Things to do in Madrid

[Biffsboys]

My lovely ds has booked dh and I a trip to Madrid . Looking for things to do or see . We’re not particularly arty people 😬

Check when the museums are free, then you can zip in and cherry pick the best exhibits for an hour before closing .

What time of year are you going? It’s nice just to mooch about stopping for tapas and sangria if the weather is good.

chippy - going at end of May , so hopefully weather will be pleasant? Mooching, tapas and alcohol sounds perfect to me 😀 . Thinking we should probably fit in some other things 😂

I had 2 nights in Madrid in October & loved it.

San Miguel food market. It's touristy and not cheap but we had an amazing evening drinking sangria and sampling the tapas.

Also food but try one of the tiny squid shops full of locals, rather than lunch at the posh bistro restaurants - 3euro for a huge plate of calamari! Heaven.

We also did a half day walking tour detailed in the lonely planet guide which took us round some great architecture and the big park with boats on the lake. Well worth doing if you can get a copy. Handy map too!

Try adventurous appetites for a walking tour where you visit a variety of different tapas bars and have a different food/ drink in each one

I've been 5 times.
-Market
-Market
-Market
-Tapas in the centre
-Tapas outside the centre

Fin

Keep writing a decent reply and it's deleting itself every time I go off the page to find out names for you! I used to live there so from memory....

Retiro Park

Markets as listed above

Palacio de Cibeles - see what's on inside but the viewing floor gives stunning views

Day trip on the train to Segovia/Toledo/El Escorial, research them beforehand as each place is famous for something different. Well worth going on at least one!

Take a guide book and walk to the ancient part of the city where the Moors invaded. Very interesting history.

If you like football go to Bernabau (can't spell this early in the morning!)

Madrid is all accessible on foot and May is a brilliant month to visit, I doubt you will need a metro pass. Even the street names are decorative! Oh and May is a big month in Madrid, lots of bank holidays and I think their national feast day. Head to tourist information and ask what's on, there will be lots of things going on in different areas.

All of the above! But my favourite place in Madrid is a basement sangria bar called Las Cuevas de Sesamo.
Lovely cosy atmosphere, live piano, and excellent sangria. Not expensive either.
Great way to spend an evening.

Echo SAN Miguel food market plus the Retiro Park. Lovely markets when you walk down from Sol on a Sunday x

Even if not arty, I think you should still visit the Prado. There's a time in the week when admission is free.

Agree with the person who suggested Toledo.

Thank you for all the suggestions, will definitely try lots of them . This is the first trip away without dc in 15 years so looking forward to it .

The Palacio Real is worth a look, also the teleférico (cable car).

Buy a tourist public transport ticket at the airport. It’s good for the tube line to and from the airport and everything else. Good value.

There is church next to the Palacio Real which has a bell tower you can climb for a couple of euro and get a good view over the city.

Following with interest, we’re off to Madrid at the beginning of May for DH birthday, so far we’ve got the Bernabéu, Royal Palace & Plaza Mayor on the list!

freewalkingtoursmadrid.com/en/
I would recommend these, we have done free tours in many cities. Worth doing on your first day as it gives you a good overview of the city, and you can go back to the bits you like. The guides are helpful too and will give you good info on places to eat etc. You just give them a tip based on whether you enjoyed the tour, so they work really hard and they are very enjoyable.

If you're a foodie, this place is amazing:

www.saladedespiece.com/en/sala-de-despiece/

Best to get there early though as there are no reservations.

For anyone who will be in Madrid on May 18th it's free museum day, I think this includes the Palace.

www.spain.info/en/reportajes/espana_en_el_dia_internacional_de_los_museos.html

So jealous of all of you, never researched a thread to benefit others this much before!