First off, you made a big decision to cross the pond (cruzar el charco), congrats! You will have a blast. Read this to get my suggestions on how to make the most of your time in Spain and some handy dandy tips on what to do and more importantly, what not to do :-)

I find it interesting that Madrid doesn’t have any notable monuments like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Colosseum in Rome yet it is still a super popular place to visit. I think it has more to do with the culture + lifestyle that has to be experienced first-hand.

Top Tips

  • Brush up on your Spanish, English knowledge is really limited here (see my section on useful phrases), it’s way less prevalent than in Italy & France
  • Everyone takes Apple Pay, even for small transactions so cash isn’t really needed unless you visit some small villages
  • Uber works here but…
  • Bolt is my preferred app because it is more reliable
  • But also download the FreeNow app as a backup, works the same but with Taxis
  • Buying a SIM card at the Madrid airport is a royal pain, so if you have AT&T just try and get the international data plan for 1 day, $10, then when you get to town, go to any Vodafone or Orange and get a tourist SIM. IMPORTANT: Make sure your phone is unlocked
  • Ideally, you can just get an eSim from Airalo (make sure to buy and install it BEFORE you land in Spain)
  • Or at Vodafone in Madrid, for 30 Euro you get 90GB of data plus calls valid for 28 days
  • Your data plan is valid in any EU country including the UK and Switzerland! So if you plan to go elsewhere after Spain, you’re good
  • You’ll just need your passport
  • IMPORTANT: The SIM they give you comes with a pin and if you restart your phone later, you’ll need the pin so write it down somewhere and keep the box
  • You can drink the tap water here so no need to buy bottled
  • Yes, the siesta is real but not as pervasive as the south of Spain. Expect most shops to close between 2-5PM but restaurants and larger stores stay open
  • Each platform only has one train line
  • During the summer, you’ll find more people on the streets at 1AM than 1PM

https://go.mapstr.com/KKJ0XEgGpkb

Join my mapstr with the link above, I put together a custom map of 150+ recommended places to eat/drink. You can filter by tags too. iPhone/Android app free download needed (but worth it!)

How do I get around?

  • A taxi from the airport to anywhere in the city center is 33 Euros flat. All taxis take credit card. Uber might be like ~25 Euro but you have to walk all the way to the fourth floor of the parking garage and there’s limited WiFi there so taxis might be easier
  • Taking the metro from the airport or to the airport is a real pain as you usually have to transfer twice and it’s almost 50+ mins. I really recommend a taxi to town which is 30 Euro and less than 30 minutes
  • There is a somewhat high speed train to the city center, takes 30 minutes and costs around 4 euros that you can also take from the airport to the city center
  • Except for airport trips, the metro system is amazing, 6 Euro for 10 trips (regardless of how long the trip is, it is the same price). Buy a metro card for sure (you can do it at the big red machines in most major stations)
  • E-scooters are big here. Bikes, not so much
  • But honestly, you’ll just walk or metro everywhere

Where should I stay?

  • Wherever you stay, try and get a terrace or balcony or rooftop access - Madrid is really made for sitting outside of your apartment in the mornings and evenings

This area in gray is pretty good to stay but really differs widely in what you are looking for

Malasaña:

  • Most similar to Adams Morgan in DC. Young, lots of nightlife, good restaurants, loud, crowded but fun.

Justicia:

  • This place has the right mix of retail + restaurants + living. I’d consider living here for my next place

Chueca:

  • Most similar to Castro in San Francisco. Chic, Colorful, LGBT. Well located.

Lavapies:

  • Very multicultural. Some of the best international restaurants are here. I do my international grocery shopping here. Not as clean an area, it’s gritty. Most similar to Mission in SF but like 24th and Mission not 18th and Valencia

La Latina:

  • This is a great neighborhood for food and drinks. I go here a lot. I used to stay here for 2 weeks when I first came to Madrid. Well located, not overly touristy. Lots of great places to eat/drink here. Has a famous street solely for tapas (Cava Baja). A great choice.

Cortes:

  • Super central, tons of restaurants, near the major sights. And contains one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Madrid, Las Letras. I highly recommend staying here!

Five Suggested Boutique Hotels in the Center (in no order):

  • Only You Hotel: http://www.booking.com/Share-0RIKed
  • The Principal: http://www.booking.com/Share-ZHGy4H
  • 7 Islas: http://www.booking.com/Share-4CdlRJ
  • Amor de Dios 17: http://www.booking.com/Share-8VXOm8
  • Hotel Urban: http://www.booking.com/Share-jXMOWE

The streets can definitely be very loud quite late (~2AM+) so try and ask for a courtyard facing room or ask if your Airbnb faces the street.

If you’ve been to Madrid already or are looking for a more, off-the-beaten path, locals-only spot, then I recommend Chamberí. It is like Hayes Valley/Lower Pacific Heights in SF. Arapiles or Trafalgar zones within Chamberi are the ideal ones in terms of location. In fact, my favorite place in all of Madrid is here, called Plaza de Olavide, a circular plaza surrounded by bars and restaurants and patios.

Where should I NOT stay?

You might have found some really nice hotels in Salamanca or Goya or Chamartin or Tetuan or Cuatro Caminos. But I don’t recommend staying in those neighborhoods. Salamanca / Goya are very nice areas for shopping and eating at high end restaurants but to stay there as a tourist, you wouldn’t get the true feel of Madrid. It’s more of an Upper West Side NYC style area. Tetuan and Cuatro Caminos are waaaaay up north away from all the action. Lots of expats live there because the big companies are up north.

Useful Castellano (Spanish) Phrases

Madrid speaks Castellano not Spanish so there are a few nuances from what you may have learned:

  • Okay = Vale (“vall-eh”), you’ll hear this like 100x a day
  • Where are the restrooms? = Dónde están los aseos?
  • What do you recommend? = Que me recomendas?
  • Bye/see you later! = Hasta luego! (used way more than adios which means ~farewell)
  • How cool! = Que guay! (the ‘g’ is silent)
  • How much does it cost? = Cuanto cuesta?
  • Tap water, please = agua del grifo, porfa
  • The check please, paying by card = la cuenta, con tarjeta porfa
  • Please = Por favor or very common, “porfa”

What should I definitely drink while I’m here?

  • There is nothing more Madrid than getting a Vermouth on tap and eating complimentary tapas on a terrace. This is my favorite place for that, though no terrace.
  • This is my most favorite thing to drink after moving here
  • This isn’t from Madrid but instead from the north of Spain...Sidra (hard apple cider). In Madrid, you’ll need to go to a proper Sidreria for that experience. Basically you can’t pour it yourself, they pour the cider from a very tall height so as to aerate it. They hand it to you directly and you have to drink it all down in one go (it’s only like 3 sips worth) because it loses its aeration quickly. Very delicious and a unique experience.
  • Spain has two great wine regions, one for red and one for whites
  • Rioja is the most famous red wine growing region that is north of Madrid. However, I particularly like heavier full bodied wines so I prefer Priorat (grown near Barcelona).
  • Galicia, northwest of Madrid is famous for its white wines. If you see Rías Baixas, or Albariño on the menu it’s from here. I love these crisp wines
  • Just ask for a glass from either region and specify dry (“secco”) or sweet (“dulce”) and trust your waiter. Your order by region/grape here not really by the name
  • Horchata (Orxata) - not like the ones we have in the US from Mexico. It tastes way different and more similar to almond milk with cinnamon. You’ll need to go to a proper Horchateria for a proper glass. This is not from Madrid at all, it is from Valencia
  • Caña, basically draft beer. These are about half the size of a regular beer. Mahou and Estrella Galicia (I prefer this one) are most popular. If you want a bigger one, ask for a “doble” (a double). La Virgen is the local Madrid craft beer, very good but usually only comes in bottles. Don’t expect a drink menu with 10 available beers, 2-3 is normal
  • Clara, beer with lemonade, usually served during the summer. Extremely refreshing
  • Cafe
  • Cafe con leche is the default here - it’s interesting to note that the vast majority of coffee beans are roasted with sugar (called torrefacto). So there is a slight burnt sugar taste with most coffee here (you’ll miss it when you have regular coffee back home).
  • You’ll be asked, “templado o caliente leche?” which means do you want it with warm or hot milk. By default it is templado (warm milk)
  • Try a carajillo too. It’s an after meal coffee with brandy or rum or whiskey
  • Cafe con hielo = iced coffee. But they literally make a small coffee and give you a cup of ice
  • Solo = espresso
  • Tinto de Verano - Red wine mixed with a Sprite-like soda called Casera but way sweeter
  • Txakoli - From the Basque Country in the north of Spain, it’s an effervescent white wine. I love this stuff!
  • Fino - (Sherry) from Andalusia, south of Spain is famous for this
  • Cava - Spanish champagne. Usually very good and super affordable compared to champagne

Note that the prices of nearly a glass of everything on this list is typically less than 5 euros. Cañas are usually 2 or 3 euros max. Same for most glasses of house wine which is usually pretty good.

What should I definitely eat while I’m here?

Madrileños typically have 5 meals a day:

8AM (breakfast) - Coffee with some biscuits

11AM (2nd breakfast) - A tortilla (omelet with potatoes) with a caña or a coffee

~2PM (lunch) - Lunch, biggest meal of the day. Takes 90+ minutes.

7PM - snack/tapas with a drink

~10PM - dinner (quite light usually, just a little something since you’d have been munching on tapas)

Note that most places don’t open for lunch until 1:30 or 2PM. And dinner places open around 8:30PM. If you get hungry at 6 or 7PM, just go to a bar and have some tapas. It’s a very meat heavy place but there are usually veg options and also solo veg restaurants nowadays. The food does lack sauce which I miss dearly.

  • Breakfast
  • Pan con tomate (bread with grated tomatoes and olive oil and salt). This is the super classic breakfast paired with a cafe con leche on a plaza
  • Croissant
  • Churros (breakfast or a super duper late night snack, not dessert!)
  • Be sure to try porros, fatter churros. I prefer these
  • 2nd Breakfast (11AM)
  • Tortilla española (the most Spanish thing to have. Tortilla means omelet here)
  • Pan con jamon (bread with ham)
  • Lunch
  • Croquettas (delicious and filled with anything you can imagine)
  • Cocido Madrileño is the most Madrid dish out there. Basically a stew with everything from chickpeas to sausages to vegetables. It’s a gigantic meal that’s going to take 2 hours. Very heavy, great when it’s cold
  • Huevos Rotos (broken eggs with potatoes)
  • Bocadillo de Calamares (calamari sandwich)
  • Tapas
  • Ensalada Rusa (Russian salad, potatoes and veggies with mayo)
  • Patatas Brava (potatoes with a mildly spicy sauce)
  • Jamon iberico
  • Eggplant fritters with honey
  • Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus in olive oil with paprika)
  • Chorizo a la sidra (chorizo cooked in hard apple cider)
  • Try everything!
  • Dinner
  • Tomato+Onion+Olive oil+sea salt salad = this is my favorite. I’ve had this for dinner more times than I can count. The tomatoes from Spain are unbelievable
  • Gazpacho / Salmorejo (cold soup, one without bread, one with it blended into the soup)
  • A light salad/soup or some avocados and a fried egg or tomato with cheese. Keep it simple

Also try the Latin American/South American food while you are here! There are tons of immigrants from there and they make bomb food. I’ve had the best Peruvian dishes here and same goes for al pastor tacos.


What should I bring back and from where?

Great gifts include:

  • Olive oil (Spain is the #1 exporter of this, 3x Italy)
  • Paprika
  • Chocolate (churros mix / hot chocolate mix)
  • Olives
  • Turron (honey, sugar, eggs, and nuts) kind of like peanut brittle
  • Pericon or Castañuelas (the Spanish ‘hand fan’)
  • Cheese (manchego)
  • Coffee (the ones with burnt sugar on it, torrefacto, you’ll miss it, trust me)

For most of the food items, I recommend just hitting up a local grocery store. El Corte Inglés in Sol is my favorite (a bit pricey but very good quality). You’ll find them everywhere.

What should I see?

  • Royal Palace, try and do the guided tour. It is worth it. And for sure, buy the tickets in advance, the lines are insane!

  • Prado Museo (art museum)

  • This is a really cool museum...and I usually don’t like art museums. You’ll need 2+ hours here. Get there early at 10AM. Also it is free after 5PM most days.

  • Reina Sofia is the other famous art museum but...unless you are super into art, you can skip it

  • El Rastro on Saturday between 10AM-2PM (gigantic flea market, super crowded)
  • Thyssen (mostly for art lovers)

  • Hotel RIU rooftop. Go during the day to avoid crazy lines. Amazing view of Madrid. Glass bridge super high up

  • Retiro (basically the central park of Madrid). Before, get a bocadillo (sandwich) from Magasand and bring it to the park for a mini picnic

  • Walk around these three neighborhoods to get a feel for Madrid

  • Salamanca (try and eat at StreetXO if you can, line up early)
  • Lavapies
  • Malasaña (great place to grab a drink, around here to get the full experience) 

  • Temple of Debod for the sunset. Bring some drinks and food

  • See the Cibeles Fountain at night and walk along the Paseo de Recoletos, it’s a gorgeous walk with amazingly lit up buildings

  • Mercado de San Miguel (gorgeous food market, built for tourists but super good food. Splurge on tapas here one day)

  • Also visit the Mercado Anton Martin - go here for lunch (after 1:30) and eat at any of the stalls for a proper, local experience
  • Take a walk around the Caso de Campo lake and grab an evening drink/tapas at one of the lakeside terraces like Villa Verbena for great views. Caso de Campo is like the Golden Gate Park of Madrid

  • Plaza Mayor (try not to eat anything here, mostly tourist traps) but cool to see

  • Do a free walking tour, they usually start from here. Good to do your first day

  • Museo Sorolla (only if you have time)

  • Teleférico to get a ride in the sky through the park (only if you have time)

Ideal 3 day itinerary?

Coming soon…

What are good day trips?

Salamanca - 2 hours by train - Gorgeous university town with splendid architecture

Segovia - 1 hour by train - Roman Aqueduct, Huge Disney-esque Castle

Toledo - 1 hour by train - Original capital of Spain, super old city with charming tiny streets. Huge cathedral and alcazar

El Escorial - 1 hour by train - Gigantic castle like building from the 1500s

What about other parts of Spain?

  • Barcelona
  • Take the train (~3 hours). Well worth the visit for 3-4 days. Much bigger of a city than Madrid. Totally different feel. Very international+cosmopolitan, less Spanish. Super humid in the summer whereas Madrid is dry.
  • See my Barcelona recommendations on the last page
  • Andalusia (the south of Spain)
  • This is an amazing region to see with a rental car. Your US license will work here and the car rentals are quite affordable even with automatic transmissions. I recommend Centauro or https://www.govirtuo.com/es/
  • Seville, Cordoba, Granada form the golden triangle of this region
  • But I really like Malaga, the right pace of living
  • You can also take the high speed train down to Seville or Malaga in about 2 hours from Madrid
  • Basque Country (NE Spain)
  • Hands down the best food in Spain. San Sebastian in particular is a culinary paradise. I spent 3 days here just basically on a food tour
  • Bilbao for the Guggenheim museum
  • Also another region that is great with a car
  • Note that the north of Spain has a lot of rain
  • Galicia (northwesternmost point of Spain)
  • The seafood and wine from here are amazing
  • Valencia
  • The birthplace of paella (without seafood, with rabbit and chicken!)
  • Super cool old city
  • Interesting mix of super old and super modern with their science city

My favorite places in Barcelona:

La Pepita for dinner/lunch, the best tapas

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XF2HbvsNEHd8JJsLA

Tapas 24

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EdjTnwvDEQYFQkX17

Amusement park, good view:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/3RxfPyNdfRaCNu7k9

Parc Guell

https://maps.app.goo.gl/bxWqfGLgofS9ak9v6

Central market

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qiRp6MbMAxEhpLKv7

The best restaurant in BCN (make sure to order the eggplant)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qy2eNa1Qow2ygVmX8

Street full of tapas bars

https://maps.app.goo.gl/TXTN337bYwV4qRMa9

Catalan food

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dLcmsCgGVoUCApkv9

Dali Museum

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zptxvxa4YAfCxM7BA