I usually get in touch with the tour leader time after the guided tour of Madrid, especially when the group is already back home. We exchange emails and I like to ask about the quality of the services they received here, including my own service. The answers offer useful information for me, but especially for following groups that ask me for advice about restaurants, hotels and many other aspects.
Of course, I don’t want to become TripAdvisor’s competitor, that would be impossible. But I think the information I provide here could be interesting for visitors like you. That’s why I’ve put everything in order on this page, including links to other sites related to tourism in Madrid. And if you have any other suggestions, just tell me!
Restaurants in Madrid
- La Taurina: you can guess how the atmosphere of this restaurant is. The walls are decorated with bull heads and bullfighting coloured tiles. But the most interesting things are its location (close to Puerta del Sol) and its prices (a bit lower than medium prices in city center)
- La Paella de la Reina: ther best dishes are, as you may know, paellas. They cook it in different styles, but always 100% traditional
Flamenco restaurants
As you may know, flamenco restaurants, also called ‘tablaos flamencos’, have been devastated by the pandemic of Covid-19. Many of them have closed temporarily and others, definitely. So let me update this information with the restaurants which have survived and I’ll provide you information as soon as possible.
Hotels in Madrid
- Catalonia hotels: one of the most renewed brands here, with different hotels in Madrid (Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Atocha, etc.)
- Petit Palace: their hotels are usually very central and clean, even if not all have plenty of room
Museums of Madrid
- Museo del Prado: I think it has to be the first in the list because its collection is full of universal masterpieces. See more about prices and opening hours here
- Museo Reina Sofía: the Guernica itself is worth the ticket price and a good reason to travel to Madrid. Prices and opening hours, here
- Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: the third museum of Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art. Nice for impressionists fans and art lovers. More info.
- Royal Palace of Madrid: one of the biggest and nicest in Europe. More info.
- Bernabeu Tour: amazing stadium of Real Madrid, so football fans will love it
- Metropolitano Tour: it’s the stadium of Atletico de Madrid, owner of the newest stadium in the city
Tourist offices in Madrid
- Tourist office in Plaza Mayor: it’s the biggest one in the city. They’ll give you free maps and all kind of tourist information about Madrid
- Other tourist offices in Madrid: in the airport, in the train stations, etc.
Transport in Madrid
- Metro de Madrid: the subway of the city, this is the best way to get around Madrid. Check the map here
- EMT: Empresa Municipal de Transportes. This is the public institution for city bus lines. They are blue colour
- Cercanías Renfe: that’s the name for commuter trains in Madrid, a good way to reach the surroundings of the city. There are plenty of central stations too. Check the map here
- CRTM: Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid. That’s the name for the regional bus lines. They are green colour. Check the lines
- Taxi: it’s a public service. You’ll recognize them because their cars are white with a red stripe. There are many associations, like Pide Taxi, Tele Taxi or Radio Taxi, among others
Private transport companies
- Spainbus: this is a company I usually collaborate with. They offer transfers from the airport, trips to Toledo and many other cities, luxury taxis, etc. For all kinds of groups. Contact me for more information if you need it
- Uber: already working in Madrid
- Cabify: the Spanish alternative to Uber
Emergency and Police in Madrid
- Policía Municipal: the police of the city, they offer special attention to tourists. Twitter
- Policía Nacional: the police of Central State, with a special service to tourists too. Twitter
- Guardia Civil: the third security force in Spain, like gendarmerie in France or carabinieri in Italy. Twitter
- Emergency Health Service (phone 112): in this service they can help you in English for any kind of emergency