Is it a stupid idea to visit Prado on a Sunday ? We enjoy museums. It's not a matter of $ - just time ...

Get there when it opens. It doesn't get busy for a couple of hours. All those people who were eating dinner at 11 at night tend to sleep in, though not as much as you might expect.

Go first to see the paintings that have historical significance for the Spanish. The Goyas and, to a lesser extent, the Velazquezes will get mobbed, with lesser crowds around El Greco and some of the other masters.

Then you can look at the other incredible paintings in relative peace.

By the way, simply observing the reaction of the visitors to the Goyas is an amazing experience.

I agree - I was there two weeks ago and was on line when the ticket office opened. It really did not seem that crowded. At one point, people were more interested in looking out the windows than at the paintings as it was snowing. ;-)

I believe on Sundays it is free. I have gone on Sundays and don't recall it being mobbed or anything.

It's free now on Sundays from 5-8 pm. I would ditto the "get there when it opens" comment, at or a bit before 9 am. And as Ackislander says, head straight upstairs and visit the Velázuez, Murillo, Goya and El Greco rooms first, the most popular.

Thamk you very much for info. Does one do better by buying a ticket online ? Or do you still have to pick it up at museum,even if purchased online ?

We were there on one of the holiday free days, and the line looked long( we got there at noonish) but the wait was only 45 minutes or so. We had 5 in our group, so one waited in line while the other 4 relaxed in the park next to the museum. After we were in , it didnt seem crowded compared to other top museums in Europe.

marcielee,
If you purchase your ticket on line, you print it out and go straight in without stopping at the ticket booth. We've done this for special "blockbuster" exhibits when we've anticipated long lines, especially on weekends. For the upcoming Sorolla exhibit this June, I'll do the same, especially since we can't get to the museum until around noon and can't wait in a long line, since we'll be attending the Matisse show at the Thyssen immediately afterwards.

But for a normal visit to the museum, if you arrive by 9 or better still, a few minutes before, you shouldn't have a long line at the ticket booth, so no need to spend the extra euros for an online purchase. On the holiday free days, particularly if you arrive late morning, you will have a wait, and it can be a long one.

hi, when we went to the Prado, [i think on a sunday] some exhibition was on and the queue strestched all the way down the [long] side of the buidling. But we walked straight past as we were just wanted to see the main exhibits. I agree that it wasn't too busy.

there is a nice cafe in the basement; alternatively there's a restaurant on the little road up to the retiro park that was very nice and did a menu da dia. also the botanical gardens on the other side to the main entrance makes a nice shange to the museum when you want some fresh air. and catch the cloud pruned hedges in the park and get a gelato!

regards, ann