Spain · Europe

Madrid

Gran Vía, Prado, Plaza Mayor and tapas until midnight – plus Segovia and Ávila, two World Heritage cities an hour away by train.

Best time to goApril to June and September to October; cold in winter, but empty and cheap
Recommended duration4–5 days: three for Madrid, one each for Segovia and Ávila
Price levelmedium – cheaper than Zurich, food very good and affordable

Why Madrid?

Madrid is the Spanish capital many people skip because Barcelona is by the sea. A mistake: Madrid has the bigger museums (Prado, Reina Sofía, Thyssen), the finer boulevard (Gran Vía) and a nightlife that only gets going at ten, with dinner. And the Madrileños are direct, warm-hearted and always have time for a chat at the bar.

The city is compact: from the Royal Palace via the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía to the Plaza de Cibeles is a good hour’s walk – with a stop at one of the old tabernas. Retiro Park is the city’s green living room, shared with half of Madrid on a Sunday.

I was there in winter – cold, some rain, but then the city belongs to the locals, hotels cost half as much, and in the Prado you stand alone in front of Velázquez.

How I book Madrid

I book hotels through Booking.com – my tip is the Vincci Centrum, 300 metres from the Gran Vía. You don’t need a car for the trips to Segovia and Ávila: the high-speed train gets you to Segovia in 30 minutes and to Ávila in 90. If you want to see both cities in one day, or prefer to go with a guide, take a guided day tour from Madrid – it is often more convenient than combining train, bus and tickets yourself.

Hotels in MadridBooking.com – central location between Sol and Gran Vía; free cancellation. Tours & ticketsGetYourGuide – Segovia and Ávila day tour from Madrid, skip-the-line Prado, Bernabéu stadium tour. Rental carsDiscover Cars – only needed if you want to go on to Toledo, Salamanca or the Sierra.

If you organise everything yourself: train tickets on renfe.com (Avant trains, book early), Prado tickets directly from the museum, free in the evening from 6 pm.

My tips for Madrid

  • Walk the Gran Vía early in the morning while the street is still empty – the Metropolis building and the Telefónica look best in the first light.
  • Go up to the roof of the Palacio de Cibeles (city hall) – the mirador costs little and shows you the whole city.
  • Adjust your mealtimes: lunch at 2 pm, dinner not before 9 pm. In between, tapas standing at the bar.
  • Try the turrón at Vicens on Calle Mayor – they have dozens of varieties, all year round.
  • The new Bernabéu stadium is worth it even if you’re not a football fan: stadium tour with museum, metro station right outside.

My photos from Madrid

In front of the Edificio Metropolis on the Gran Vía – my favourite building in Madrid.
In front of the Edificio Metropolis on the Gran Vía – my favourite building in Madrid.
The dome of the Metropolis with the winged Victoria – built in 1911 for an insurance company.
The dome of the Metropolis with the winged Victoria – built in 1911 for an insurance company.
Gran Vía – Madrid’s grand boulevard, at its best early in the morning before the city wakes up.
Gran Vía – Madrid’s grand boulevard, at its best early in the morning before the city wakes up.
Gran Vía in the rain with the Telefónica building, the tallest building in Europe in 1929.
Gran Vía in the rain with the Telefónica building, the tallest building in Europe in 1929.
Palacio de Cibeles – once the main post office, now the city hall; the roof has the best view over the city.
Palacio de Cibeles – once the main post office, now the city hall; the roof has the best view over the city.
Plaza de Colón with the Columbus monument.
Plaza de Colón with the Columbus monument.
The giant Spanish flag on the Plaza de Colón – 294 square metres of fabric.
The giant Spanish flag on the Plaza de Colón – 294 square metres of fabric.
Plaza Mayor – the great 17th-century square, with the equestrian statue of Philip III.
Plaza Mayor – the great 17th-century square, with the equestrian statue of Philip III.
Equestrian monument to the Marqués del Duero on the Paseo de la Castellana.
Equestrian monument to the Marqués del Duero on the Paseo de la Castellana.
Torre Europa in the AZCA business district – modern Madrid on the Castellana.
Torre Europa in the AZCA business district – modern Madrid on the Castellana.
The new Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – worth a look even without a match, with a stadium tour.
The new Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – worth a look even without a match, with a stadium tour.
Turrón at Vicens – the almond speciality comes in dozens of varieties, not just at Christmas.
Turrón at Vicens – the almond speciality comes in dozens of varieties, not just at Christmas.

Day trip to Segovia

Segovia is the day trip you must not skip: 30 minutes on the Avant train from Madrid-Chamartín, then bus or taxi from the station to the old town. The Roman aqueduct stands right in the middle of the city, 28 metres high, built from granite blocks without mortar – you stand in front of it and can’t understand how it has held up for 2,000 years. From there the Calle Real climbs through the old town to the cathedral and on to the Alcázar, the castle on the rocky spur that looks straight out of a fairy tale.

Lunch has to be cochinillo, the suckling pig, which in Segovia is so tender it is carved at the table with the edge of a plate. Casa Duque has been doing it since 1895; with it, judiones, the big white beans from La Granja. Book ahead, especially at weekends.

In front of the Roman aqueduct – 28 metres high, almost 2,000 years old, built without a drop of mortar.
In front of the Roman aqueduct – 28 metres high, almost 2,000 years old, built without a drop of mortar.
The granite-block arches from below – 167 of them over 800 metres.
The granite-block arches from below – 167 of them over 800 metres.
From the steps beside the aqueduct you can see its whole length and the mountains of the Sierra behind it.
From the steps beside the aqueduct you can see its whole length and the mountains of the Sierra behind it.
Casa de los Picos – the 15th-century façade with its 617 granite points.
Casa de los Picos – the 15th-century façade with its 617 granite points.
The Juan Bravo monument on the Plaza de Medina del Campo, with the Torreón de Lozoya behind it.
The Juan Bravo monument on the Plaza de Medina del Campo, with the Torreón de Lozoya behind it.
The Romanesque church of San Clemente – Segovia has more than twenty of them.
The Romanesque church of San Clemente – Segovia has more than twenty of them.
Lane along the old city wall – best to simply let yourself drift.
Lane along the old city wall – best to simply let yourself drift.
Casa Duque, a mesón since 1895: cochinillo (suckling pig) and judiones, the big beans from La Granja.
Casa Duque, a mesón since 1895: cochinillo (suckling pig) and judiones, the big beans from La Granja.
In the dining room at Casa Duque – the suckling pig is carved at the table with the edge of a plate.
In the dining room at Casa Duque – the suckling pig is carved at the table with the edge of a plate.
Monument to Daoíz and Velarde in front of the Alcázar – two artillery officers of the 1808 uprising.
Monument to Daoíz and Velarde in front of the Alcázar – two artillery officers of the 1808 uprising.
The Alcázar of Segovia – the castle on the rocky spur is said to have inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle.
The Alcázar of Segovia – the castle on the rocky spur is said to have inspired Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle.
View of the old town with the cathedral, the last great Gothic cathedral in Spain.
View of the old town with the cathedral, the last great Gothic cathedral in Spain.

Day trip to Ávila

Ávila sits at 1,130 metres, is the highest provincial capital in Spain and accordingly cold in winter – but the sky is often a brilliant blue. The 11th-century city walls are the best preserved in Europe: 2.5 kilometres, 88 towers, 9 gates, and you can walk along the top, looking out at the snow-covered Sierra de Gredos. By train it is 90 minutes from Madrid, from Segovia just under an hour by bus.

In the old town everything is close together: the cathedral, built right into the wall, the Plaza de Santa Teresa with the Romanesque church of San Pedro, and traces of Saint Teresa everywhere, who was born here in 1515. The specialities are yemas de Santa Teresa, sweet egg-yolk balls – and the chuletón, a huge beef chop from Ávila cattle.

Puerta del Alcázar – the main gate of Ávila’s city walls, the best preserved in Europe: 2.5 kilometres, 88 towers, 9 gates.
Puerta del Alcázar – the main gate of Ávila’s city walls, the best preserved in Europe: 2.5 kilometres, 88 towers, 9 gates.
Climbing up onto the city walls – around 1.7 kilometres are open to walk.
Climbing up onto the city walls – around 1.7 kilometres are open to walk.
Up on the wall: view across the towers to the snow-covered Sierra de Gredos.
Up on the wall: view across the towers to the snow-covered Sierra de Gredos.
Through the battlements onto the Plaza de Santa Teresa and the Romanesque church of San Pedro.
Through the battlements onto the Plaza de Santa Teresa and the Romanesque church of San Pedro.
Saint Teresa of Ávila in front of the wall – the mystic was born here in 1515.
Saint Teresa of Ávila in front of the wall – the mystic was born here in 1515.
Lane in the old town with the cathedral in the background – it is built into the city wall.
Lane in the old town with the cathedral in the background – it is built into the city wall.

Where to stay?

In Madrid I prefer to stay between Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía – everything within walking distance, the metro on the doorstep, life on the streets in the evening. The Vincci Centrum is right there.

Vincci Centrum
Madrid · Centre

Boutique hotel in a historic building, 300 metres from the Gran Vía – the perfect base for a Madrid weekend.

Find accommodation in Madrid

I almost always compare hotels and apartments on Booking.com – with genuine reviews and usually free cancellation.

See accommodation in Madrid Compare on Hotels.com Holiday rental on Vrbo
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