My wife and I are on an extended travel trip to Europe. Our first stop is Madrid. With some time to spare and concern that over the next few weeks I won’t remember all the details any more, I want to jog down a few things quickly.

Preparation

First, the weather. It’s somewhat cool and can be a bit chilly in Madrid late April and early May. We both wore jackets and scarves early in the morning and late at night. It was warmer between 2pm and 6pm every day. If you plan to visit the city, look up the weather first and pack clothes accordingly. When in doubt, have layers instead of big giant jackets.

Second, comfortable shoes. You will walk a lot in Madrid. It’s very important to have comfortable shoes. I bought this pair on Amazon two days before departure and I have been thankful every single minute that I did.

Third, mobile data plans. My wife bought a 20-day plan from Airalo while I used a 10-day international pass from Mint Mobile. So far, they worked really well. Wifi is not readily available in public places and stores in Madrid. So it’s important to have access in case you want to connect with someone or research what to do or where to go. I blogged on a Renfe train using Wifi from my own Hotspot.

Next, do NOT bring a lot of luggage. Our strategy for this trip is to bring just enough clothes for 3-4 days and find places that have a washer. Going from city to city, you will struggle with much luggage as there are many stairs in train or metro stations. During rush hours in Madrid, people flood the metro. We even found it challenging at times to squeeze in and stand comfortably ourselves, let alone carrying luggage. If you go to older and smaller cities like Toledo, it’s not easy to drag suitcases around. So, do yourself a favor and be smart about your bags.

Arrival In Spain & Get To The City Center

Our arrival at the Madrid airport was easy. It took in total roughly 30-45′ to go from gate to the immigration check, get a stamp and retrieve our luggage. Then, we took an Uber to the city center which cost $15. If you have luggage, I’d recommend that. Otherwise, there are a couple of metro lines that are cheaper, but may not be as convenient or fast.

Where To Stay & Transportation

We stayed in the Tetuan neighborhood near the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Both my wife and I never felt unsafe, even when we walked back to our place at midnight. Generally speaking, Madrid is safe. Our own experience and testimonials from others confirmed that. But still it’s never excessive to be alert and vigilant.

I wish we had stayed a bit closer to the city center. Every day, it took us 20-30 minutes one way to travel on the tube. I don’t think it’s necessarily terrible, but if you want to maximize time to enjoy the city, don’t stay too far from where most the action is.

We walked 10 miles every day we stayed in Madrid. It’s a very walkable city. If you don’t venture too far outside of the center and you are willing to walk, you won’t need a metro pass. My friends laughed at me when I said we had a Madrid Pass.

Food & Drink

The first tip I have is that if you want water, ask for tap water or say “un vaso de agua”. Tap water in Spain is drinkable and free. If you simply say “water, please” or “agua”, they will bring bottled water and you’ll have to pay.

Second, check your bill and receipt. I got overcharged twice in 5 days in Madrid. I am not saying it’s a feature of the city, but you obviously don’t want to pay more than you have to.

Third, paella is for lunch, not for dinner. In Spain, they require at least two portions to serve paella. If you are alone, find someone to go with you. If you are at least a group of two, you may order paella first and see if there is still room for something else.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask if something is free or at additional costs. I personally found it confusing when some side dishes are complimentary of your drinks (beer or wine) while bread can cost a couple of euros.

A few places I would personally recommend:

• Celso y Manolo: this is our favorite restaurant. It’s very local and serves great tomato dishes
• Taberna del Olivo: great paella
• The Fix: good coffee shop
• Botanica: a great boutique coffee and plant shop

Places To Visit

Basicilica Pontificia de San Miguel

San Antonio de Los Alemanes

El Retiro Park

Prado & Thyssen Museum

You can spend easily days in these two museums because there is just too much to see. Book in advance so that you can skip the line because it is LONG!

Toledo

I think Toledo is a great trip for a day from Madrid. Not more. The city is like a fortress with high walls surrounding all the main streets and houses. Starting from the train station, you have to cross a bridge to enter. Streets are mostly small alleys and hilly. Hence, don’t wear sandals or high heels.

Our highlights in Toledo included three magnificent places: Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo, Iglesia de Los Jesuitas and Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes. The main Cathedral is the most impressive and interesting. If you don’t go with a guided tour, look up for an audio guide and download it beforehand. It will make your experience much better. There is so much to see in the Cathedral; therefore, expect to spend easily 1-2 hours there.

The other buildings are smaller and less expensive. Yet, we were both impressed by their interiors.

Unless you KNOW you will have a lot to do and see, I’d recommend that you book the return trip to Madrid in advance. We wanted to push our departure from 8pm to earlier, but when we got there 4 hours in advance, all the earlier trains were sold out.

For eating out, we didn’t get to experience a lot the food scene in Toledo. :

• Il Cappuccino:a small coffee shop with a barista certified by the Specialty Coffee Association
• La Taberna de Kafka: this place tends to be overlooked because incoming tourists are eager to explore the city center while departing ones already eat and only want to get on a train to leave. We got to eat here because we came to the station early, but couldn’t leave. We didn’t want to come back to the center. It turns out to be a good surprise. The food is decent and not overpriced. There is an old guy who is both the waiter and the chef. He is super friendly and nice to us.
• Taberna Skala: very local and fairly priced. We didn’t like it very much as it was too salty for us.
• Embrujo Toledo: we stumbled upon this place while wandering that area. Each of us had a drink, but we enjoyed the quietness and the feel of the local community there.