My husband and son are thinking about meeting up in Madrid for a week at the end of March. I know zero about the city and my son is consumed with homework. Can any of you who've been to Madrid provide me with a list of 5 or 6 major things to see and do, three or four nice hotels (don't need 5 stars) and any hints on the city - day trips, etc? Appreciate it greatly!!

The Destinations section of this site has a whole section about Madrid, and suggetsed itineraries depending on how many days on ehas to spend that hit the highlights.

Frommers.com has similar info. You will also need a guidebook regardless.

Read the Rants & Raves section re hotels, then type "hotelname AND madrid" into the text box at the top of this page to find feedback re those that interest you.

It won't take long, and you need to do at least that much in order to figure out what appeals to *you.*

thanks Lesli - I've found that personal experiences and recommendations are better than a guide book/web page. I'm looking at the Fodors and Frommers sites but would still like some real life input.

OK, here's mine. First, if they have a week in Madrid, I'd suggest at least 2 day trips - one to Toledo and one to Segovia. They are both about 1 hour away by bus and are wonderful.

For Madrid itself, there are the 3 main museums, although I only went to Prado and Reina Sofia.

The Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol areas are fun to walk around, shop, sit outside at cafes etc. El Cortes Ingles, the big dept. store, is on Puerto del Sol.

Eat tapas around Cava de San Miguel, and wander the quaint streets of Cava Baja. Go to the Convento de Descales (something like that).

Have a picnic in Retiro Park. People eat dinner late in Spain (like 10pm), so be prepared for that - many restaurants don't open until 8 or 9.

Also, if you click on my screen name, look for a thread called "Spain Trip Report - Kaudrey returns", and you can read more details of my trip from last month.

Madrid is a vibrant, wonderful city, and my heart goes out to the almost 200 people killed and hundreds wounded in yesterday's terrorist attacks.

Karen

We stayed at the Hotel El Prado (3 stars), which was comfortable, central and quiet. Quiet is important, because Madrid is awfully noisy. We walked just about everywhere from there. http://www.hotelgreenprado.com/

And I got pickpocketed in Madrid (very unpleasant experience). Keep your valuables close, and check them constantly. A little paranoia is a good protection.

Where to go? Well, we're art folk and couldn't have loved the Prado (Velazquez, Goya and Bosch) and the Thyssen-Bornemisza (northern Renaissance) museums more (and they're right across the street from each other). For me the Goya plates from which he made his prints at the Academy of Fine Arts was just a cosmic experience. And for modern art there's the Reina Sofia, which also has lots of Dalis and Picasso's great "Guernica."

We started our visit with a bus tour of the city: inexpensive, great for orientation and general information.

We also went out one night for flamenco. That was fun! Different, since we're not normally night people, and Madrid is a late night kind of place, but great. Your hotel folk can likely recommend a good flamenco place.

The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) is gorgeous. And the Escorial (the summer palace), about a 45 minute train ride away (I think?) was just spectacular.

We really loved Madrid, even though the dinner hour didn't seem to start until 8:00 at the earliest!

Have a wonderful time! E.

thanks everyone - do they have bullfights this time of year???

8 p.m. for dinner in Madrid is REALLY, REALLY early. 10:30 is much more realistic.
I definitely agree on the Retiro, it's a stunning park.
Plaza Mayor is an oasis of calm from the packed and bustling streets of central Madrid.
The Paseo del Prado (the street where the Prado and Thyssen museums are located) is beautiful and worth a stroll, even if you're not going to a museum.
The Carlos V is an excellent 3.5 star in a great location (between Gran Via and Puerta del Sol). It's got large (if kind of bland) rooms, with ample bathrooms, excellent air conditioning and minibars. And the hotel has a great breakfast room. Its rates are around 90-100 euro per night.

And yes, bullfight season starts in March. Do a Google search on "ventas bullfight tickets and madrid" and the website for Plaza de Toros (the madrid bullring) should pop up.

Oh, have a great time! I just got back from Madrid and was miserable to leave! It was sunny and warm(ish) when I left!

Anyway, I just wanted to add that I stayed at the Hotel Preciados. It is an old building but recently restored and really nice and modern inside. Also a great buffet breakfast included. And right in the middle of town. I was lucky because my friend who is a local, arranged it for me so I don't even know the price but it's worth looking into.

Have a great time!