Byguider -Madrid

M adrid er ofte betegnet som byen der aldrig sover. Here the clubs are open most of the night and some even until noon. Madrid is my kind of town, I've been there quite a few times now, the first time I was there, I stayed there for half year, and during my stay I picked up Spanish .... Madrid is the place to be ... be there, or be square - because "living is, realising that some things are more important than work .."

You will in this mini-guide benefit from my visit to the city. I'll tell you most of the stuff that I've found out during my stay.

What's worth seeing while in Madrid?

What's worth seeing while in Madrid? Well, you definitly have to the Puerta de Sol, which is the central square in Madrid where the "Km 0"-stone. This stone is the centre of Spain, and it's from the "Km 0"-stone that all Spanish highways are measured from. Do you have difficulties finding (well I spent 1/2 year trying to track it down). It's in the ground, next to McDonald's (ohh yes, unfortunately they are there too). And there are no signs! Another good visit in the area is Plaza Mayor. Plaza Mayor is the city hall square in Madrid. It's quite impressive and dates back to before the U.S.A was even founded ;-) Just around the corner from both Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, you'll find Plaza Santa Ana, which is the place to be at night in Madrid's centre. I'll come back to this later.Other places you'll have to visit are Gran Via, which is the main street in Madrid and Plaza Cibeles where Real Madrid fans celebrate their victories in the fountain. Fans of Atletico de Madrid celebrates at Plaza Neptunes just down the road. The thing to see is Palacio Real (the picture to the right), which is the royal palace in Madrid (the King does not live there, he lives outside town). I must say that I did not bother spending the 1.000 PTAs to enter, but I'll probably see it the next time I go down there

If you are into art and paintings, then a visit to El Prado which is the largest museum in Madrid, will be the best thing that has happen to you. But, go there on a sunday, It's for free! Another museum you'll have to see is the La Reina Sofia, which is the museum for modern art. There you'll be able to see Picasso's famous Guernica, which is based on the Nazis attack on the small town in the Basque country up North during the Spanish civil war. But keep an eye for the house painting just before you enter the secured room where Guernica. The house painting is my favorite (I can't believe that they don't have this as a poster in their shop :-/). Sunday is for free .... I have never been into art, but even if you are like me, you'll have to go there. It's really worth a visit.

If you have a couple of days more, you will definitly want to visit Spain former capital Toledo South of Madrid, as well as Segovia in the North East. It's possible to visit each city. Toledo looks like it did 100s of years ago. You can either rent a car, or take the bus. Between the major cities in Spain bus travel is quite efficient and relatively cheap.

Nightlife in Madrid - where to go - a review

If you want to go out in the Centre of Madrid, the place to be is around Plaza Santa Ana. I can recommend some clubs in this area. E.g. Black Jack. Other downtown are Joy Eslava (it has just been rebuilt (it burned down, just before X-mas 1998), and El Palacio. The prices in these places are quite high, so it might be a good idea to visit some pubs before you go there. An entry pass for Joy Eslava is around 2.500 PTAs, and El Palacio. Thursdays in El Palacio they have "Fiesta de Intercambio", which is for exchange students new to the city. Actually, everybody can go there, just come along. The entry pass has been reduced, and two people can enter for 1.400 PTAs. The price for a saturday night is normally 2.000 PTAs. El Palacio is located in an old palace, that's where the name comes from. El Palacio is my favorite. I've heard that there is supposed to be a club called Kapital with 7 dance floors, but I've never been there. The price to enter here is 2.500 PTAs. I'm actually more to the district in Madrid called nuevos ministerios. That's the area around Real Madrid's stadium. The street where I normally go out when I'm there is Avenida de Brazil. Around here are some good and cheap clubs (some even free to enter). There's a pub called the Irish Rover which might be worthwhile to take a look at. It closes at 2:00 a.m. on a saturday. afterwards you might want to check out Cheyenne next door. Another club is Moby Dick, also next door.

If you want to go to the Casino, the only one with access to the public is the one of the motorway going to Salamanca. You can take the Casino's own bus to the Casino de Madrid. It's around 500 PTAs to enter the Casino. You might want to bring nice clothes, otherwise they won't let you in. No jeans or trainers.

Student discount

A student card from one of the major international organisations is also a good thing to bring to Spain. This can be used a lot for e.g. museums, and some places they don't accept your national student card. Otherwise, you might be able to obtain it in Madrid, e.g. go to the University (E.g. CEU, Computence, Alcala de Henares), they might be able to help. 

How does I get to Madrid?

Well, into your next STA travel, as they offer good student deals. If you are Tip: Iberia the Spanish national airline is NOT the cheapest. From the U.K. discount airline GO and EasyJet offer cheap flights out of London, but be aware! Just because it is a discount airline (no frills, no food, well you have a seat, and that's that!), don't think they all offer flights at the same prices. I recently found out that the price could differ £100 for the same date. Flights are normally less expensive late afternoon (due to Business travellers). I've heard that SABENA offers cheap flights to most European destinations, but that you'll have to stop in Bruxelles. Normally, the more stops you take on the way to your destination, the cheaper the flight (and the longer the travel time).