Vacation Rentals Spain » Madrid

Madrid with kids

Rebecca — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:46:49 +0000

As in the rest of Spain, children are well-catered for in Madrid with plenty of activities, child-friendly restaurants and budget hotels adapted to the needs of families travelling with little ones. You won’t be expected to hire a babysitter to enjoy a meal out or even go for a late night drink here; especially in the summer when the days are long and the weather warm. It’s not unusual to see children playing in a floodlit park at midnight while their parents keep an eye on them from a bar terrace enjoying a drink and some adult conversation. If you are travelling to Madrid with kids, here are some quick tips on how to make the most of this family oriented city.

First of all, you may find it more convenient to rent a self-catering apartment in Madrid where you can enjoy total freedom from curfews and not worry about your crying baby keeping other guests awake at 3am while you heat a bottle! There are plenty of options near to the city’s major parks (such as El Retiro) where you can make the most of the sunshine, free entertainment thanks to the street performers or even treat them to some fun on the boating lake.
As far as eating out is concerned, La Familia is a great family restaurant with colourful crockery, a children’s menu and a monitored play area as well as a reading corner. Ideal if you want to be able to eat in peace! Baby Deli near to Serrano metro station is another brilliant eatery for both parents and kids. It serves up nice organic food and yummy cakes as well as providing fun activities and workshops for the children.

When choosing what to see and do in Madrid with your children, you will be spoiled for choice. Parque de Atracciones is the Spanish capital’s main theme park and it has sections suitable for small and older children. Entry is free with the 72 hour Madrid Card.

The zoo and the aquarium are always a safe bet for family entertainment in any city and Madrid is no exception. Entry is pricey but Madrid zoo is considered by many to be one of the best in Europe and is definitely a place where you can happily spend the entire day.

Hopefully by the end of 2010 Madrid will even have its own urban beach; the so-called Rio Project. Watch this space!

Classic Madrid

Rebecca — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:53:22 +0000

I love Madrid for its vibrance and variety but also for its timeless quality and traditional Spanish feel. It’s a city that is constantly changing and evolving with the times but, fortunately, there are some things in Madrid that never change. El Rastro Market, the Museum Triangle (el Prado, the Reina Sofia and Thyssen) and El Retiro Park are three of the city’s golden oldies that you can always rely on and are well worth a visit.

El Rastro is Europe’s largest outdoor market and takes place in the historical centre of Madrid every Sunday morning. You can go to Plaza Mayor as a starting point and work your way through the network of winding streets all lined with stalls selling everything from antiques to clothes. El Rastro Market has a long tradition in Madrid and is a wonderful way to while away a Sunday morning, taking in the sights, sounds, aromas and flavours of Spain. Dont even contemplate going by car as parking is impossible. If you are staying at a hotel near to El Rastro, walk, if not, go by metro.

The Museum Triangle is made up of the city’s three oldest and most acclaimed museums which are all just a few minutes away from each other on foot; El Prado, the Reina Sofia Museum and the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum. El Prado is an enormous art gallery with both permanent and temporary exhibitions, including some world famous works of art. You could easily spend a day at the Prado alone, but if you are pushed for time, the Reina Sofia Museum is not far and houses an interesting collection of modern art. The Thyssen Bornemisza exhibits an equally exquisite art collection in a stunning 18th century palace which is a work of architectural art itself. A culture vulture’s paradise!

The Retiro Park ( or El Parque dell buen retiro – the good rest park) is a beautifully landscaped park located just on the outskirts of the city centre. It is the city’s largest park and is equally appealing in summer for picnics and in autumn for pleasant walks through fallen leaves. Look for accommodation near to Retiro Park if you want to enjoy a central location but have somewhere pretty and quiet to escape to after a long day out in the city.

The beauty of these places is that you could come back in 50 years time and it’s very unlikely that they will have changed at all!

The Spanish capital on the cheap!

Rebecca — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:54:58 +0000

Madrid, as with most capital cities, is not cheap but if you are on a mission to “do” Madrid on a tight budget, here are some handy tips on how to do just that:
First of all check out various ways of getting to Madrid to start with; obviously travelling off season and flying at the least popular times (very early morning) will save you some money. It is sometimes even worth taking a detour rather than a direct flight if you have a flexible schedule
The next step is to look at hotels in Madrid or even cheap hostels in Madrid and do a bit of bargain hunting online first as there is a lot of choice. Hostels are a great place to meet like minded travellers and sometimes even make life long-friends. Once you’ve booked your accommodation and flown to Madrid, use public transport to get around as taxis are very expensive and the local public transport network is both cheap and efficient compared to Paris and London. You can buy a ticket for 10 journeys which works out cheaper than buying 10 singles and you can share this ticket with other people.
As with all major cities, Madrid has its fair share of first-rate museums and art galleries. Many of them are free to visit of Sundays and public holidays but if you can’t make it on those days and you do have to pay, try to go during siesta time on a work day to avoid the crowds. The Prado and Reina Sofia museums are by far the most famous, ask at your hostel or hotel for more info.
For cheap eats, fill up on the free buffet breakfast at your hotel if there is one and make your way down to the Rastro flea market on Sundays or the local supermarket on any other day. Tapas bars are far more expensive here than in Andalusia and you can buy most of the ingredients for half the price in the supermarket to make your own tapas picnic. The sunny local climate is ideal for picnicking and the Parque del Retiro is full of pleasant shady spots where you can sit and watch the world go by.
And when you need some completely free entertainment, window shop on one of the glamorous wide shopping avenues such as Gran Via, stroll around the city centre and admire the architecture. You won’t find much of the exotic Arab influences that can be seen in southern Spain but there are many fine European to be admired and don’t forget to look up from the shop windows to take in the stunning facades and pretty rooftops terraces.
Madrid is a vibrant and exciting city where traditional Spain meets modern Europe and is a must on any backpacker’s itinerary!