Madrid Metro Tickets Single metro trip is 1.50 Ticket of 10 trips- 12.20 or 1.20 /trip. The 10 trip ticket may be used by more than one person. One person uses it and passes it back to the next person. It s 100% acceptable to use this ticket this way. On the back of the ticket it will print the trip #, time, date and station where it was used. That way you can easily keep track of how many times it was used. We have never needed a ticket out of the Zone A area. The other option is to buy a metro ticket for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days (can be used by only one person) The difference in the single ticket, 10 trip ticket or the tourist ticket is how much you think you will use the metro. We normally use the metro at least 2-3 times per day per person on average. Here s the Metro map https://www.metromadrid.es/export/sites/metro/comun/documentos/planos/planoesquematicoin gles.pdf A few stations require the metro ticket to be entered into a validating machine in order to exit the station. Going out of or into the airport there is a 3 surcharge added to the single trip fare. Going to the airport from the city, you can either buy the 3 supplement ticket at the metro station or upon arrival at the airport. There is a ticket dispensing machine selling the 3 surcharge ticket at the airport metro station which is needed to exit from the Metro station and enter the airport. American Airlines flights arrive at Terminal 4 (T4). The metro stops going out to the airport are: Terminal 1, 2 & 3 (T1, T2 & T3)- then Barajas (this is the stop in the town of Barajas- and then Terminal 4 (T4). The end of the # 8 Pink metro line is Terminal 4. Plaza del Sol The busiest plaza in the city and also has the largest Metro station in Madrid. This is where the statue of the Bear climbing up the Strawberry tree is located. This is the iconic statue representing the city of Madrid. Plaza Mayor There are restaurants all the way around the inside and outside of the plaza. Seating outside in the plaza is the best if the temperature is comfortable. Tables with tablecloths are for eating and the tables without table cloths are for drinking ONLY. Usually the waiters want to know
what type of customer you are (drink or eat and drink). Prices are a little higher within the plaza, but how many times are you going to have a beer in one of the most famous plazas of the world! Mercado San Miguel Located just on the west side outside of Plaza Mayor. Last remaining iron frame market in Madrid. It s big, and visually stimulating. It s worth the walk through to get some pictures. Royal Palace Metro station Ópera Guided tours in English are every 2-3 hours. If the English tour isn t convenient, the automated audio guide is very good. Catedral de la Almudena https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsvobgmhbbe#t=50 On the south side of the palace is the Catedral de la Almudena. Free admission and open to the public. Construction started in 1879 and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. Sabatini gardens On the north side of the Royal Palace are the Sabatini gardens. They are sunken below the street level and a maze of gardens designed by Italian architect Francesco Sabatini. Open to the public during the day. Debod Temple * Line 3 - Plaza de España or Ventura Rodríguez stations or * Line 10 - Plaza de España station. Ancent Egyptian temple which was rebuilt in Madrid after being dismanteled in Egypt and moved before the Aswan Dam was built. This temple would have been flooded if the Spanish government had not rescued the site. Admission is free and open to the public during the day. http://www.madridtourist.info/debod_temple.html National Archaeological Museum of Spain Línea 4: Estación Serrano Re-opened in 2015 after being closed for 3 years of renovations. Famous works on display are the Dama de Elche, Dama de Baza replicas of the Altamira (Cantabria) cave paintings and much more. Note: we have never been to this museum because it was closed for many years. Free entry and closed Monday s.
http://www.madridtourist.info/archaeological_museum.html Lope de Vega s house http://www.rae.es/la-institucion/casa-museo-lope-de-vega/informacion Lope de Vega was a fellow writer of Miguel Cervantes in the golden age of Spanish literature. He specialized in plays, novels and poetry. We have never been to this museum because there were no tour reservations available. Reservations are required and we have tried unsuccessfully to drop by and enter. We usually have the hotel call the phone number to make the reservations. The free tour is the only means to visit the house. La Real Academia Española Located just north of the Museo de Prado on Calle de Felipe IV, 4. So far I have not found any way to visit inside the building, but it s a photo op for every Profesor de Español!! Prado Museum Metro- Light blue #1 line Atocha station or Red #2 line Banco de España station. Open every day. The entrance is on the north side of the building, not the center of the building as you might think. We have been to the Prado many times and still haven t seen it all. It s massive and all the Spanish Masters paintings are there. Your taste for these great museums will determine how long you stay! Queen Sofía Art Museum (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía) Note: Closed Tuesdays Entrance is from the open courtyard side of the building. Metro station- Light blue #1 Atocha station (not the Atocha Renfe station) on the corner of Calle del Atocha and Paseo del Prado If walking between the Prado Museum or The Queen Sofía Art Museum it s about a 10-15 minute easy walk passing Atocha train station. The #1 piece of art that everyone wants to see is Guernica by Pablo Picasso. It s in Room 206 on the 2 nd floor. Museum maps are available at the information desk. If you need help navigating, just as a staff member. Guernica is Spain s single, most famous piece of art.
The history of the paining depicting the bombing of Guernica, Spain by Hitler s Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War explains Picasso s paining. http://www.pablopicasso.org/guernica.jsp The paining is massive and there are 2 staff members there to try to stop people from taking photos and protect the paining. In the same gallery are many Picasso sketches of Guernica and his other works. The rest of the museum is art from 1900-1980 s by Spanish artists. Other artists like Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró are also featured. Retiro Park and the Mausoleum of Alfonso XII This is the biggest park in the city of Madrid. The lake and Mausoleum of Alfonso XII are impressive and where many Madrileños rent boats and row on sunny days. Many times there are magicians, and other entertainers in the park. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:alfonso_xii_mausoleum_-_parque_del_buen_retiro.jpg Palacio de Cibeles Closed Mondays Metro #2 Banco de España station. The building is on the corner of Paseo del Prado and Calle de Alcalá. This is a Madrid landmark and is located on the Plaza de la Cibeles (fountain). Originally this building was the post office, but now is the Madrid City Hall. There is a visitor tour available. The building is impressive just from the outside. Sorolla Museum General Martínez Campos, 37 Metro: Iglesia (line 1), Rubén Darío (line 5) or Gregorio Marañón (lines 7 and 10) Website: http://museosorolla.mcu.es Free with the Madrid Card Joaquín Sorolla was a Valencian born impressionistic artist who lived in Madrid. This museum is in his home. It s about 15 minutes from the city center via metro on the north side of the city. His art is very distinctive and the home is filled with his works. We liked this so much the 1 st time we went a 2 nd time with our daughter. Intercambios de Inglés/ Español in the city of Madrid Here is one of the web sites that has Intercambio information in the section on Bar Intercambio nights. I have attended many and they are all great and just like a meetup grouphttp://www.madridnt.com/2013/05/intercambios-in-madrid.html
I have personally been to the intercambio at the Quiet Man bar on Sundays. All of them are 100% free. Usually they have a person at the door or just ask someone where the group is. It ll be loud, the beer will be cold, the format is flexible and always fun!! Day trip to Escorial and return to Madrid. There is the option to take the bus or the train. Travel time is the same. The bus stop in Escorial is a little closer to the palace. (We didn t take the bus.) By train Take the cercania train (commuter train) Buy a round trip ticket just so you don t have to deal with it on the return. Commuter trains do not have assigned seats like the long distance trains. You do not have to select the specific train for return because the ticket is for any trains back to Madrid. Trains leave from Atocha and Charmartín Station to Escorial. From Atocha Station. Line C3 and trains leave every hour on the :35 travel time is 1:06. Upon arrival at the Escorial train station there is bus to El Palacio de Escorial. The walk is about 45 minutes and it s all up hill. For lunch there are many restaurants within a few blocks up hill from the palace. Return trains are on every hour on the :15