Tourism Information
At present, the city of Madrid represents the perfect symbiosis and harmony between efficiency and quality of life, at a price which is hard to beat anywhere else in the world. It is a city where you will find everything... Cutting-edge facilities, devoted professionals and a modern infrastructure, allowing you to comply with the most demanding quality levels. Furthermore, you will find a booming culture, a thriving lifestyle, warm people and blue skies. Thanks to all this, we are sure the event will be a unique experience.
Madrid has plenty of possibilities
Art, Culture, Leisure, Shopping, Gastronomy, Sport, Business
The Art Avenue, the premier artistic itinerary
- Museo del Prado , the best Spanish painting collection from the XVI-XVIII centuries, Velázquez, El Greco, Goya, and the Flemish, Italian, German, French and British schools.
- Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, 800 western art masterpieces, early Italians, German, Renaissance and Dutch paintings from the XVII century, North American paintings from the XIX century and vanguard collections from the XX century.
- Centro de Arte Reina Sofia cubism, surrealism, vanguard collections from the 40's and 50's, pop-art..., Picasso, Dalí and Miró masterpieces.
A green city
2nd world capital in green areas (16 m 2 / inhabitant), 250,000 ha of green area, 43 parks and gardens: Parque del Retiro, Real Jardín Botánico, Parque del Oeste, Casa de Campo, Jardines de Sabatini, Parque Juan Carlos I, Campo del Moro...
A pleasure for the taste
- Single and multicuisine at the same time
- Wide offer of regional and international gastronomy
- Best traditional cooking
- Tapas, a typical delight for everyone
- National and international brands (Salamanca quartier)
- Traditional and artisan shops (City center)
- Antiquities and galleries (Paseo del Prado)
City Data
58,995 hotel beds |
3,132,463 friendly people (of which 14.25% are foreigners) |
144 museums (92 in Madrid city centre and 52 outside Madrid) |
5,077 restaurants, 1,531 coffees, 2,073 pubs, 18,726 bars, 345 discos |
166 direct flight destinations |
293 metro stations covering 383.3 km of underground transport system |
15,023 taxis |
7,314,337 tourists per year |
24 golf courses |
6 public and 7 private universities |
6 world heritage sites within 1 hour drive (Toledo, Segovia, Ávila, Alcalá de Henares, El Escorial and Aranjuez) |
5,380.86 ha of green space and 281,531 trees (1 for each 14 inhabitants) |
666 metres altitude |
2,769 hours of sunshine per year |
BARAJAS AIRPORT
Madrid has three airports, the main one being Madrid-Barajas Airport. In terms of infrastructure, equipment, resources and air traffic, it is the most important air hub in Spain and the fourth in Europe. It is just 13 km away from the city, and access to it by public transportation is one of the quickest and easiest to use in the world: besides bus or taxi, travelers may take the Metro, where every five minutes a train to Madrid-Barajas Airport leaves from Nuevos Ministerios Station in the City Centre at a cost of 2 euros while you will pay only 1.50 euro for a ticket within the City! In September 2011, the suburban rail network has opened a new service that directly links Principe Pio station to Terminal 4 of Barajas.
In 2007, the airport handled 52,143,275 passengers, 483,284 operations and 322,244 tonnes of cargo. Madrid-Barajas International Airport receives flights from over 166 destinations, including several low cost airlines, and is the main European air hub for Latin America. The inauguration of the new terminal that has set its capacity in 70 million passengers a year took place on 5th of February 2006. The building was designed by Richard Rodgers and Lamela and it has received the Stirling Architecture Award.
METRO NETWORK
The underground (Metro) is the fastest, most efficient and most affordable way to move around Madrid. The city has a vast metropolitan network, one of the most comprehensive in Europe, and covers almost all the points in the capital and many of the neighboring areas.
Currently, there are twelve metro lines and three Metro Ligero (tramway) lines. The underground system covers a total of 383.3 km. The price of a single ticket with a validity of 1 hour is 1.50 euro, and can be purchased at all Metro stations.
BUS NETWORK
Madrid has an extensive city bus network (215 lines), run by the company Empresa Municipal de Transporte (EMT), which covers the whole city. All the vehicles that make up the EMT fleet, 2,022 in total, are air-conditioned.
Madrid’s buses have special facilities for disabled access. The cost for a single ticket with a validity of 1 hour is 1.50 euro.
TAXIS SERVICE
There are more than 15,000 taxis in Madrid, so it is not usually difficult to find one available in the city’s main thoroughfares. You can order them by phone or through internet. In the streets, just make a sign and they will be keen to stop! Prices are quite reasonable, considering that a one-way trip from the city centre to the airport costs around 20-25 euros.
TOURIST OFFICE
One of the main tourist information offices is the Municipal Office of Tourist Information, which can be found at Plaza Mayor (address: Plaza Mayor, 27). You can reach them on the telephone or fax at: Tel: 91 366 54 77. Fax: 91 588 16 36. If you are planning to see as much as possible on your stay, then this tourist information office should be the first stop on your itinerary.
USEFUL INFORMATION
USEFUL INFORMATION
CLIMATE
The average maximum temperature in Madrid In October is 22ºC, and the average minimum temperature is 59º F/15ºC. Although Madrid climate is quite dry, October can bring some occasional rainfall.
CURRENCY AND BANKS
The national currency of Spain is the European euro (€). Exchange facilities are available at Barajas airport, most banks and also along central streets like Gran Vía. Many visitors to Spain have commented on the advantage of bringing debit cards rather than credit cards, since the exchange rate is generally much better and commissions lower. However, it would be prudent to check this with your bank before travelling.
ELECTRICITY
Spain's standard electricity supply is 220 Volts (V), 50 Hertz (Hz) AC. The plugs are round two pin, European standard.
EMERGENCIES
The number 112 can be dialled to reach emergency services - medical, fire and police - from anywhere in Europe. This Pan-European emergency number 112can be called from any telephone (landline, pay phone or mobile cellular phone). Calls are free. It can be used for any life-threatening situation, including:
- Serious medical problems (accident, unconscious person, severe injuries, chest pain, seizure)
- Any type of fire (house, car)
- Life-threatening situations (crimes)
SOS 112 Website
Information on the 112 number from the European Commission website
SHOP
Most shops open between 09.30 and 13.30h in the morning and 17.00 to 20.00h in the afternoon on weekdays. During the summer months, many establishments will stay open much later in the evening. On Saturday opening hours are restricted to the morning shift and Sunday is literally the day of rest. However there are some department stores that remain open all day long until 22:00h.
TIME
The time in Madrid is the Central European Time (Summer Time GMT+2)
TIPPING AND TAXES
At almost all restaurants, service is included, but it is common practice to leave a tip or around 5%, as it is with taxi drivers (depending on how you liked the driving!).
Tipping is not obligatory anywhere, but much less in bars or cafeterias. However, if you leave a small tip it shows your appreciation of the service - a good rule of thumb here is 10 to 20 cents per round of drinks. Never leave tips in pubs or discotheques. A tip of 1 euro may be used in many other occasions, such as with hotel porters.
There are two different tax rates in Spain 8% and 18%. You will pay 8% tax on your hotel and restaurant bills, as well as other items considered "essential". This tax is not refundable.
Most physical items purchased in shops will be taxed at the 21% rate.
TRANSPORT
The city of Madrid counts with excellent means of transport. Its underground network has modern trains and stations and links to most destinations reaching even some of the main towns in the surrounding areas of the city. Using the underground will be the best way to get from one part of the city to another. Here is a useful website for planning your transportation in Madrid: www.ctm-madrid.es, you will find schedules for buses, trains and for the subway lines.
