Madrid is among the fashion capital of the world. The place is known for its vibrant tapas culture & a perfect blend of modern & ancient architecture. The thriving city with great nightlife & perfect food, Madrid can be one of the best cities to be in. Madrid is the capital of Spain & rightly deserves so. A city that sleeps late & wakes up late is perfect for lazy people.
The slow-moving pace of the city is bliss for someone who is from India. So, here is Madrid Solo Travel Guide for people who wants to explore the place.
Madrid Travel Guide
How To Reach Madrid
1. Flights: Madrid is connected; with the world's major cities. Many websites will offer great discounts on flight tickets. Also, because of corona; some flight providers are not levying any charges for cancellation & rescheduling.
Thus, this can be one of the best times to travel to Europe.
2. Trains:From different cities of Europe one can find fast traveling (connecting) trains to Madrid. The price of train tickets is in a similar range as of flights; thus it is advisable to prefer trains overflights to save some time.
3.Bus Flixbus is the largest provider in Europe, flixbus provides a seamless experience & the buses are also of good quality. The only issue is the regular changing of the bus apart from that the ride is smooth.
But, if time is limited it is advisable to use flights.
One can use Goeuro for booking buses, trains & flights in Europe.
One can use Goeuro for booking buses, trains & flights in Europe.
Things To Do In Madrid
1. Royale Palace Of Madrid : Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the major attractions of Madrid. It is the largest functioning royal palace. The place charges an admission fee of 13 Euros & people who enjoy palaces shall have a good time here.
3. Plaza De Cibeles:One of the most beautiful buildings in Madrid. The complex structure with fountains is a treat to the eyes.
It is located on the main road so finding it would not be a problem.
5. Palaza Mayor: Plaza Mayor is a major outing place for the tourists, a grand building at the center of old Madrid. One can enjoy the view from this place & can click some insta pics.
2. Tapas Bars: The best way to hang out in Madrid are tapas bars. People often spend a lot of time at these places. A place to have food along with local beer in buildings depicting raw nature.
There are few options for egg lovers so one can have it.
4. Sol: It is one of the most vibrant places in Madrid. A place with so many shops, bars & clubs. Many hostels are located near Sol & are probably the major reason for the crowd. Roaming around the streets is refreshing & will give a glimpse of the culture.
6. El Retiro Park: The park is spread across acres & is a perfect spot for a picnic or workout. People can be seen jogging & playing. There are many quiet places in the park to enjoy a pleasant evening or afternoon
7. City Streets: Streets of Madrid are beautiful with a blend of modern & old architecture.
While roaming the streets, one can enjoy the views & appreciate the beauty of the buildings.
Solo Travel In Madrid
Europe is very safe for solo travelers many people come here to roam & have the time of their lives.
Traveling to Europe can be very refreshing for the most. I traveled by bus, metro, empty valleys & late hours & it was safe. However, it is advisable to be aware of the surroundings. Overall the place is very safe & good for 2-3 days.
How To Do Madrid In Budget
Budget is on the of aspects & reason why people often skip Europe (rightly so). Europe is more expensive than many other counter touristic countries.
However, if one can manage the following expenses, doing Madrid on a budget is feasible & pleasurable.
Flights:It is advisable to book flights at least 6 weeks before the time of travel. One can find many offers & flights at a cheaper price if booked aptly. I was able to find a to & fro ticket from Madrid for Rs 40,000 which is a steal deal any time of the year. However, I missed the offer as I was unsure about my date of travel. I booked flights to & back to Madrid; a week later & it was around Rs 50,000 per pax.
Local-Transport:There is a metro running all across Madrid so finding it will not be difficult. However, if one wants to explore the city on foot; even that is feasible. But, that will be tiring so buckle up. There are uber available but that will burn a hole in your pocket as the same is on the expensive side. On average one can take approx 10 euros if using metro & the prices increases if using taxis.
From Airport:One can find a direct metro to the city & that will cost around 8 Euros (i.e metro card of 5 + 2.5 Euros airport surcharges) usually the metro single charge journey will cost 1.5 Euros to 2 Euros.
To Airport: The buses are running throughout the day. However, during the night the frequency of the buses is reduced substantially. The pickup points are fixed. So, one should be aware of the same. Further, the cost of the bus to the airport will be 5 euros & it will drop to T1. I used Cibeles to board a bus to Airport.
Site-seeing:Most of the attractions charge an admission fee to visit them that varies with the place. There are museums, ancient buildings, churches & clubs, parks. A combo of everything & a great metropolitan city to explore. On average take 10 Euros per attractions that varies.
Food & Alcohol: Food & alcohol will be cheaper if bought from the local supermarket. The prices are reasonable & one can find good options to buy from. The price of eating outside will vary from 5 to 10 Euros. The specialty of the Madrid city is Tapas Bar, plenty of them are near Sol & anyone who is looking to enjoy can visit & relish the food.
Accommodation: There is a wide range of hostels available in Madrid. One can find great staying options easily on the pocket. However, be prepared to spend approx Rs 2000 per night which seems to be on a higher side, yet the facilities are great so this should not budge much. I stayed at three hostels & the best among them was Cats Hostel Madrid.
Flights:It is advisable to book flights at least 6 weeks before the time of travel. One can find many offers & flights at a cheaper price if booked aptly. I was able to find a to & fro ticket from Madrid for Rs 40,000 which is a steal deal any time of the year. However, I missed the offer as I was unsure about my date of travel. I booked flights to & back to Madrid; a week later & it was around Rs 50,000 per pax.
Local-Transport:There is a metro running all across Madrid so finding it will not be difficult. However, if one wants to explore the city on foot; even that is feasible. But, that will be tiring so buckle up. There are uber available but that will burn a hole in your pocket as the same is on the expensive side. On average one can take approx 10 euros if using metro & the prices increases if using taxis.
From Airport:One can find a direct metro to the city & that will cost around 8 Euros (i.e metro card of 5 + 2.5 Euros airport surcharges) usually the metro single charge journey will cost 1.5 Euros to 2 Euros.
To Airport: The buses are running throughout the day. However, during the night the frequency of the buses is reduced substantially. The pickup points are fixed. So, one should be aware of the same. Further, the cost of the bus to the airport will be 5 euros & it will drop to T1. I used Cibeles to board a bus to Airport.
Site-seeing:Most of the attractions charge an admission fee to visit them that varies with the place. There are museums, ancient buildings, churches & clubs, parks. A combo of everything & a great metropolitan city to explore. On average take 10 Euros per attractions that varies.
Food & Alcohol: Food & alcohol will be cheaper if bought from the local supermarket. The prices are reasonable & one can find good options to buy from. The price of eating outside will vary from 5 to 10 Euros. The specialty of the Madrid city is Tapas Bar, plenty of them are near Sol & anyone who is looking to enjoy can visit & relish the food.
Accommodation: There is a wide range of hostels available in Madrid. One can find great staying options easily on the pocket. However, be prepared to spend approx Rs 2000 per night which seems to be on a higher side, yet the facilities are great so this should not budge much. I stayed at three hostels & the best among them was Cats Hostel Madrid.
My Madrid Experience
I reached Madrid airport in the night & took a metro from the T4 terminal (the signboards are properly marked thus finding it won't be an issue). One has to get a metro card & recharge it while using the service. The map is readily available at the counter & mostly it is self-service. After reaching my destination I started walking towards my hostel (Petit Hostel), the lanes to the hostel are beautiful, the architecture of the place & cleanliness will attract you from the outset.
The most vibrating part of the city is Sol, most of the good clubs, shopping center & full of crowd. One can enjoy a lot here & some of the tapas bars will be exciting enough. The place is beautiful just like any other metropolitan city & that can rob one of the real Spanish experience. People are very friendly in general. However, most of the locals don't speak English so communicating at times will be difficult. The hospitality is good & one can relish the culture. The food is better than most of the other parts of Europe. But for vegetarians things can get difficult. There are many places to explore in Madrid but mostly it is structures & restaurants. Madrid is known for its fashion sense & the city won't disappoint you a single bit.
So, this was Madrid Travel Guide for solo travelers. I hope you enjoyed it & would want to visit the place for some memories. Because memories are worth making.
The most vibrating part of the city is Sol, most of the good clubs, shopping center & full of crowd. One can enjoy a lot here & some of the tapas bars will be exciting enough. The place is beautiful just like any other metropolitan city & that can rob one of the real Spanish experience. People are very friendly in general. However, most of the locals don't speak English so communicating at times will be difficult. The hospitality is good & one can relish the culture. The food is better than most of the other parts of Europe. But for vegetarians things can get difficult. There are many places to explore in Madrid but mostly it is structures & restaurants. Madrid is known for its fashion sense & the city won't disappoint you a single bit.
So, this was Madrid Travel Guide for solo travelers. I hope you enjoyed it & would want to visit the place for some memories. Because memories are worth making.
Handy Resources:
Below are the few resources you should check before making an itinerary.Cheap Internation Flights: Best place to find cheap international flight tickets.
Best Deals On Hotels: Places to find best deals on hotels.
Amazon: Best place for all your needs. Also, find best travel accessories.
Agoda: Best place to book hotels of your liking. Agoda provides the best solution & great offer while booking a hotel.
Skyscanner: Skyscanner compares various sites & sort the flights based on the rates. A great way to check flight cost. Although the only drawback is that rates are flexible. Hence, the cost might change while you are making the payment.
Jetradar: Jetradar is a comparing site which is just like Skyscanner. But, is much more accurate & much more handy in use.
Booking: Best place to book hostel rooms. There are plenty of options available & with so many properties booking becomes much easier.
Couchsurfing: Best place to find free accommodation. It is as easy as filtering people & messaging. If you will get lucky you will find free accommodation in local resident house.
Travel Insurance: There are numerous options available to get one. So, you can choose anything which suits your requirement. Make sure you read the terms & conditions before buying one.