reports of lines at either. All bets are off at any museum with a really popular special exhibition, however.
There was a short line when I went to the Palacio Real. Others have mentioned spending more time in the ticket line there and suggested buying tickets in advance, so perhaps I was lucky. There were definitely lots of people inside the palace. Just to be clear, I didn't much enjoy the palace, but that's my reaction to just about all the palaces I've been to; I now skip most of them.
Madrid was my first stop, and my jetlagged self enjoyed a couple of hours wandering around the Botanical Garden located near Atocha Station and the Prado. It's not spectacular, but it was nice in late May. There's a modest entry fee. I didn't get to Retiro Park, which is also in that general area and free.
Posted by
OP
39 posts
Thanks--this was helpful. I've heard the same about Palacio Real.