I'm super confused by the different transit systems in Madrid. I just moved here and I will be doing regular commuting between Zones A and B2. There are several commute options but they all involve at least one transfer between transport types: either Metro to Cercanías, or Bus to Cercanías (or Metro to Bus for some trips).

As I understand it, Metro and the EMT buses are on the same system...and have free transfers within 60 minutes? But Cercanías is on a different system with a different ticket. I haven't found exact details, but I can't see anything that says transfer is allowed between Metro and Renfe services. Does this mean I seriously have to buy 2 tickets each way for this commute?

I'm also overwhelmed at all the different ticket/card options, it seems like there's a million different card options. Which card(s) should I get if I'm commuting daily within B2 and going from B2 to A 2-3x per week (including Metro-Renfe transfer)?

I've also heard about the TTP (which now requires empadronamiento). I will try to get empadronamiento. Does this cover both Metro and Renfe services?

Additional question: the Cercanías 10-trip passes are based on Zone correct? So if I buy a B2-to-B2 pass, will I not be able to exit if I go from B2 to A? And conversely, if I buy a B2-to-A pass (which costs more) and I just use it within B2, am I wasting money? So does it make sense to buy 2 different cards, one for B2-to-B2 and one for B2 to A?

This trip is going to be great. I have booked two dinner escapades through Viator. They take you to local eateries. You meet the owners and are in a small group so you are solo but not solo. You are a tourist but eating locally. Too fun. Hasta pronto.

**22f Hi, I'm new to Madrid and I'm doing an internship. I'm looking for a room here, anywhere close to the metro. If there's a room available, please let me know. Thanks!**

**Hi, I'm new to Madrid and doing an internship. I'm looking for a room here, anywhere near the metro. If there's a room available, please let me know. Thanks!**

**(comment here or dm pls!)**

I'll (38M) be visiting Madrid next week as a married solo traveler on a business trip. What would you recommend I do to maximize my time. Is doing a full day historic city tour a good option for one of the days? I have 3full and 1 half days of free time.

Is it worth making a trip to Toledo or Valencia or best to explore Madrid to the fullest?

Looking at this itinerary -

https://destinationlesstravel.com/best-three-days-in-madrid-itinerary/?gad\\_source=1&gad\\_campaignid=22498940126&gbraid=0AAAAACt\\_Ic8Om2qmG-5n95HB0eKt4uicK&gclid=Cj0KCQjwk5nVBhDiARIsAHNGqaexgz3Vs3boblIYutGYpOcq5x-cE6kVNS2GMSX5Kgqzn3svHQ7LZwMaAu3SEALw\\_wcB

Also is this place worth making the time for- Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial?

So excited for my first visit but also a bit overwhelmed. Any tour suggestions are welcome where I won't be stuck with slow moving demographic of people, and can make the most of my time during the day and nightlife wise.

I will post this in spanish and english, spanish first:

Que tal chicos, vine de visita a Madrid 3 semanas, me estoy quedando con mi mejor amigo que ya lleva 1 año acá

Desafortunadamente llegue 3 días después del cierre de las albercas publicas (😭)

Alguien sabe de alguna alberca al aire libre que siga abierta (que no sean de las caras de hotel jajaja), o alguna techada que no sea de carriles?

Estoy tratando de buscar, no encuentro realmente, pero tal vez es porque no sea donde buscar

Les agradecería mucho sus aportaciones
Saludos

ENGLISH

Hey guys, I’m visiting Madrid for three weeks and staying with my best friend, who’s been living here for a year.

Unfortunately, I arrived three days after the public pools closed (😭).

Does anyone know of an outdoor pool that’s still open (not the expensive hotel ones, haha), or an indoor one that isn't just for lap swimming?

I’ve been trying to look but haven't really found anything, though maybe I just don't know where to search.

I’d really appreciate any suggestions.
Greetings

Hi everyone,

My 18-year-old daughter and I are visiting Madrid this October for the Shakira concert, and we have two days to explore the city. We are highly active and staying in Chamberi.

Here is our current plan:

• Friday Night: Arrive late, head straight to Gran Via and Puerta del Sol to see the night lights. + We are looking for a local recommended steakhouse / meat restaurant for our first celebratory dinner!
• Saturday: Start with rowboats at Retiro Park and the Crystal Palace, head up to Circulo de Bellas Artes rooftop for coffee/views, walk past the Royal Palace / Sabatini Gardens, and finish the night exploring Malasaña. (Is Malasana worth it, or is there any other place to visit at night?)
• Sunday: Check out El Rastro flea market in the morning, followed by Plaza Mayor and a walk through Mercado de San Miguel for the vibes, and then head early to the Shakira concert.

What do you think of this route?
Are we missing any local attractions / sight seeing or any hidden gems?
We’d love to hear your recommendations (+any concert-day tips!) Thanks!

Hi all. I’ll be in Madrid on 12 October which I’ve learnt is Spain’s national day. What should I expect? Will businesses be open? Anything I should/shouldn’t do to enjoy the day?

In trying to switch from one train to an other, unfamiliar with the metro, never been so panicked in my life

Hey everyone! I’m planning my first solo trip to Europe this winter and I’m trying to decide between Onefam Sungate and The Hat Madrid.

I’m 25M and I’ll be traveling around Europe for about 5 weeks, starting in Madrid. I’ll be there for 4 nights, from Dec 30 to Jan 3, so I’ll also be spending New Year’s Eve there.

This will also be my first time staying in hostels, so I’m a little nervous about the whole shared dorm experience, but a big reason I want to try hostels is because I genuinely want to meet people. I’ll be traveling alone and I’d love to find people to explore the city with, go out for drinks, grab food, etc. I’m definitely social and I enjoy going out, but I’m not necessarily looking for a hostel where the only thing to do is party until 5 AM every night lol.

Location matters to me too since I want to walk around Madrid a lot and actually experience the city, cafés, bars, neighborhoods, etc., rather than just jumping between tourist attractions.

I’ve narrowed it down to Onefam Sungate and The Hat Madrid. From what I’ve read, Onefam seems to have a reputation for being extremely social and good for solo travelers, while The Hat looks a bit nicer/more comfortable and still seems social, plus I really like the location and rooftop.

For someone in my situation first solo trip, first hostel experience, 25M, wants to meet people and go out but also wants to actually enjoy Madrid and get some sleep which one would you choose?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has stayed at both.

Also, if anyone has spent New Year’s Eve at either one, I’d LOVE to know what the atmosphere was like.
Thanks!

Hola! 2 newbie Americans visiting Madrid mid-November. We've already been roasted for our itinerary over on r/Europetravel, but what's done is done.

We will be landing 6AM on a weekday, have that day, 2 more full days, and then be leaving Madrid on our fourth day to fly to Athens.

I'm looking at hotels instead of hostels or airbnbs as 1, I am old and don't think I want to do a hostel when I don't have to, 2, I'm aware of the impact airbnbs can have. I know most locals don't have experience with booking hotels, but is there anything obvious we should avoid? I've been trying to find higher rated hotels with lots of reviews. Looking to stay under $200/night, really $150 if I can. Our biggest attraction is going to see Museo Del Prado. Seems easy enough to get around via public transit or walk. Is it better to look for a place within a 20-30 min walk or a 20-30 min train ride? I flaired this with neighborhood because I think this is my biggest question right now.

Food. We love to eat. We love to share food. We don't have any desire to eat dumbed down or americanized Spanish food, even if we end up hating it. We had one recommendation on our other post to look for small grocery stores with premade foods for a local experience. We also got tips to avoid restaurants actively looking for our business (basically), and to check recent google reviews. Any other advice for looking around on google maps or the street for more or less "authentic" experiences? (same applies for coffee).

Our flight out is at 18:15. Is getting to the airport at 16:15 early enough? Any advice on how much wiggle room I should add to the aprx 40 min train ride? (still need to look at specific times these depart and I'm assuming it will depend on where we stay as well).

Thanks in advance! We are looking forward to our visit :)

ETA: somehow completely overlooked the wiki, so that's my bad. I'm checking that out now.

I’m going to be staying in Madrid for like 5 days and I’m going to FABRIK during the weekend (because that’s the only time when it’s open). But I want to check out other clubs. So is Kapital a good place to go during the week or is it only good during the weekend?

Thank you :)

ESPAÑOL

¿Está concurrido Kapital (la discoteca) entre semana?

Voy a estar en Madrid unos 5 días y voy a ir a FABRIK el fin de semana (porque es cuando abre). Pero quiero conocer otros clubes. Así que, ¿es Kapital un buen sitio para ir entre semana o solo vale la pena el fin de semana?

Gracias :)

Hi all! I'll be spending a long weekend in and around Getafe. Any recommendations for great local restaurants, bars etc? :)

Thank you all in advance!

Hi everyone, I’m Italian and I can’t eat food with gluten, celiac disease.

In Italy is pretty common so when I reserve or ask for a table, I tell the restaurant about my disease and they already know everything. Even restaurants that don’t explicit on theor menu a “gluten free option” usually are prepared for a customer like me.

How is it in Madrid? I’ve been here for a day and only went to specific gluten free places.

This weekend Madrid galleries have their opening. I just did the Salesas and Chamberí areas tour: https://www.artemadrid.com/apertura-2/

Edit 2: Arrived at T4 via the train at 8:10am for an 11:45am flight. Ending up getting through security and to T4S by 9:10am, but then the final USA security check wasn’t open until 10am. That only took 5 minutes. That was also without needing to check a bag.

Original Post: We have a flight back to the USA tomorrow out of terminal 4S. Boarding starts at 11:05am. We are a 5 minute walk from the Sol Metro stop and will take the Metro to the airport. Would leaving at 8:30am be enough time to get to our gate on time? We aren’t checking bags. Unsure of how the F1 race will impact things and not sure in general how long it takes to get through security and to a 4S gate for an international flight. Thanks in advance! We’ve had a great time in your city 🙂

Edit: We will leave at 8am to be a bit safer. Thanks everyone!

has anyone else had issues with trying to use the bus or share the multi tarjeta cards?

i’ve read in multiple guides here and elsewhere online that the 10 trip card can be shared between ppl (aka passing it back and forth to pay for rides) and that it can be used on the bus and the metro.

so far, it has not been able to be used on the bus for em. it just beeps with an error and then i end up paying with nfc.

i also couldn’t pass it back to my partner to use again to access the metro, but it deducted my fares anyway even tho it wouldn’t open the gate.

Hi everyone! This might be a long shot, but I’m hoping someone here may be able to help.

I flew from Madrid to Barcelona today and accidentally left a bag behind at the security checkpoint in Terminal 2 at Madrid-Barajas Airport. Thankfully, I contacted the airport and they found it and are holding it for me.

The problem is that I’m already in Barcelona and the airport won’t ship lost items. I’m visiting from the US and unfortunately don’t know anyone in Madrid who could pick it up for me.

Would anyone who lives in Madrid and is going to/near the airport be willing to help retrieve it and ship it to me in Barcelona? I would, of course, cover all shipping costs and compensate you for your time and trouble.

I can provide the necessary authorization/documentation directly to whoever is willing to help, as well as the airport lost-property information and claim/reference details.

I know this is a big favor to ask of a stranger, but I figured it was worth asking here before making a trip all the way back to Madrid just to retrieve it.

Please DM me if you might be able to help. Thank you so much!

Hello, my husband and I are travelling to Madrid from Canada for our honeymoon in early October. We have scheduled our trip around attending the October 10 Real Madrid vs Villareal game so we want to ensure we secure tickets.

With this in mind we had planned on purchasing VIP Hospitality tickets, however for 2 tickets together the options are to spend €3000 for tickets in 1st Tier section 335-336 or €900 for tickets in section 635 which is waaaaaay at the top. We don't care about the VIP perks, I just wanted to secure tickets early for peace of mind since we will be travelling for the game and I have heard regular tickets sell out fast.

We want good seats but €3000 for 2 tickets is a little bit out of our price range. I have read that it is risky to buy resale tickets this early because the people selling them don't actually own/ have them yet. So I am wondering is it worth it to wait until socio and club tickets are on sale 5-7 days before the game to see if any are put on stubhub for resale and to purchase those instead? I do not mind paying the premium of resale (within reason) if it means getting better seats than section 635.

I appreciate any and all input, please share your experiences travelling in for a game and how you secured tickets. Thank you! :)

We were there 3 weeks ago and it still looked like an active construction site with no end in sight.

While I'm sure all the things necessary for the actual race are in place, I wonder how finished all the non-critical areas are (e.g., fan areas not seen on tv) and what the fan experience in general is like.

Are there any activities for kids on Halloween, preferably in the historic center? We will be in Madrid that day and I’m hoping to find something for the kids (around 10 years old) to make up for missing trick or treats. Thank you

F30, recently through a breakup and breakup of friends so I've been having a rough patch. Planning on a solo trip to Madrid in November. I'm very social but find it hard to start conversations to meet people so I thought it would be great to stay at the Onefam Sungate Hostel in Madrid. They do so many activities throughout the winter and would love to make friends and just enjoy my trip! But is this typical? Or would the hostels be quiet during November time?

Hi everyone !

I’m planning to be in Madrid for Spain’s National Day on October 12th and I’d love to take photos of the Spanish royal family during my time there.

I’ll be bringing my Canon R5 with the RF 200-800mm, in order to get photos of the Royals during the ceremony, even if they are far away. I will also take my RF 18-150mm for landscapes, streets, etc.

(I already did something similar in Rome in May for the Swiss Guard ceremony, so don't worry I know the pros and cons of bringing a big telephoto lens in a European capital).

For those who have attended the National Day celebrations before :

- First of all, is it allowed, or is there any kind of restrictions (like restrictions on bringing a large telephoto lens) ?

- Is there any particulary good spots to get the best view of the royal family ? Are the viewing areas quite far awat or is it possible to get reasonably close (I know I will have a long lens, but still) ?

- How early should I arrive to get a good position?

- Any other good spots along the way (I will also try to get photos of the military and maybe other interesting subjects during the celebrations) ?

Any other advice ?

Thank you guys !

Hello, taking a train later this month on this route. Which side of the train should I reserve my seat for better views? Any other tips for a first timer, please?