dmlove

Hi again. Thanks for all the help regarding areas of the city.

Now the big question -- we will have three full days in Madrid. What to do with them? I will be with my 21-year old daughter. We (or at least she) will visit museums, but we're not really art people -- more into architecture, markets, wandering around, cafe-sitting, getting the feel of the city, people-watching, window-shopping. But I don't want to miss the important museums and sights either.

So, with 3 full days in Madrid (we arrive late Monday night, and leave Friday morning), what would you recommend we do?

zeppole

If you're not really museum people, make the Prado your priority. For those of us who are museum people, Madrid's many other museums are a terrific draw, but the Prado is the true treasure -- one of the very finest museums of art on the planet. Take your time there. It's riches enough for 3 days.

Madrid is actually a huge city with several different upscale, highly attractive neighborhoods dotted with beautiful outdoor cafes. I ordinarily don't suggest this, buy why don't you begin with an open-air bus tour of the city, and get a sense of which elegant plaza you want to sip your cocktails in, or where you want to window shop?

In lieu of that, I suggest you get a very hip guide to the city, like Wallpaper, or others that are geared toward young people and shoppers.

Certainly one elegant place to have lunch for architecture lovers (and not far from the Prado) is the ground floor cafe of the Circulo de Bellas Artes:

http://www.circulobellasartes.com/ag...ta_virtual.php

Madrid is beautifully lit at night, so save some energy for long strolls before the incredibly late dinner hour.

dmlove

Actually, I was considering a tour or maybe a hop-on/hop-off bus, to get an overview of the city, but also because my daughter will not be able to walk the huge distances we normally walk (she's just coming off a surgically repaired broken ankle).

Keep the replies coming!

cruiseluv

I can understand the logic behind the hop 0n-off bus but I'm not a fan. Specially in a hot summer day!

I agree with zeppole about Museo del Prado. Everytime I go to Madrid I go back, never get tired of it.

I like to go to Plaza Mayor in the evening . Although the cafes there are touristy, I love to sit down, have a drink and people watch.

Also suggest you go to Royal Palace and then have lunch at Cafe de Oriente, across the street.

A walk around Parque del Retiro on a sunny day is very relaxing. The best cafe con leche I have ever had I had it in one of the casual cafes they have by the lake there.

zeppole

Dif'rent strokes: I dislike being around the plaza mejor. And I'm glad for the Retiro, but I actually think the parks of New York, London and Paris are more enjoyable.

The Oriente is one very obvious place to enjoy a sherry or more (it's opposite the Royal Palace), but I think tourists seldom see the incredible variety of elegant outdoor bars, with comfy deep seating and overhead shade that line some of the major streets beyond the museum quarter.

So that's why I think a bus overview tour might open up some ideas. I would be more inclined to a tour than a hop on/hop off. That way you see everything, and then grab a cab to go back to what you liked best! With a hop on/hop off, you'll dash to get off.

I forgot about your daughter's foot. I would think that the Prado has wheelchairs available. I would try to get one, because it's inevitable your daughter will need to do a lot of other walking.

Likewise in the airport. I think it's silly to use up precious foot-wear walking distances between terminals.

zeppole

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Hom...rid/index.html

Nikki

My favorite museum in Madrid is the Thyssen. Very visitor friendly with lots of benches in the galleries, lots of beautiful art from many periods.

I really enjoyed the Plaza Santa Ana, ringed with tapas bars, lots of table outdoors. Lively until late at night.

Flamenco was a treat at Casa Patas, www.casapatas.com. Go to the later show if there are two, which there are on weekends. Dinner in their restaurant was good too, and it gave us priority seating up front for the show.

For a wonderful resource on Madrid, see Maribel's Guide at www.maribelsguides.com.

dmlove

Thanks all. It's a great idea to get a wheelchair at the Prado and airport. I'll definitely check it out.

victor_d

If you want to focus in architecture, you may find interesting this post with lot of pictures of Madrid (and some information)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=624479

ComfyShoes

Having been to Madrid many times over the last decade, many things to see. However, have you downloaded Maribel's guide on Madrid yet? Google it and then if you have specific questions, post here.

lola618

I much preferred the Thyssen Museum to the Prado. But that is a matter of personal taste.

I really enjoyed a 1/2 day trip to Toledo. It was really beautiful and had some fabulous historic sites.

My big mistake was that I was planning on doing some shopping on Sunday and forgot that most everything is closed on Sundays.

Molloy95

Oh wow! Victor D, that is an awesome link to great fotos of Madrid. Thanks so much!

I "third" the suggestion to download and read Maribel's Guide to Madrid. You can find it at www.maribelsguides.com

dmlove

Yes, I did get Maribel's guide. I haven't read it yet, but I definitely will this weekend. Everything's closed on Sunday? Waaah! The Prado is open on Sundays, though, isn't it? So the museums, the park, and eating will have to be our main "recreation" on Sunday!

victor_d

"""My big mistake was that I was planning on doing some shopping on Sunday and forgot that most everything is closed on Sundays."""

as a general rule, every fisrt sunday of the month (and all december and some other sundays) commercial center and big stores may open. Small stores could open everyday if they wish but they don't.

Sol area have been recently declared 'touristic area' and every store there may open every sunday and holiday.

Also Xanadu mall, near Madrid is another 'touristic area' and opens everyday... what a trick, just because they have the covered ski slope.

And Principe Pio mall, with convenient location, also opens everyday because... they are inside a train station, despite i would say it's almost the opposite.

bachslunch

Here's another vote for the Prado if you can only see one museum in Madrid. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is indeed well worth a visit, but the Prado would be my first choice. The Reina Sofia Museum is very good if you like 20th century art (Picasso's "Guernica" is there, for one).

Will second above suggestions of the Parque de Retiro, Palacio Real, and Plaza Mayor. Also enjoyed the tour of the Lope de Vega House.

The area around Plaza de Santa Ana (not far from Puerta del Sol and a little east of Plaza Mayor) is an excellent place to get tapas and a drink and sit out watching the world go by.

Laurelle

My husband and I were first time visitors to Madrid in March. With different artistic interests we both agree the Thyssen was the "Big 3" museum we would visit had we to choose one.
If your dughter's not up to much walking, the Buen Retiro would not be a good choice.
The sightseeing tour really helped orient us to the city.
Shopping? Centrally located El Corte Ingles has a bit of everything from a food market in the basement to a cafeteria on the top floor.
My daughter and niece are aficionados of Madrid nightlfe: Some locales open at midnight or later.
Remember to try the devastatingly rich hot chocolate!

dmlove

Hi all. Just wanted to chime in (in answer to my own question) that we looked at the Thyssen website and plan to visit on the Tuesday night we're there for the Miro exhibition. Has anyone seen it? (we loved the Miro museum in Barcelona). The museum is open until 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday nights in summer.