Suggestions on where to stay and what to do in a 3 day stay in Madrid in late Feb. Of course the Prado is a must! What else?
Posted by
Parkton
46 posts
Hello,
I was in Madrid in late February 2008 for four nights. Stayed at Hotel Preciados, which was close to everything. I don't remember what I paid a night.
Besides the Prado we went to the Royal Palace (Palacio Real), took a trip out to El Escorial and The Valley of the Fallen (El Valle de los Caidos), and we took a trip to Toledo. This was on top of seeing other sites that our guidebook mentioned that interested us at the time.
Posted by
Northern California
118 posts
Hi Linda,
It can be cold, cold, cold in Madrid in February, so plan for lots of museum time. Besides the Prado, the Reina Sofia is amazing -- great building filled with modern art, including Picasso's Guernica. And the Thyssen-Bornemisza is intimate and enjoyable.
If it's not freezing, I recommend the 30-minute bullet train to Toledo for a fun half-day outside of Madrid.
For accommodations, I can't say enough good things about Hotel Lope De Vega. It's less than a block from the Prado on a quiet street, and it has a cool Spanish literature theme. Spotlessly clean, very nicely decorated, and rates as low as 65 euros for a basic double room on the weekends. It's a business class hotel that charges business class rates during the week but budget prices on weekends -- especially if you pre-pay. We absolutely loved this hotel; we'll stay there again if we're ever back in Madrid.
Enjoy Spain!
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
While Madrid may seem cold to someone from northern California, it's sweltering by Canadian standards! ;)
You'll find temperatures in the low to mid-50s and down around freezing at night....it should be relatively dry, and any snow won't last.
If you're there over a Sunday, try the Rastro flea market in the morning, a couple of blocks south of Plaza Mayor...but watch your wallets and purses!
Plaza Santa Ana is a good place for restaurants and tapas, as is the Chueca area.
Besides Toledo, Segovia is also a nice day trip. Both are connected to Madrid by the fast AVE trains now....Toledo from Atocha station, Segovia from Chamartin station. Both are linked to the Metro and to the Cercanias commuter train network.