Spain · stays
Hotels in Madrid
Find hotels, apartments, and vacation rentals across Madrid, Spain. Powered by Expedia — availability, prices and cancellation terms shown per property.
- ✓Real-time availability across thousands of Madrid properties
- ✓Refundable rates labelled per property — flexible plans for changing trips
- ✓No booking fees — the price you pay on Expedia is the price you get
- ✓Honest reviews from real travelers who stayed in Madrid
What first-timers get wrong in Madrid
The Metro adds a 3-euro supplement at airport stations on top of the normal fare, which surprises almost everyone; the 200 bus to Avenida de America avoids it. A rechargeable Multi card costs 2.50 euros before you load a single journey onto it. The menu del dia, three courses with wine, is served 13:00 to 16:00 and costs a fraction of the same food after dark. Tipping is minimal, and rounding up is normal.
Madrid after dark
Madrid eats at 22:00 and goes out at 01:00, later than anywhere else in Europe. La Latina fills for Sunday vermut once the Rastro flea market winds down, Malasana is the indie quarter, Chueca the gay one, and Huertas the loud touristy strip. Clubs such as Kapital run to 06:00. The Metro shuts at 01:30 and reopens at 06:00, so the standard tactic is to simply wait it out.
What things cost in Madrid
A single Metro journey in zone A costs 1.50 to 2.00 euros depending on distance, plus the 3-euro airport supplement. The menu del dia runs 12 to 18 euros with wine included. A cana of beer with a free tapa costs 2 to 3 euros in La Latina. Prado entry is 15 euros, Reina Sofia 12 and Thyssen 13, or nothing at all inside the free windows.
Madrid with kids, realistically
Rowing boats on the Retiro's Estanque and the puppet theatre near the Paseo de Coches are the dependable free options. Madrid Rio along the Manzanares runs long stretches of playground and splash pads. The Metro is increasingly lift-equipped and genuinely stroller-friendly by European standards. Children here eat late and restaurants expect them, so there is no early kids-menu culture to plan around.
When the weather turns in Madrid
Madrid is dry, receiving far less rain than northern Europe, but when it comes the Golden Triangle absorbs a full day. The Palacio de Cristal, the CaixaForum with its vertical garden opposite the Prado, and the covered Mercado de San Fernando in Lavapies all work. The Circulo de Bellas Artes combines a cafe with a cinema. Winters here are cold and clear rather than wet; August heat is the real weather problem.
When to go to Madrid
| Best months for hotels-in | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| May | 25°C / 77°F | 6 days |
| September | 26°C / 79°F | 7 days |
| June | 29°C / 84°F | 6 days |
The month to avoid is January — around 10°C (50°F) with roughly 6 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: May is the sweet spot, January the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.