The week begins 24 March next spring. In general terms, would I expect major cities to be crowded with visitors, or do urban residents of (in my case) Madrid, tend to head OUT of the city that week?

I'm asking because I want to firm up dates for a visit to the capital, but would hope to avoid an influx of people=more crowds than usual and more difficulty booking hotels, restaurants... (I have a pretty good idea of the hotel I want to book, but cannot begin to fathom how someone chooses where to dine when there are so many, many astounding sounding possibilities!)

I would probably arrive about 21 March and spend about 5 or 6 nights in Madrid, so part of that stay would be during the Holy Week.

If my one Good Friday in Madrid was a fair example, here's an excerpt of what I wrote

"I walked a bit and the sidewalks were absolutely mobbed. Not only that, the street in front of the hotel was closed and the media was there. I passed a guy in a tux with a horn and a woman in black with a black mantilla. This all led me to change clothes for the evening, and head out to the flamenco area.

The cab I take to 
Corral de las Morerías can get me only to the end of Calle Morerías. You ask why? It is Good Friday and there will be a procession. No, a Procession--all of the main streets are getting blocked off.
Corral de las Morerías lets me in at 8:30...

Cabs are called for the people leaving and once again, I am dropped as close to the hotel as possible. The Procession is almost over and the streets very crowded and closed yet in front of the hotel. I can see there are several floats and many people following along at what is the end of things. I watch for a while and slowly get to the end of things and am able to cross that final street at 10:30."

I'm not sure of the dancing's actual time but allow at least 2 hours if your hotel is on a main street. On a different trip in Bologna, there were mobs for trains and busses on the Wednesday before Easter weekend, and Easter Monday public transport was on holiday schedule. We had purchased our train tickets for our next destination on Monday; when we left on Friday, we were told that all the reserved train tickets were sold out. Can anyone confirm that doing things in advance is smart over the Easter hols?

Looking forward to reading about your trip, ekscrunchy.

ekscrunchy,
While many urban dwellers will take advantage of the Maundy Thursday through Sunday holiday and leave the city (or some, if they can, may take the whole week), other Spaniards from the provinces will come into the city. It's busy, ime.

TDudette was staying in a hotel close to one of the processions, therefore streets were blocked off.
Processions occur in Old Madrid and in some other districts, including one in Salamanca...
but...
if you intend to stay in your same hotel or at the Palacio de Santo Mauro, also in the Almagro area, you won't have to work around street closures. Many denizens of that very upscale area will leave for a mini vacation. When I rented there this summer, just 2 blocks from your hotel, it was very quiet on weekends when the well-to-do neighbors would head to the beach or to their summer houses.

Yes, train tickets should be purchased in advance as many people will be on the move, including my husband and I who will be heading to Andalucía for the entire week and by train.

As to restaurant closures, in my experience some do close from Thursday to Sunday and a few may even take the whole week off, but that can't be predicted for this year. Some restaurants, even the high end ones, may choose to remain open, as they're still trying to recoup their losses from the covid shutdown.

Here is a list in English. As you see most of the large processions take place in Old Madrid
https://www.gomadrid.com/semana-santa/

The procession that TDudette is speaking about started on the street behind her hotel, the NH Collection Paseo del Prado. It was the Good Friday procession of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno that departs from its Basilica of Duque de Medinaceli on the Plaza de Jesús at around 7 (ish). We've attended it and also the Procesión del Silence with our family, that begins on Calle Atocha. Yes, in this area of Old Madrid on Good Friday night, the streets are indeed packed and bars filled to the rafters, as people wait in them, especially if it´s cold, until the processions pass by.

But, as I said, while staying in Chamberí or Salamanca, if you choose a hotel in either, you won't be affected, unless you want to reach a restaurant or flamenco venue in Old Madrid.
I think I know the restaurants that you may want to reserve (and they're probably not in that area anyway), and you´ll be able to access them by taxi or walking, if they're open during those dates.
As you know from much past experience, Sunday and Monday are more challenging dinner reservations to make, but you´ll still have some really great choices among the large number of fantastic places to dine in Madrid these days.

Rafa for Sunday lunch, as I know you like it as we do, La Bien Aparecida for Sunday dinner, La Manduca de Azagra for Monday dinner, that you missed last time, Sacha for Friday or Tuesday dinner, etc.... Just some examples.
.

From esmadrid-a description of Easter in Madrid
https://www.esmadrid.com/en/whats-on...of_Madrid.html

and a map of the churches
2-mapa_procesiones_semana_santa_madrid.pdf

Sorry to be a dolt, but which day is Good Friday? I was planning to arrive on the 21st and depart on or near the 27th Abril...Is Good Friday is the 29th?

TD..Thanks for that post! Sounds interesting, to say the least. I've never seen any religious procession in Spain and would love to see, but I think so very crowded... Someday I will get to Seville during that week. Ojala!

Maribel, you know me so well...even nailed down then two hotel possibilities, but leaning towards the one from last year since I liked the staff so much and oh, that breakfast! And maybe location slightly better than the Santo Mauro? As for restaurants, of course you are again, correct! (Must get to Sacha this time. but you even knew that!). You truly are incredible!

Also, I would fly into Madrid from Jerez before the week begins..I'll just make a note to book the flights earlier than usual this time.

Yes,eks, Good Friday is March 29, 2024.

Go for the hotel you enjoyed so much last year!

I will do so, querida!

What is Lakasa that I am hearing about on popular websites? I've never heard of it....obviously I need to read more!

Lakasa by César Martín is an extremely dependable contemporary bistrot that I like a great deal. It´s located in Chamberí in the Ponzano neighborhood, on a square a couple of blocks west of Calle Ponzano. It´s a "lugar adonde quieres volver" because it's very consistent.
https://www.lakasa.es

It gets 9 "Lunas" from this blogger and is a favorite of ABC's food critic, Maribona. Two Repsol suns.
https://dimeunrestaurante.com/restaurantes/lakasa
https://www.gastroactitud.com/restaurante/la-kasa/

And LAKASA is open on Monday nights! And I can walk there from the hotel.

Later on I will start a Madrid restaurant thread.....get it all sorted.

Yes! Chefs call it "La gran casa de comidas de Madrid". The chef celebrated the restaurant's 10th birthday last year. And the best part is that one can order half portions.