With EasyJet giving away flights for just £10 (plus carbon-offsetting charge), and a big travel trade show named FITUR going on in Spain’s vibrant capital, how could I not come and spend 24 hours in Madrid?FITUR is a huge international tourism event which focuses on the Spanish speaking world, so here I met up with lots of familiar faces, many of whom are now or soon to be featured Travel Experts on addictedtotravel.com. I also met several local companies who will also join soon, as we work towards bringing out the new Travel Guide to Spain on the site.It’s been years since I was last here... and what a city! Let me tell you that 24 hours in Madrid was good – but a weekend in Madrid would be fantastic. Armed with a map, Madrid is fairly easy to get around. Best is on foot – the centre is pretty compact, but if you are in a hurry or need to cover some distance, the Metro system is both easy and efficient and costs just €1 per journey (€2 if you’re at the airport). The city is home to several excellent museums, art galleries (Picasso’s Guernica is here), monuments and vast city parks well worth exploring, if you have the time. Unfortunately I didn’t, but I still managed to experience the city’s famous vibe...I arrived late in the evening, but well after ten o’clock on a Tuesday night, as I stepped out of Puerto del Sol Metro Station, it felt like the town was just starting to come alive... couples, groups of friends and local workers making their way home filled the streets and bars cramming the narrow, cobbled pedestrian streets with atmosphere.Wandering through the impressive Plaza Mayor and along the rambling streets of the Latin Quarter, I stumbled upon a fantastic little Taberna called El Almendro 13, which was packed full of locals socialising, eating and drinking. I decided to join them and enjoyed a fine feed of superb Spanish bar-food, all washed down with a fine glass of manzanilla.After that, it was back to the hotel ahead of a day of meetings, but as I got back onto the Metro, I decided not to leave it long before I return to Madrid and take the time to do the things I love doing in all the great Spanish cities – wandering between places of interest, grazing on tapas and soaking up the Latin buzz.
Stuart,This is a great post for me. A few weeks ago we were considering going there for a weekend but pushed it down the list because it didn't seem to have enough places of interest. Now I'm going to have a rethink and see if I can find some extra cash for some more Spanish food!!! LJets