How Many Days in Madrid? — Trip Planner

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.

What's actually worth your time in Madrid

The Royal Palace, with some 3,000 rooms and the only complete Stradivarius quartet in Europe, is the paid highlight. The Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen sit within a ten-minute walk of one another as the Golden Triangle. Retiro Park's Crystal Palace is free and stages rotating Reina Sofia installations. Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol are photo stops. The Temple of Debod, a genuine Egyptian temple gifted in 1968, is free and best at sunset.

Madrid's museums, and which one to pick

All three great collections give away their final hours. The Prado, home to Las Meninas and the Goya black paintings, is free Monday to Saturday 18:00 to 20:00 and Sundays 17:00 to 19:00. The Reina Sofia, closed Tuesdays, opens free 19:00 to 21:00 most evenings and Sunday lunchtime, and Guernica hangs there. The Thyssen gives its permanent collection free on Mondays 12:00 to 16:00. Queues form 45 minutes early.

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

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.