From world-class museums to incredible cuisine; awe-inspiring architecture to quirky shopping markets, Madrid is such a vibrant city with so much to offer its inhabitants and tourists.
If you’re thinking of taking a break to Spain’s capital and are trying to decide on where to stay, look no further. We’ve put together a guide for choosing the ideal location for where to stay in Madrid so that you have the best stay possible.
The city centre is always a winner!
The city centre of Madrid offers such a metropolitan and bustling atmosphere to its visitors, and there’s so much to see and do there. It’s home to beautiful areas such as the Plaza del Sol and the Mercado de San Miguel (one of the city’s oldest and well renowned food markets) so you’ll be spoilt for choice for things to explore in the centre!
Take a look at some of the interesting neighbourhoods
However, there are some truly amazing suburbs and surrounding neighbourhoods in Madrid if you want to venture a little further off the beaten track and explore something different. From busy towns crammed with exciting bars and restaurants (Chueca) to more relaxed surroundings in towns like Retiro where the lovely parks take centre stage for things to explore, there’s a Madrid suburb for every taste.
Look at the different options for your budget
From cheap and cheerful hostels to holiday rentals in Madrid, you will definitely find something for your budget, regardless of how modest it is. Generally speaking, as with most major cities, the further you venture out from the city centre, the more likely you are to find better deals for your money regarding places to stay. If you are looking to go all out and blow the budget, there are plenty of world class and world famous options, too!
Plan where you’re staying around events in the city
If there are some events or sights you know you definitely want to see and experience during your stay, it’s a good idea to look into these before you go and before you book your accommodation, so that you will know how far you’ll have to travel to get there from where you’re staying. For example, if you’re planning on heading to the Las Ulvas festival on New Year’s Eve, you’ll no doubt want to make sure you can make it back to your hotel after all that fabulous wine!
Look into ways of getting around from your chosen place
Public transport in Madrid is known for being pretty reliable and comfortable, so getting around the city is really easy. This is good to know if you are planning on staying somewhere that’s not in the city centre. The metro system and the buses run frequently throughout the day to all major attractions, so you can get to wherever you want to go fairly quickly and easily. The city centre is known for being really accessible to walk around, too.