Madrid is Spain's capital, it took over as capital after Toledo in 1561. The city of Madrid appeals to visitors not only as a business destination, but one for art lovers. It’s renowned for its rich repositories of European art, including the Prado Museum’s works by Goya, Velázquez and other Spanish masters. Madrid is centre of architecture also with many styles being depicted around its streets, the heart of old Hapsburg Madrid is the Plaza Mayor, and nearby the baroque Royal Palace and Armory, displaying historic weaponry. 

The rich history and culture is present in every street around Madrid's area of Huertas, hosting many restaurants and bars. 

The culinary flavours in Madrid and fresh fish (despite being inland) is one of the freshest around Spain and can eat excellent meals, for all budgets. Enjoy traditional dishes like Tortilla de Patatas, Paella, Calamares or Pulpo a la Gallega, many of them being regional dishes from around Spain! Also don't forget to enjoy Madrid's evenings and nights! 

The party capital of Europe never sleeps with great places to come out at night, club and dance! Enjoy from the traditional Flamenco dancing to modern hits and electronic music. 

Madrid is capital of Fashion as well, with twice a year hosting the Cibeles Fashion Week. Come to shop in many of the elegant boulevards around Salamanca, Goya and Serrano streets! But to get away from the hassle and buzzle of the city, Madrid offers some great parks and quiet areas like Retiro Park, Moncloa Park or Temple de Debod where to relax, walk or do sports! 

Most of all, Madrid is a LIVE city, where people know how to enjoy themselves and pride themselves in what is best of life, the combination of leisure, food and drink awaits in the Spanish Capital! 

Madrid boosts one of the most efficient and practical transportation systems in Europe, with many intermodal transport systems integrated in many stations called, "intercambiadores", where you can change between the metro, suburban trains or busses and local buses. 

First, arriving in Madrid by air, you will find that the airport has 4 terminals:

• Arriving from Terminal 4, (Iberia, One world Alliance airlines and other selected airlines), you can take the metro (line 8) to Nuevos Ministerios and change lines to the city centre. The cost of the ticket is €7 if you don't have a Madrid Travel Card. (The €7 ticket comprises €1.50 for the metro ticket, €3 Airport Suplement fare and €2.50 card fee). There is also Cercanias Trains (suburban trains) from T4, they are much cheaper if you travel to the city city centre, at only €1.85 one way! Additionally if you arrive out of the metro or trains working hours (6am to 00.30), there is a 24 hour Express bus service connecting the Airport to the City Centre (Atocha and Cibeles) for €5. (see map below)
• Arriving from Terminal 1,2,3 (All other major airlines plus low cost), there is also one metro station that connect all 3 terminals and is on line 8 which takes you to Nuevos Ministerios, where you can change to other lines for the city centre. The cost of the ticket is €7 if you don't have a Madrid Travel Card. (The €7 ticket comprises €1.50 for the metro ticket, €3 Airport Suplement fare and €2.50 card fee).

✔️Tip: There is no suburban trains at Terminal 1,2,3, but note that you can get a FREE transit bus to Terminal 4, where you can get the cheaper suburban train for €1.85. Additionally you have the express bus 24 H for €5 to the city centre also. 

When arriving to Madrid directly by train or long distance bus, you will connect directly to the metro or local busses. Tickets cost €1.50 one way (plus €2 transport card fee). Alternatively you can load a 10 ticket (metrobus) onto the card for €12.20. For tourists you can also buy daily unlimited travel passes. (one day for €8.40, two day €14.20, three day €18.40, 5 days for €26.80 or 7 days for €35.40).

✔️Tip: When in Madrid, travelling around the city centre does not require much transportation as all the main interests of the city are close by, within 2 square kilometres you have all major sights, museums and monuments of the city centre. However, when travelling out of the centre, getting a daily travel pass or using the 10 ticket metrobus would be more economical. Also note that travelling by Suburban trains is cheaper when travelling to/from the airport, for €1.85 you can take the train and change once at Nuevos Ministerios if travelling to Sol. (city centre)

Night travel in the city is also very popular, specially if you are going to other areas of the city. Local and suburban busses use the NXX designation to operate the night routes. Local busses depart from Cibeles Square (next to the Cibeles Palace) and work from 00.00 to 6am. Note the metro is not 24h and stops working around 1.30am, and starts around 6am or 7.30am on Sundays/holiday days. 

Lastly Taxis are available all around the city, you will recognise them by being all white with a red line across the side. If a taxi is free it will show a green illuminated light on the top of the taxi and a sign at the front displaying the word "LIBRE" , be aware they are expensive and often surcharge if you going to the airport or have luggage. The maximum fare any taxi can charge to/from the airport is capped at €30. 

Below you can find all the travel information for Madrid in PDF or image ready to download: 

Madrid offers a great cultural scene, renowned galleries and Museums (El Prado, Reina Sofia, Thyssen Museum), beautiful Buildings like Cibeles Palace, Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol, Puerta de Alcala, Almudena Cathedral, Royal Theatre amongst others. There also plenty of parks and open spaces for when the city becomes to crowded and want to escape to the open air, parks like El Retiro, Moncloa or Casa de Campo are only a few stops away by metro and can make you feel relaxed, or even ideal to do sports. 

For those interested in football, Madrid hosts one of the most visited stadiums in the world, home to Real Madrid FC, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Madrid is a city for all tastes. You can also find a good alternative scene to go out and socialise in the many terraces and public squares around Tribunal area, Alonso Martinez or Chueca (the gay district). Enjoy Madrid to the fullest with culture, history, art, cuisine and leisure, all in one city!

Below you have more information on the highlights of the city and what not to miss during your stay in Madrid:

• Museo del Prado: The Prado Museum is one of the largest collections of Spanish art and paintings in the world! Dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century. A visit to Madrid isn’t complete without a dose of Spanish culture. With over 7,000 paintings at the Museo del Prado, you’ll see some of the best artworks from Spain and across Europe. From Goya to El Greco. Some of the best paintings not to miss are listed below. Accessing the museum can cost around €15, buying online, or queuing for a long time at the entrance to buy on the day. Get there by metro from Banco de España station (line2) and walk 7 minutes. 

✔️Tip: The museum is expensive, but if you wait till the last two hours of opening, the museum opens its doors for free to everyone. Make sure you are there early not to queue too long, generally 18h monday to saturday and 17h on sundays. 

• Puerta del Sol: The Sol Square is the main epicentre of Madrid, and actually of Spain, designated by the "Kilometre 0", a plaque outside the Madrid Government Building building shows this mark. The square has a lot to see, with the main building being that of the main headquarters of the Madrid Government, the formal Royal House of the Post Office. Another main feature to see is the "Oso y el Madroño" a landmark bronze sculpture featuring a bear & a strawberry tree which are representable of Madrid, and how in the past many years ago, there were brown bears in the area. The tree, is a specific tree to madrid. Another thing to watch out is the sign of "Tio Pepe" at the top of one of the buildings which is a brandy and sherry wine drink found in Spain, the advert has become iconic also with the surroundings now.
  
  Sol is the centre also for transportation and social gathering for locals and once a year it hosts the "Uvas de fin de Año", the New year grapes, a traditional custom in Spain to have 12 grapes as the bells sound to mark the New Year. You can find additionally many shops, restaurants, money exchange, tour information and souvenirs in the area. Its easy to get to with Metro lines 1,2 and 3 all stopping here. Also there is suburban trains by "Cercanias" which can reach direct to the outside towns of Aranjuez, Parla, San Sebastian de los Reyes and Alcobendas or with one change at Nuevos Ministerios station, travel to other destinations like the airport, Alcalá de Henares o El Escorial.

❗Attention: Sol is also a target area for pickpocketing and scams to visitors. Always beware of people asking questions to help you and be aware of your belongings!.

• Palacio Real and Almudena Cathedral: The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but it is only used for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 square metres of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms, though only 25 rooms are available for the public to view, thus paying around €11/€13 for the entry.  The palace is the largest functioning Royal Palace and the largest by floor area in Europe.The actual King Felipe VI and the Royal Family do not reside in this palace, instead they live in the more modest Palace of Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid.
  
  The Almudena Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1993, although its construction did not start till 1879. When the capital of Spain was transferred from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church in Spain remained in Toledo and the new capital had no cathedral. Plans to build a cathedral in Madrid were discussed as early as the 16th century but the cost of expanding and keeping the Empire came first and the construction of Madrid's cathedral was postponed. Making the cathedral the largest that the world had ever seen was then a priority, all other main Spanish cities had centuries old cathedrals. It is located next to the Palace and is free to enter. (from the side entrance, not the front).

✔️Tip: Accessing the palace is expensive, but if you come two hours before it closes then you can access it FREE of charge every day of the year! Note you need to be a member of the EU to have access to the free entry. Nearest metro station is Opera, line 2,5 and P.Pio-opera line. Also view the palace from the side, accessing via the Sabatini Gardens for free. The views are great and the atmosphere is very relaxing and calm. 

• Opera and Plaza Isabel II: The area around the Square of Isabel II is full culture, art and music. You don't need to pay even to admire and listen to many buskers on the street performing renowned parts of the most famous composers. It's also an area of meeting, going for dinner and snacking with many restaurants and bars around the area. Nearby you will find the gardens of Plaza de Oriente, adjacent to the Royal Palace. On the square itself of Isabel II you will see the statue that takes her name, the Royal Theatre (Founded in 1818, and opened in 1850, the Royal Theatre has suffered fires, explosions and flooding, which have left a permanent mark on the way the building looks. The building was last renovated in 1997, and now has over 65,000m2 of floor space, and the capacity for 1,750 people).
  To buy tickets and see what's on visit: Royal Theatre.

• Plaza Mayor: The major square in Madrid, is also one of the most breathtaking sites in Spain, this plaza has 237 balconies facing the centre of the square where a statue of King Felipe III sits on his horse. Dating back to the 1600s, today the Plaza Mayor is a site of outdoor cafes and restaurants where wandering tourists can relax, enjoy a drink and soak up the atmosphere. Note, that the restaurants here are all very expensive and overcharge. Also the area is typical for pickpockets to target tourists, so ensure your belongings and avoid people asking you questions here. Access the Plaza Mayor by walking from Sol station only for 5 minutes. 

✔️Tip: To enjoy Madrid the best option is to walk by foot, everything you need to see is in walking distance and there is always a cafe or bar in which to recharge! In Madrid there are several Free Tour Groups you can join and they explain in Both English/Spanish interesting facts about the city and its history. Check for "Free Walking Tours madrid" online for more info. A walking tour in Madrid can take up to a few hours and depart from either the Plaza Mayor or Plaza Isabel II. Another alternative is to enjoy the city from the comfort of a roof top bus, you can buy tickets for the tour on Madrid City Tour

• Cibeles Palace and Fountain: This is the centre of Madrid when it comes to the arteries of the city, where 3 major neighbours and 4 main avenues coincide. It is delimited by four prominent buildings: the Bank of Spain, the Palacio de Buenavista, the Palace of Linares ("Palacio de Linares"), and the Cybele Palace ("Palacio de Cibeles"). These constructions are located in four different neighbourhoods from three different adjacent districts: Centro, Retiro, and Salamanca. The Plaza de Cibeles fountain is neoclassical art with marble sculptures, that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid. As a curiosity, it's the place where the football team "Real Madrid" come to celebrate their big victories. It represents Cybele, the Greek goddess who is depicted sitting on a lion-drawn carriage. In the beginning, the fountain supplied water to the citizens of Madrid back in the 1800's. Plaza de Cibeles was originally named Plaza de Madrid, but in 1900, the City Council named it Plaza de Castelar, which was eventually replaced by its current name.
  
  The most notorious building you will notice here, is the Palacio de Cibeles (Cybele Palace): This striking building is one of Madrid’s most emblematic palaces. It was formerly called the Palace of Communication. Completed in 1919, the Palacio de Comunicaciones was used as headquarters of the Spanish postal service, however, since 2007, it has been the seat of the Madrid City Council. The Palace has a rooftop terrace with a bar and restaurant. It has stunning views of Madrid for a fee of €3 per person. It is also an exhibition place and a social gathering point for artists and people to work on their laptops thanks to the free Wifi. Access to the building is free of charge, except from the viewing platform. Closest Metro Station is Banco de España, Line 2. 

Retiro Park: This is Madrid's biggest park, located east of the city, you can reach the park within a 20 minute walk from the city or taking the Metro direct to the park. There’s green, grassy areas for a picnic, plenty of trees and flowers, a rose garden, and even a lake with ducks and trouts! At the lake you can rent your own boat for 45 minutes for €6. It’s also home to the famous Palacio de Cristal, a building made almost entirely of glass and where they host interesting artistic works, usually free to enter. To access the park take Metro line 2 to Retiro station. 

Also next to the main entrance to Retiro Park is One of the five doors that were once used to enter the walled city of Madrid, the Puerta de Alcalá is still admired today, although the walls have long since disappeared. It was inaugurated in 1778.

• Templo de Debod: Although this original Egyptian temple dates back to the 2nd century BC, it was given to Spain as a gift and moved to its current location in Madrid in 1968. Madrid helped Egypt when the Nilo river flooded and saved many villages by getting washed away. While it may a little misplaced at the beginning to see the Egyptian Temple in the middle of an European city, the Templo de Debod is one of Madrid’s most beloved attractions and makes for some excellent photo opportunities. Also in the area you can see magnificent views of the Casa de Campo, the Almudena Cathedral and the south part of Madrid. 

✔️Tip: TIf you walk down behind the Temple, you can reach also the "Teleferico of Madrid", cables car which take you on a trip over Casa de Campo. Built in 1969, Madrid’s cable car, has 80 cabins and runs for almost 2.5 kilometers with a max height of 40 meters. Starting point is from Pintor Rosales closer to the city centre. You can stay to walk in the biggest park of Madrid, do exercise or have a coffee on the other side of the cable car. Prices are around €6.50 return by the Cable car. 

• Gran Via: Known for its bright lights and shopping, Calle Gran Vía is one of Madrid’s most famous streets. You’ll be able to find anything you need here, restaurants, commercial and retail shops, many of the city’s renowned theatres, cinema's and many hotels and shopping centres like "El Corte Ingles" or "Fnac" located next to Callao metro station. Gran via is a long street from Plaza España to Cibeles, you can get of at Gran Via (Line 1,5), Callao (Line 3,5) or Plaza de España (Line 3,10) Metro stations to walk along the wide street. 

• Reina Sofia modern art Museum: The museum was made for modern art lovers. With an impressive collection of Salvador Dali’s work as well as one of Picasso’s most famous paintings,La Guernica. The museum costs normally €10, but is free if you go two hours before it closes on Monday and Wednesday to Sunday. Get to the museum by Metro at Estacion del Arte, line 1.