Madrid travel guide
Madrid Tourism | Madrid Guide
You're Going to Love Madrid
With 3,26 million inhabitants, Madrid is the most populous city in Spain. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Madrid has to offer.
Where to Eat in Madrid
Centro is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Madrid. These include popular favourites such as Cedrón Wine Bar (C. del Almendro 25), La Ancha Zorrilla (Calle de Zorrilla, 7) and Ana la Santa (Plaza Sta. Ana, 14). If you’re looking for affordable options, Poncelet Cheese Bar (Calle Jose Abascal 61) and Chambao Madrid (P.º de la Castellana 4) are great picks.
When to visit Madrid
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Madrid in July, when the average temperature is 25 °C, and the highest can go up to 31 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 3 °C, with an average temperature of 5 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in November, when precipitation is around 60 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Madrid, with an average rainfall of 10 mm.
How to Get to Madrid
Plane
When flying to Madrid, you’ll arrive at Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD), which is located 14 km from the city centre The shortest flight to Madrid from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 20h 25m.
Train
Renfe is the most popular train carrier serving Madrid, followed by iryo. The train journey from Madrid to Zaragoza takes 1h 20m and costs around C$ 27 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Valencia, expect to pay about C$ 12 for a 1h 56m trip. Located 3.1 km from the city centre, Madrid Méndez Álvaro is the busiest station in Madrid. Another popular train station is Madrid Atocha, located 1.5 km from the centre.
Car
Another option to get to Madrid is to pick up a car rental from Valencia, which is about 302 km from Madrid. You’ll find branches of Goldcar Rental SP and Record Go, among others, in Valencia.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Madrid, including ALSA, iryo and Renfe. From Valencia, the bus ride to Madrid takes 187 km and will cost you around C$ 27. From Salamanca, the ticket costs about C$ 22 for a journey of 249 km. The most popular bus station is Madrid Avenida de America - Bus Station, located 3 km from downtown Madrid. Madrid Moncloa is also a commonly used station, and is 2.6 km from the city centre.
Airports near Madrid
Airlines serving Madrid
Where to stay in Madrid
From 5-star hotels such as the Hotel Palacio del Retiro, Autograph Collection to great affordable options like the Líbere Madrid Palacio Real, Madrid offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around C$ 166 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 454 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include easyHotel Madrid Centro Atocha and Hostal Sardinero. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Madrid, with prices from C$ 55 to C$ 386 per night. Centro is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Madrid are about 17% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Salamanca - In Madrid’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include AC Hotel Recoletos by Marriott, BYPILLOW Velázquez 45 and Hotel Único Madrid, Small Luxury Hotels.
Ciudad Lineal - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as 1881 Madrid Ventas Hotel, Artiem Madrid and Hotel Porcel Torre Garden. The average nightly price for a double room in Ciudad Lineal is C$ 91.
Where to stay in popular areas of Madrid
Most booked hotels in Madrid
Renting a car in Madrid
Renting a car in Madrid costs C$ 42 per day, on average, or C$ 126 if you want to rent it for 3 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Avis and Alamo are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Madrid is the Record Go branch at Madrid Airport, which is 14 km from the downtown.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Madrid.
Expect to pay C$ 2.44 per litre in Madrid (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 29.18 and C$ 38.91. Intermediate (Suzuki Vitara or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Madrid, while also 80% cheaper than other types, on average.