Exploring the Province of Madrid

Advantages: Splendid architecture and surrounding nature
Disadvantages: destinations are scattered and hard to reach by public transport

...all these destinations on one day, one should depart from Madrid before 9 am, but of course you can also visit them individually on shorter excursions. This collection of destinations should be a fair representation of the kinds of castles, cathedrals, monuments, medieval cities and mountain nature which can be found all around the Province of Madrid and Castilia. EL ESCORIAL ? @@@ A scarce example of Renaissance 30 miles west of Madrid, off the N6 highway, the town of El Escorial is the site of the Royal Monastery Residence. Built from 1563-84, it is one of very few Renaissance buildings in Spain. The monastery is one huge square block with a tower in each corner and several courts and side wings on the inside. I am not particularly fond of this place, because its simple and strict design doesn't really stir my imagination...

From_The_Continent 26.04.2001 (28.04.2001) · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

Madrid.

Advantages: no expensive,alive city,delightfull city,people
Disadvantages: maybe annarchical,traffic.

...First of all I must advice you that i,m spanish but i willl try that you understand me.Sorry for my primitive english Madrid is the first city in Spain(the second one is Barcelona). There´s living there around the 4.500.000 natives(much of them are not madrilians because(like London i suppose) there are a "mix "of people it,s a cosmopolitan cityin wich every stranger are wellcome.Much of them comes from South America(Spain is for these people the Modern Native country).Its situated just in the center of spain.Some interesting places too in frontier with Madrid are Toledo,Segovia ,Avila.. The city has a culture reflected on old monuments like Museo del prado,Palacio real,Pza de la villa,Catedral de la almudena(there is not the best cathedral of spain;there is much better I have to recognize it but it,s very handsome too...

kalimero 10.03.2005 · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

Madrid... where you can find anything

Advantages: It's a wonderful city
Disadvantages: None!

...This is my first opinion. I hope it works out fine... :) I've been living in Madrid my whole life. In fact, I'm Spanish, and I'm just studying abroad for a year (currently living in St. Andrews), so I think I can speak from my own experience about this wonderful city. Madrid is the capital of Spain, so many people from other parts of Spain usually go to live there. That makes of Madrid a city with a great mixture of cultures and a huge diversity of styles. When one visits Madrid for the first time, one gets the impression that it's a chaotic city. People running to their jobs, traffic jams all over the place, so many shops that you get lost.... Lots of colours, lots of sounds and the usually high pitched voices of Spanish people (no, we're not fighting when we talk to each other, we just like to express ourselves moving a lot our...

lalechesoyyo 07.02.2004 · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

Madrid, The City that shouldn't exist....

Advantages: Lively, great for culture, food, shopping
Disadvantages: Extremes of temperatures, can be noisy all night

...Madrid is one of those cities, like Brasilia or Islamabad, which were invented for political reasons, rather than springing up organically because it had a natural harbour, or was on a confluence of rivers, or a fertile plain. It shouldn't really exist, perched as it is deep in the dusty interior of Spain, intolerably hot at the height of summer, and often bitterly cold in winter. It's the artificial capital of a maritime nation, a seafood loving nation, stranded as far from the sea as is possible on the Iberian peninsula. Yet despite everything, including the still recent dull, soul sapping Francoist interregnum, Madrid is a thrilling city to visit, with something for everyone (except beach lovers, obviously). It's possible to stay cheaply in Madrid in one of the many hostales lurking in places like Fuencarral off the Gran Via...

Yasmine 11.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

Hotel Praga, Madrid, Spain

Advantages: Cheaper than city, clean and tidy,
Disadvantages: location, language

...I went to visit spain in april 2008 for my birthday and stayed at hotel praga for 3 days. It is located out of the centre but not too far away, there is a metro station 5 min from the hotel which is great and easy to use, the same as the one in london if that makes it easier for you. its 1 euro for a one way ticket, the down side is the staff dont exactly speak alot of english, which can be tricky at busy times of the day.We got a taxi from the airport which cost about 27-28 euro, easy to check in and all they require is your passport and a credit card. The rooms were very clean and tidy with towels being changed all the time. It had good room service and a mini bar which wasnt that expensive, it had a marble bathroom and good space for clothes and other stuff. It had a nice big bar area downstairs, but for the area it was in there wasnt...

jonathancox52 28.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Praga, Madrid

Make the Most of Madrid

Advantages: Good areas: Puerto Del Sol, Plaza Santa Ana
Disadvantages: Bad areas: Chueca can be a bit dodgy at night

...With the advent of cheaper flights from the likes of Go and Easyjet, city breaks in Spain are becoming increasingly popular, but many people seem content to make do with a visit to Barcelona and are missing out Madrid. This is a real shame, as Madrid, while being totally different in character to Barcelona has much to offer travellers, particularly those on a tight budget. It is certainly a thriving metropolis, but with one of the largest underground metro systems in Europe (which helpfully extends to the airport and only costs around 70 pence per single journey) and extensive parks, it is a pleasant place to wander about. If you are looking for ease of access and a central location, check out the Puerto del Sol. Situated at the heart of Madrid and right next to a tube station, The Hotel Paris is a good (and not too expensive...

x_elf_x 29.09.2000 · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

Holiday Inn Madrid

Advantages: Nice staff, clean, kettle in the room
Disadvantages: The local area, rather expensive

...This is yet another hotel stayed in when travelling with work. It's a four star hotel (Ciao has it listed as a three star) and is located in the business district in Madrid. The Estadio Santiago Bernabeau, the home of Real Madrid football club is also very close by if you are interested in football. Public transport is very good-metro station and bus stop near by, the bus is one Euro into central Madrid and unlike London they have plenty of bus lanes and regular services-every 5 minutes. And no over-crowding or rubbish strewn everywhere! The hotel itself is a typical sprawling 1980's concrete block. The surrounding area is a bit dodgy at night and opposite the hotel is a boarded up cinema. In fact the whole area is pretty much a concrete jungle and I would be careful with going out after dark as it's pretty deserted once...

Katieshaz 16.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Holiday Inn Madrid, Madrid

Nice atmosphere in Madrid

Advantages: The Madrilenos give the city a nice atmosphere.
Disadvantages: Doesen´t have the big sights like Paris, London and Rome.

...To experience some city-life in Spain, relativly unspoiled from tourism, you don´t have many alternatives. Madrid gives you a taste of the real Spain free of all the tourist-ghettos. As Barcelona is the first choice of foreigners going on a city vacation to Spain, Madrid is the first choice of Spanish tourists. Beeing the capital, it contains a lot of important builidings, and walking around in the centre the most important sights will pop up within a relativly small radius. The historical centre is very limited, which is nice for new visitors which probably can cover the main attracions in a day or two. I´ve been living in Madrid for the last year, and have been frequently visited from my friends and family in Norway. I usually show them the historical centre quite fast, and then either takes them outside the city to show them some...

aarstad 13.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

A Flying Visit Is Do-Able, Honest

Advantages: Plenty to see, (and eat!)
Disadvantages: Some knowledge of Spanish a distinct advantage.

...It?s my wife?s ?Jubilee Year?. Some people just have a 50th birthday, but this one looks like going on for some time, although there is a precedent for it. My daughter finally got round to holding her 21st when she was 22½! Two weeks ago, we went to (Old)York for the day, this weekend we went to Madrid, next week is THE party and then, the following week being half term, we?re off to Scotland.... oh yes, I nearly forgot. At New Year we're going to New York! Anyhow, the purpose of this opinion is not so much to give you a Rough Guide To Madrid, rather more a ?What Is Achievable in 24 Hours?. GETTING THERE Stage 1 ? This is easy for us, since we live 5 miles from Heathrow - get a cab. Stage 2 ? Our ?Airmiles-funded? flight, for us, and two friends lasted just over two hours, landing at Madrid-Barajas airport well before...

BNibbles 07.10.2002 (09.10.2002) · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)

Madrid yes

Advantages: culture, people, nightlife
Disadvantages: none

...ok i am going to give a more detail view of Madrid. First of all Madrid is the greenest city in Europe , people don´t know that but is true you´ll find historical parks like Retiro, Campo del moro, fuente del berro,el capricho parque del oeste and on the other hand you have new parks like Juan Carlos I close to the airport and huge parks like casa del campo. A good itinerary to see part of the old Madrid starts at the royal palace, is a towering structure that has already 250 years of history and it is considered one of the best in Europe. Then should take calle mayor and you´ll find at your right La plaza de la villa, It's surrounded by 15th to 17th-century aristocratic mansions that have been taken over by the Town Hall. At this point if you want you can get lost on the narrow streets or if you prefer stay on calle mayor and you...

dack 13.01.2003 (16.01.2003) · Read review
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Review of Madrid (Spain)