Madrid - What to Know Before You Go
Spain's capital is a world city and a major destination for business travellers and tourists, with around 10 million international visitors every year. Even in the central areas, Madrid retains an air of authenticity that some of Spain’s most-visited cities, notably Barcelona and Palma, are striving to preserve. As with visiting Barcelona, it’s important to travel in a way that benefits, rather than detracts from, this fascinating city. From choosing where to stay to what to do and where to visit, discover the guide to responsible tourism in Spain’s capital. Learn about the most-visited sites in Madrid, such as the Prado Museum and Puerta del Sol, as well as local tips to immerse yourself in the culture and tips to make your travels easier. From learning some Spanish phrases to installing an eSIM for Madrid, there are plenty of methods you can use to have a stress-free and rewarding trip.
What To Do During Your Visit
A grievance many locals have with excess tourism is the resulting spikes in noise and environmental pollution. Madrid is not alone in this – other Spanish cities like Palma recently restricted alcohol sales in an effort to curb ‘party tourism’.
As with finding a place to stay, be mindful of your surroundings and neighbours. Even the busiest areas of Madrid with the liveliest nightlife still maintain large residential populations, so it's important to keep noise to a minimum after hours.
Madrid has a large international population, and English will often be understood in the city centre and more heavily-touristed areas of town. Nevertheless, it's useful to learn some fundamental Spanish before you travel. As well as making life easier for those around you, having a small repertoire of phrases will make your travels smoother and help you to immerse yourself in the local culture.
Real-time translation apps like Google Translate or DeepL can also be a great help while travelling. Use them with a local Madrid eSIM to ensure you always have access to a translation service when needed.
eSIM Data Plans for Madrid
11 Must-Visit Places in Madrid
For such a large city, the majority of Madrid's most-visited sites are localised within a small area. This makes it easy to explore several in a single day and avoids overcrowding throughout the rest of the city. Learn more about the some of the city's most popular attractions below:
1. Puerta del Sol
This public plaza is located at the heart of Madrid’s historic town centre, making it a perfect place to start a tour of the old museums and monuments of Paseo del Arte and Retiro Park. The Puerta del Sol is where Madrileños traditionally gather every New Year's Eve to celebrate, and it maintains a bustling atmosphere year-round. Just around the corner is the Plaza Santa Ana, lined with traditional terraced bars and cafes.
2. Museo del Prado
The Prado is one of the most esteemed art museums in the world, rivalling the Louvre in the quality and scale of its collection of European classical art. As well as Spanish masters including Goya, Velázquez, and El Greco, the museum features works from a catalogue of medieval and renaissance painters including Titian and Hieronymus Bosch. The building is one of the largest museums in the world – plan at least a day to explore the museum and gardens. For those on a budget, the Prado can be visited for free between 6-8 pm from Monday to Saturday, and between 5-7 pm on Sundays. Visitors can go to the gift shop or use one of the donation points to help fund the museum's conservation efforts.
3. Reina Sofía Museum
As the contemporary counterpart to the classical Prado collection, the Reina Sofía celebrates Spain’s outstanding contributions to modern art through works by Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso.
Both the Prado and the Reina Sofía can be found in Madrid’s Paseo del Arte, a square kilometer that encompasses many other must-visit museums including the Thyssen-Bornemisza Gallery and the National Archeological Museum. If you're planning a visit to multiple museums here, consider purchasing a Paseo del Arte Pass – this single ticket allows year-round access to all museums in the area.
4. Retiro Park
The Paseo del Arte is flanked on one side by the Retiro Park, one of Europe's largest and oldest public parks. As a former private royal park, Retiro Park is filled with ornamental gardens, lakes, palaces and the Madrilenian landmark El Palacio del Cristal, a vast glass-walled art gallery and greenhouse. The park is popular with tourists and locals alike and is an ideal place to unwind after exploring the museums of the Paseo del Arte.
5. El Rastro
On Sundays and public holidays, the Ribera de Curtidores Avenue in Madrid's El Rastro neighborhood is transformed into one of the largest open-air markets in the country. During the rest of the week, El Rastro is still a busy shopping area, with many independent vendors selling everything from antiques to designer clothing. It’s also one of the best parts of town to grab a meal and a drink, due to the traditional Madrileño tapas bars that line the cobbled streets.
6. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
One of Madrid’s most visited attractions is the home of the European Champions and Spain's most successful football club, Real Madrid C.F. The 80,000-seater Santiago Bernabéu hosts matches from the men’s first team between August and May – for non-season ticket holders, it’s usually necessary to book tickets weeks in advance if you want to catch a game. The stadium can also be visited year-round, and fans can even book tours to see the pitch up close.
7. Chocolatería San Ginés
In winter, churro stands can be found all over Madrid, popping up in train stations, markets and side streets in every neighbourhood.
If you’re only going to try them at one place though, make it the Chocolatería San Ginés. While many churro spots are takeaway-only carts or windows, the 130-year-old Chocolatería San Ginés occupies two floors of a historic building near the Puerta del Sol and serves churros con chocolate round-the-clock. The fried snacks are ordered at the counter and consumed in the adjoining marble-lined dining room.
8. Templo de Debod
Spain’s long history of migration and conquest means it's home to a unique mixture of historical architecture, from Roman ruins to Moorish palaces and Neoclassical districts. Unique to Madrid is one of the only Ancient Egyptian buildings outside Africa. The Templo de Debod was originally constructed in the kingdom of Nubia (now part of modern-day Egypt) around 200 BCE. During the construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960s, the original location of the Templo de Debod was required for the reservoir. Rather than risk damage to the temple, the Egyptian government shipped it brick-by-brick to Madrid as a diplomatic gift. Today, the temple stands in its own dedicated park next to the Plaza de España metro station.
9. Bocadillo de Calamares
The savoury counterpart to churros, Madrid’s other iconic street food is the bocadillo de calamares, or fried squid sandwich. Like churros, this is a deep-fried feast designed to be quick, filling and delicious. Finding the best bocadillo de calamares in Madrid is like looking for the best pizza in New York or the best döner in Berlin: it’s an issue that divides loyalties, ignites arguments and has a thousand different answers, depending on personal preference, local knowledge and time of day.
Two of the most acclaimed joints are the El Brillante in Atocha Station and Bar Postas by the Plaza Mayor. These are good starting points, but it’s a good idea to ask around – every local will have their own favourite.
10. Atocha Station
Madrid’s central Atocha station is a rare example of a transit hub that’s a worthwhile tourist site in itself. While many visitors to Madrid will travel to Atocha as a matter of necessity, it’s worth hanging around and exploring the city's oldest station. The chief sites are the wrought-iron facade and the vast tropical garden within the concourse. This enclosed 4km2 park sits at the centre of the station and is one of the most charming and unusual Madrid attractions.
11. Sobrino de Botín
Amid the political and social upheaval in Madrid over the last centuries, the Sobrino de Botín restaurant near Madrid’s La Latina neighbourhood has been consistently serving classic Madrilenian dishes since 1725 – making it one of the world’s oldest restaurants. Casa Botín was a favourite of the writers Graham Greene and Hemingway, while a young Francisco Goya briefly worked as a waiter. Despite its iconic status, the family-owned restaurant still offers good food at reasonable prices.
Where to Stay in Madrid
For most residents of Madrid, the main problems of overtourism can be grouped into 3 categories: housing shortages, pollution (including littering and noise) and an increased cost of living. As a visitor to Madrid, there are practical steps you can take to enjoy the city to the fullest while contributing to a sustainable tourist economy. The first is choosing the right place to stay.
While the focal point of Spain’s anti-tourism demonstrations has been Barcelona, Madrid is also facing similar issues of available housing and soaring rents, albeit on a less drastic scale than the Catalan capital. The city has a growing housing shortage and is following the model of other European capitals such as Prague or Amsterdam by cracking down on short-term lets.
The surge in these holiday apartments has driven housing prices up in heavily-touristed cities across the world – Madrid is no exception. This is driven in part by the vast number of illegal sublets offered on sites like Airbnb and Booking.com. Where once these platforms provided a legitimate way for residents to make some money while they were away, today developers and companies are purchasing rooms purely to re-lease to tourists, restricting the number of liveable spaces and raising citywide rents as demand outstrips supply.
These inflated rents have been further exacerbated by ‘digital nomads’, or tourists who work remotely during their stay, allowing them to visit and occupy apartments for weeks or months at a time and drive up the cost of living for locals.
While the city has already acted by suspending new short-term rentals until at least 2025, visitors to Madrid are also responsible for mitigating this spread. For tourists, a homestay can be a brilliant way to discover a new city and experience Madrilenian neighborhood life first-hand, when done correctly. When booking, try to contact the owner to determine whether it’s a genuine residential home, or an unregistered sublet built solely for tourists. It’s also worth considering the wide range of hostels and hotels, with rooms available across neighborhoods and price points.
Travelling Around Madrid
Madrid is a surprisingly compact city, with a walkable city centre, a well-implemented bicycle infrastructure, and an efficient and reasonably priced public transport system. Buses and trains lead directly from the airport to the city centre, while the metro is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to navigate the city. Metro trains run every day from 6 am to 1:30 am. Use a local Madrid eSIM to get online in Spain without paying roaming charges and use a free navigation app like Citymapper or Google Maps to make travel easy. Uber is also available throughout the city and surroundings.
Using a Madrid eSIM for low-cost internet abroad
A Madrid eSIM is the easiest way to use mobile data throughout Spain without paying roaming fees. Think of them like a local Madrid SIM card, but even easier to use – you simply download one to your phone and use it to access the local mobile network when you arrive in Spain. No more queuing up for a local SIM card – just one simple mobile plan that can be downloaded in minutes, and ready to get online across Spain whenever you are.
The best thing about using a travel eSIM in Spain is that it works alongside your regular SIM card or eSIM. You can use your phone as normal, with access to your old messages and two-factor authentication services, while browsing the internet and using apps at a low-cost local Spanish rate, rather than an inflated roaming rate. Find prepaid Spain eSIM plans here and discover the easy way to get online during your stay.
eSIM Data Plans for Madrid
Apple Watch eSIM Plans for Spain
Moving to Madrid? A BetterRoaming Apple Watch plan brings the same high-speed connectivity and secure coverage as our eSIM travel plans to the Apple Watch. With a Spain smartwatch eSIM plan, users can leave their phones at home and stay connected with unlimited calls, mobile data and SMS on their smartwatch.
Choose from monthly or yearly packages for Spain at our Apple Watch eSIM page.
Planning a family holiday to Spain? Keep the kids entertained during your trip with iPad data plans for Spain. Browse the internet and stream music and movies wherever you are with a tablet mobile data connection.
Europe eSIM data plans
Is your route taking you beyond Spain? Whatever your journey, stay connected to low-cost mobile internet in Europe with a BetterRoaming eSIM. As well as the best Madrid and Spain eSMI plans, BetterRoaming offer tailored data packages for 160+ countries worldwide, including nearby nations like Portugal, Morocco and France. You can even download multiple plans before you travel and switch between them instantly. If you’re heading to multiple countries in Europe, consider a Europe+ eSIM package.
A prepaid European eSIM is an easy and low-cost way to access mobile internet on the continent. Valid in 47 European countries, a BetterRoaming Europe+ eSIM allows for smooth travel across Europe on a single prepaid eSIM data plan. There’s no need to switch SIM cards or providers every time you cross a border, and you retain access to all your old messages.
Visiting Madrid with an eSIM: a summary
An eSIM is a SIM profile you download to your phone. It allows you to use mobile data in other countries without paying international roaming charges
Our Madrid travel eSIM is easier to use than a local Madrid SIM card - with no need to swap SIM cards, or lose access to your messages or contacts
Our Madrid eSIMs plans work anywhere in Spain
Choose between prepaid Spain eSIM plans and Europe eSIM plans
A BetterRoaming eSIM is free to install. Just download your free eSIM anytime, then choose and purchase a mobile data plan for Spain, Europe or one of 160+ other destinations when you're ready to travel- the plan will activate automatically the moment you arrive
If you're continuing your journey through Spain, check out our guides to responsible travel in Barcelona and the 10 Best Cities to Visit in Spain
