richard

I just returned for an extensive week in Madrid. I had a great time but it was an unusual city as compared to the other European cities I have visited. Ifyou have any questions or need advise, please ask!

henry

Richard,Could you provide any details hotels,resturants,favorite-least favorite sites.Thanks.HV

Al

What's the weather like at this time of year? At what time does it get dark?

richard

HOTELS <BR> <BR>I stayed at the Hotel Santo Domingo which is between the Opera and Gran Via and liked it very much. The hotel was very nice and modern, each room is decorated differently and although they can be a bit small they have good bathrooms, closets, desks, etc. the also offer a great morning buffet breakfast which include meats, cheese, pastries, fruits, etc. The rates are reasonable. <BR> <BR> <BR>Another inexpensive hotel that is recommended is the Carlos V . I cancelled my reservation at there last minute in favor of the Santo Domingo. The Carlos V is located right in the middle of a major pedestrian shopping zone. Seem liked staying at the mall!. I am sure it is a nice hotel but I perferred the quieter location that the Santo Domingo offered. <BR> <BR>I got the best rate for the Santo Domingo by booking thru Best Western. They gave me a rate which included taxes and breakfast. The Best Ratefor the Carlos V cam from Emailing them directly. There are a lot of other inexpensive hotels around the city, but I would beware of some neighborhoods. Us ethe travel guides like Fodors, Frommers or Eyewitness for the best recommendations. If you find a place you like let me know and I will tell you if it is in a good area. <BR> <BR>http://www.hotelsantodomingo.com/ <BR>http://www.bestwestern.com (for the Carlos V) <BR> <BR>FOOD <BR> <BR>Madrid is loaded with restaurants and I had various experiences with the food. I did not like the typical Spanish style tavern food too much so I stuck to main stream restaurants which offered food which almost seemed French. The prices were great and I often found that i could eat for about $15 a person if you select the 'menu del dia' or the menu of the day. For $15 per person it would not be unusual to get a starter, entree, dessert, coffee, wine and bottled water. There are many other choices of various price ranges too! <BR> <BR>The spanish eat lunch strictly from 2pm-4pm and restaurant don't open before that and stop serving at the closing time. I recommend getting there early because people stream out of offices, shops and home at this time to eat. Lunch is the main meal of the day. Get there early to get a seat because it is not uncommon for people to claim there seat and sit and eat, chat and smoke for the entire lunch period. Oh, remember people will smoke in restaurants!! Just get over it, you cannot avoid it! Dinner is served in most places from 8 or 9pm to 12m, kinda late for us Americanos! I also recommend getting a smalltranslation book, many places have english menus, but some don't. Usually the menu is posted on the outside only in Spanish. I always checked before I went in since menus will include oddities to Americans such as Venison, Rabbit and various creatures from the bottom of the sea. <BR> <BR>Here are a few of my favorite restaurants- <BR> <BR>El Espejo, Paseo de Recoletes 31 - this restaurant is located in Bourbon and was my favorite. Actually I they have two restaurants, the terrace bar "Pabellon El Espejo"is a wonderful glass pavilion located on the pedestrain walk on the Paseo Recoletes. I had a complete lunch here including wine and coffee for only $13.50. That was from the menu of the day, not the ala carte which would have cost considerably more. the atmosphere and service was excellent and views of the paseo were priceless! <BR> <BR>The other restaurant "El Espejo" is located across the street and has been calledthe Art Nouveau restaurant the Madrid never had. It is actually a new restaurant but beautifully decorated. The prices here are a bit more expensive than in the pavillion, but you get to build your menu for a lot more choices than in the pavillion and they are more gourmet, offering dishes like steak, duck and other yummy foods. The service is also far more formal and perfect. Expect to pay about $28 a person for acomplete meal including wine and dessert. It a splurge, but worth it for the food, service and atmosphere, no extra charge for the cigarette smoke either! <BR> <BR>Favorite Sights - <BR> <BR>-Puerta del Sol <BR>-The Palacio Real <BR>-Strolling on the Calle Serano in the Salamanca District <BR>-Day trip to Toledo (I know a goodrestaurant there too!) <BR>-Museo Cerralbo (a mansion) <BR>-Plaza del Cibeles <BR> <BR>Least Favorite Sights <BR> <BR>-The Prado <BR>-Plaza Mayor <BR>-Chueca District <BR> <BR>If you want more please ask!

richard

The weather in Madrid while I was ther in Late November was cool during the day and sometime coldat night. The type of weather where you need a basic coat and sometime a scarf and gloves, especially at night.It was not frigid though. i would imagine that it will get colder as the winter progresses, We actually had a artic blast from France when I was there and it was quite cold for 2 days. <BR> <BR>Its not warm, but its not as cold as the rest of Europe. <BR> <BR>Everyday that I was there it was bright and sunny, no rain, no clouds. Daylight hours lasted til about 5:30.

Al

Mucho grazias

Danny

Hey Richard, the info you've provided has been helpful. Thanks. <BR> <BR>But let me ask, living in Spain that week, how much would you say it costs? <BR>I'm planning a trip on a tight budget for April and I want to know what I can get by on. I don't really care about luxuries, but what do you think?

nolesfan

When you visited Toledo, did you take the train, bus, or an organized tour? I'm also interested in visiting Segovia. What mode of transportation do you suggest? Thanks!

Maira

Richard--- great info. How did you get to Toledo? Car? train? tour? Could you elaborate on the restaurant in Toledo? <BR> <BR>Danny--- you picked the right country if you want to go to Europe on a tight budget. I have posted on Hotel Mora, a $55/night for a double hotel on the Paseo del Prado; can't beat the location. There are plenty of even cheaper, clean and reasonable accomodations. Also, food is very inexpensive. A short walk from Hotel Mora is a restaurant called "Las Cuatro Fuentes", excellent homecooking food with great service; about $10/pp included wine, soup, salad, main entree, dessert (mouth-watering rice pudding!). Richard said this very well, but I feel it can't be stressed enough; dining hours in Spain are very unusual when compared with the American standards. Be prepared and plan accordingly.

richard

I took the train from Madrid Antocha Station to Toledo.It is a pleasant 2 hr Journey through the countryside. The Toledo train station is not in city center and to get to the touristy area it is a nice 20 minutes walk or you can get a taxi or bus. Once you step out of the station, it is obvious where you need to go since you can see the city pearched on the hilltop. Don't worry, the newspaper stand in the train station is ready for every train to sell maps of the city. I did not take a tour since I like to wander on my own. Toledo is small enought to see on foot, but the streets are narrow, winding and confusing (buy the map). As in other Spanish cities, Toledo stops dead for the lunch hour from 2-4 pm. Of course you should use this time to have lunch since shopping is out of the question. Many ofthe restaurants in the city center are very touristy and always crowded with people. <BR> <BR>I walked a bit off the tourist path and went to a restaurant called "La Hiedra", which is located at Cristo del la Luz 9. This restaurant was also called "Hierbabuena" in some earlier editions of Fodors guides. I am not sure if it is in the latest. The restaurant is styled like a moorish patio and has lots of great spanish dishes and good prices. I had the menu del dia (menu of the day) which included a starter, entree, dessert and a glass of wine for 1,300 pesetas. I added an additional glass of wine (300 pesetas) and coffee (200 pesetas) for a toal mealprice for 1 at 1800 pesetas. That's $11 for a great and memorable meal! You can't beat that! Considering the meal had a gourmet edge, i think it was the best value in Toledo! One warning, check out the menu before you enter, the day I was there the meat special was "venado" which translated is Venison. Well I loved Bambi as well as the rest of you and I even work for Disney, but I decided that since venison is fairly common on menus in Spain that I would give it a try. Much to my suprise the restaurants preparation in a saurbraten style sauce was delicious (even better with a glass of Rioja!). Remember meats like venison, boar, veal, oxtail, suckling pig and rabbit are regular features on menus throughtout Spain. The restaurant also offered a seafood special for those who did not perfer a meat dish. I am sure that on some days they offer standard meats like steaks, chicken and beef. <BR> <BR>Finding La Heidra is a bit tricky but if you buy the map at the train station look for the coordinates E2 on the map, near Mezquita del Cristo de la Cruz.

richard

By the way, the train fare from madrid to Toledo is only $7.50 round trip!

richard

Danny, what do mean by inexpensive? I think that Madrid was the least expensive city in Europe. A basic comfortable hotel (centrally located) can cost from $50-75. Meals can run from $7-20 for a good meal but considerably cheaper if you eat in the little street 'cafeterias' serving tapas, ham sandwiches, wine and beer. The merto system is very accessable and you can buy a 10 trip pass which costs about $7.50. Short distance trains outside the city can run under $10. There is lots of stuff to buy but if you resist temptation and avoid tacky souvenirs, you can stay within budget. The real trick would be to find a low airfare. Try calling Council Travel - 800 226 8624 or Cheap tickets 800 377 1000. If you need any hotel recommendations or have any other questions, let me know.

margaret

on going from toledo to segovia: very doable on train. Loved both cities, which we visited last Xmas. In Madrid, we stayed at the Paris Hotel -- one of the oldest in the city, with a charming lobby and staircase, very cheap and central to Peurto del Sol --BUT rooms are tiny and dark -- though with all amenities. If you stay there, be sure to ask for an interior room. <BR> We stayed at the Cardinale in Toledo, which was terrific on all counts. Super place. -Margaret