When to go
The truth is that it's never a bad time to visit Madrid. Its mild and dry climate makes its winters not too cold (temperatures never fall below 32 F and rarely snows), although in July and August, high temperatures, especially in the central hours of the day can become a problem if you do not know how to escape the heat.
The busiest months for visitors, are usually those of the spring and fall, although of course, this entails disadvantages due to the greater number of people concentrated in the most touristic areas. More and more people choose to wrap up a little more, and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the city’s main museums, monuments and restaurants, during the colder months. However, the best time to travel to Madrid, will always depend mainly on what it is that you want to do here.
The best things to do in winter.
- To visit museums. Sheltered from cold temperatures, and less crowded
- Sit and have a nice and hot cup of chocolate with churros in one of the ancient cafes of the old town.
- Enjoy a couple hours copious meal in an old inn in front of the fireplace.
- Skiing in either of the two ski slopes located just an hour away from the center of the city.
- Shopping in any of the areas described in the "Shopping" section. The Salamanca neighborhood is especially beautiful during Christmas time and with a little luck, you can catch the sales season that runs from January to February.
- Going to the theater, the opera, a concert or a musical
-Take photos. In Madrid, as in many large cities, the air is much cleaner and "transparent" during the winter. The lack of rain in the summer months creates a thin layer of fog over the city.
The best things to do in summer
- Go for bargains at El Rastro flea market
- Have a picnic or relax under the trees in one of the magnificent city parks
- Paddling in the El Retiro Park pond.
- Make bike or Segway tour.
- Take a cocktail in one of the amazing rooftops with breathtaking views of the city.
- Going to one of the outdoor shows that are held in the program Villa Summers, every June, July and August.
- Visit some of the magnificent royal palaces located on the outskirts of the city.
Holidays in Madrid
Most museums and many shops are closed during these days.
- New Year - January 1 - Assumption of the Virgin - August 15
- Epiphany (Three Kings Day) - January 6 - Spain’s National Day - October 12
- Easter Friday - April or May - La Almudena (Patroness of Madrid) - October 9
- National worker’s days - May 1 - Immaculate Conception - December 8
- Madrid’s region day - May 2 - Christmas - January 25
- Corpus Christi - June 4
Travel Documents
Passports & Visas. Everyone needs a valid passport to enter Spain unless you're a Spanish national with a valid national ID card. American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and European Union (EU) nationals don’t need visas for visits less than 90 days (except for students planning to study in Spain). A long-term visa is necessary for non-EU citizens staying longer than three months. Get this prior to departure from the Spanish Consulate in your country of residence (be sure to plan ahead, some paperwork takes several weeks, optimistically speaking).
Travel Insurance. Although not required, traveler’s insurance is always a good idea. Shop around, since there are many different policies to suit all budgets and needs. Minimum coverage should include trip delays or cancellation (especially if you have purchased non-refundable tickets), lost luggage reimbursement, health coverage and emergency assistance. Check the fine print on your credit card policy, since many offer insurance coverage on travel purchases (including flights and hotel) for cancellations or lost luggage.
Health Insurance. Spanish doctors and hospitals don’t require patients to have insurance, but all bills must be settled immediately (and usually in cash). Be sure to get a detailed receipt for your home insurance company (it may be helpful to contact them in advance about coverage while traveling). Always carry prescription medications in their original packaging with a photocopy of the prescription.
Driver's License. Obviously a necessity if you want to rent a car or drive in Spain.
Other ID. If you're a student, teacher, journalist, or senior citizen, then you're entitled to many discounts or free entrance into museums and monuments. Be sure to have the proper ID - student card, press card, photo ID with age clearly listed, etc.
Madrid Money Matters
Currency and exchanging Money
In Spain we use the Euro since January 1, 2002, when it became the official currency. If you still have some pesetas (the last currency before Euro), you can exchange them at the National Banque of Spain, but they are nor accepted as legal currency anymore.
It's a good idea to buy at least €100 from you home bank so that you arrive with enough money to get you to your hotel (you really don't want to deal with out-of-order cash distributors or expensive exchange commissions when you arrive jet-lagged at the airport).
Banks and exchange booths (bureaux de change) that state "no commissions" have better rates than airports, hotels, department stores or train stations. You can find exchange booths in every touristy area, although we don’t really recommend exchanging currency, because it requires you to carry large sums of cash while traveling, which is never a safe thing to do. Using a credit or debit card to get cash from the ATMs in Madrid usually gets you a better rate anyway.
Spanish cash dispensers accept most international bank cards, although Visa and MasterCard are the most accepted ones. Be sure you know your 4-digit code and the maximum daily withdrawal allowance before leaving home. Your own bank may charge €1-€2 per transaction. It’s also a good idea to notify your bank of your trip so they don’t think your card has been stolen and deactivate it.
Tipping
You are not required to tip neither in restaurants nor to waiters/waitresses. Servers in Spain do not live off of tips. They get paid vacations, health care, and living wages. BUT, having said that, it's always polite to tip when you've received good service. We usually round up to the nearest euro or two, but if you want you can leave more, especially if you've been a particularly demanding client. If you have had rude service, DO NOT TIP!. Don't guilt yourself into tipping for bad service. It brings down the level of service.
Tip hairdressers, tour guides, theatre ushers, parking valets and concierges (depending on how demanding you've been). In hotels it’s customary to tip luggage handlers, room service (except for breakfast) and to leave something on your pillow for housekeeping. For taxi drivers, we normally don’t tip more than a euro, usually we round up to make it easier for them to give the change.
Phone and internet
Phone
A normal Spanish phone number has nine digits, ie: 915 930 649. Sometimes the numbers in travel guides are written for those calling from abroad. In that case, Spain's international prefix of "34" is added, ie: +34 915 930 649. The "+" means you have to first dial "out" from your country. For example, to call out of the US you dial "0011". So to call this Spanish number, you would dial: 0011 34 915 930 649.
In general, the first two numbers of as Spanish phone number indicate the location ("91" being Madrid and the surrounding region). Mobile phone numbers begin with "6". Special numbers begin with "900/902" (note: only "900" numbers are free calls).
To call home, dial out from Spain with “00” and then dial the international prefix followed by the phone number. Try to avoid using the hotel phone. They all charge hefty fees, even for local calls.
To use your own US-purchased mobile phone in Spain, it will need to be a tri-band/GSM compatible phone. Contact your provider to find out the costs involved for international “roaming” service. Another and much cheaper option is to buy a “pay as you go” card from an Spanish telephone company.
If none of this works, you can always try to find one of the last Pay Phones remaining in the city. Purchase an international calling card, but instead of actually sticking the card into the phone, dial up the free number listed on the card and type in the code (under the scratch-off silver panel), then follow the instructions in English to make your call. These can also be used for local calls.
Internet
Wireless internet access (WIFI) is the easiest way to be connected, and happily the Spanish hotels are quickly adopting it. Most of them offer it to their customers for free. All of the municipal sites in Madrid (museums, libraries, parks, town halls, etc.) now have free WiFi during regular office hours. You can also try and find it for free at cafés around town displaying the Wi-Fi symbol. To find the city's many WiFi hotspots, check out this site
There are also a few places to check e-mail in Madrid for those who don’t have their smartphone. Hotels and even youth hostels often have a “pay as you go” terminal in the lobby that can be used with a credit card, but note that these can be quite pricey and slow.
Getting around Madrid
Madrid is the capital of Spain and its located at the very center of the country. It's made up of 21 districts and there’s a ring road called Calle 30 that surrounds the center of the city.
You'll need a good map of Madrid, although most of the monuments and sites to visit are in the center of the city, at a walking distance. Most iPhones and Blackberries have GPS that will make your life a lot easier, but it's still good to have a print map as well so you can draw on it, and have it handy when your battery dies. Most guidebooks come with a map, usually more than one: a general overview map, neighborhood maps, metro maps, monument maps... They can be helpful if they're good, but they won’t show every street. You can also get a free map of the old town at the hotel and tourism offices. They’re not the best, but still, they make great "throwaway" maps for marking up or highlighting where you need to go.
For maps and driving instructions online, try Mappy. It's multi-lingual and almost always right on. We highly recommend it for anyone who wants to see where their hotel really is and how far it is from the center, airport, major monuments, etc.
As for public transportation, Madrid has one of the best rated metro networks in Europe. The 12 intercity lines connect virtually all parts of the city quickly and easily. The frequency between trains is high, it is safe, and the price is not high compared with other European cities. For all these reasons, we recommend using it without fear. There are different passes for all kinds of needs, including the Tourist Card, valid from 1-7 days for all areas and types of public transport in the city. Check all the information on the Madrid subway and download its map here
To come and go from and to the airport, there are several options. The metro, with a € 2 surcharge on the regular fare, taxi, or our recommendation, the Airport Express bus, which goes directly to the city center and takes only 3 stops. The ride is approximately 30 minutes (depending on traffic) and the price is 5 €.
