My Day in Madrid

13-14 June 2017 | Airfare: £51 - EasyJet - 2h30m | Hotel: Hotel Mediodia

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MADRID - The Spanish capital and cultural hub of Spain, located smack in the middle of the country. Having travelled to Spain multiple times prior to this trip, I felt comfortable to make the debut of overnight trips, in addition to my first solo trip to Spain. The decision for Madrid was influenced by the person I was dating at the time, and ended up being the perfect city for solo travellers. I do however regret flying Easyjet...nothing wrong with them (at the time - they charge more for particular amenities now), but flying out of London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW) is...not fun. It costs £15 return (for railcard holders) just for the national rail to get there, and that’s not even the Gatwick Express...plus the airport is massive and there’s a 95% chance you’ll be walking a mile to your gate while dodging prams and shoppers galore. Yay.

Any who…! Spain’s national language is Spanish (obviously), but there are many dialects that can confuse travellers. Luckily Madrid speaks the common dialect (versus Barcelona that speaks in Catalan-Spanish). My Spanish is actually quite decent, so navigating around the airport and other transport wasn’t too difficult for me - but there was also an English translation...which helped. Transport-wise, I bought a two-day tourist ticket that at-the-time cost around €14,50 (including a €2,50 airport surcharge) that worked on the metro and busses. The metro was efficient and serves a great part of Madrid, it also speaks in both Spanish and English! In addition, food and drinks are VERY cheap - especially in the grocery stores. Example, I got a 33cl (12oz) can of ‘Cerveza Mahou’ for €0.53 (45p / 60¢)...so, yeah, that was a blessing (and it’s GOOD beer - not the junk you drink in America).

While I was in Madrid for exactly 36 hours, I spent a solid 3 hours getting to/from the airport, and of course wandering around the stations trying to figure out where I was going. I only brought a backpack, so at least I wasn’t wandering around looking completely touristy. I stayed near the ‘Atocha’ neighbourhood and required 2 or 3 transfers on the metro - which of course I only realised while Google-mapping the hotel upon landing (On a side note - my primary factor in choosing a hotel is the closest proximity to metro stations -  makes finding the hotel and getting around a much easier process). In addition to getting lost, I spent my 36 hours visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid, Real Madrid’s stadium, the Temple de Debod, the Plaza de Cibeles, Playa del España, Edificio Metropolis, Parque del Retiro, the Gran Via and the Puerta del Sol. My favourite part of Madrid was climbing up to the Temple de Debod - the views were insane! It wasn’t much of a ‘hike’, but it was definitely a big of a climb up some rocky steps (obviously I slipped at least 3x). Aside from the stunning temple, you can walk over to the edge of this hill and get an uptop view of Madrid through the trees - gorgeous!

Since I wasn’t able to see everything in Madrid (obviously), I’ve asked my good friend and fellow solo traveller Beatriz (B), to share some of her favourite spots as she’s visited multiple times on her own. B suggests that those in hunt for nightlife visit ‘Bar Ojalá’ in central Madrid → featuring a basement beach (reservations are encouraged) where customers can collect sand in their shoes and enjoy some “delicious house wine, great music, and cocktails”. B also suggests the Mercado San Anton, which “besides great food, like most mercados in Madrid, this one has a rooftop bar and restaurant; perfect to end your day in Madrid with a drink and tapas!” We both agreed that the Parque del Retiro would be insane NOT to see. The park features a stunning crystal palace, a rose garden and even a lake where you can rent a boat! The park is also home to the monument of King Alfonso XII - a hotspot for tourist pictures, especially during the sunset!

With that, Madrid was an amazing destination for a quick getaway - I’d only suggest staying longer! Truly a cultural and historical city filled with endless entertainment, the only ‘downside’ is that boy...it was HOT. Hace calor, mucho caliente, etc. I’m talking 34ºC (Upwards of 100ºF)...I was not prepared, but got a quick tan!