We have 4 full days in Madrid. We are then going to Toledo and Seville. What should we see/do in Madrid? Is 4 days too long?
Posted by
S.F. Bay Area, CA, United States
1878 posts
No, not too long at all. Rick's book is very strong on Spain. Prado, Thiessen, Reina Sofia, Parque de Buen Retiro, Palacio Raal, Plaza Mayor, Plaza Santa Ana in the evenings. Day trips to Segovia and El Escorial. Four days is more nearly not enough, than too much!
Posted by
Chicago
78 posts
Mary,
There is plenty to do in Madrid for four days. First of all, it is a great walking city; half the fun is walking around, stopping for a coffee, absorbing the atmosphere. The city has a number of incredible museums: the Prado, the Thyssen Collection, and the Reina Sofia are the most famous, but not the only ones worth visiting. If the Museo Arqueologico reopens in time for your trip, it provides a terrific overview of Spanish history in stone, ivory, ceramic, and more. The Sorolla Museum is a nice place to spend an afternoon -it's the home of a Spanish Impressionist painter most people outside of Spain don't know. Some people like the Royal Palace - not my favorite. An offbeat adventure is the Madrid Zoo which has some really interesting exhibits. One can easily do a daytrip to the Royal Monastery of El Escorial - this is a terrific site for those interested in Phillip II and that period but medieval manuscripts from the collection are on display as well and the town is cute. Happy travels.
Posted by
Breckenridge, CO
239 posts
One of our favorite things in Madrid was a bike tour...saw a lot of the city and Retiro park in a few hours. We also enjoyed our day trip to Segovia more than Toledo...