We will be in Madrid next Saturday (9/17) and plan to visit the Royal Palace that afternoon. Although I an purchase tickets prior to our visit I really hate to be tied down to a particular hour. Does anyone have any idea of how long the lines might be this time of year? The approximate time I'm aiming for is late afternoon. (I know that purchasing the Madrid Card would accomplish this but it doesn't make sense for us to do that. We already have Prado tickets.)
Thanks!
Martha
I went to the Palacio Real on Tuesday, May 17. I don't remember a wait of any significance in the ticket line. I'm sorry that I don't remember what time of day it was, but definitely not early in the morning. There were quite a lot of people viewing the palace and I'd expect a weekend day to be busier. It was my impression that a large percentage of the other visitors were Spaniards; likely there would be more in Madrid for just the day or the weekend.
I remember reading, with respect to one of the major Madrid museums, that the lunch period (1 to 3 or 3:30 PM) sees a drop in traffic because everyone, including tour groups, is eating then. So that's something you might keep in mind for a sight you're really concerned about.
I went to the Palacio Real on a Friday. I did not purchase a ticket in advance, and probably stood in a fast-moving line for no more than 10 minutes, if that.
Thanks for the replies. I have decided not to purchase tickets ahead of time. It is work the risk of standing in line for a while in order to not be tied to a particular time.
We just visited today , went in at 10:30 , no line , and not very busy . Be sure to see the Bernini - Carravagio exhibit while you are there
