Madrid

Just booked up here with 4 of my mates for first weekend in October, hoping we can catch at least one game at a mix of Atleti / Real or Rayo Vallecano.

Has anyone had experience of getting tickets, is it easy and cheap?

Also, what areas are good for drinking and food?
 
It's not London or Paris but it's nice. The Prado & Thyssen museums are a must and they're right by each other and right by the Parque del Retiro, which is lovely. The Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace is good and the Horseguards are even more spectacular than ours.

The Egyptian temple of Debod is up on a hill not far from the palace and worth a visit just for the view. I didnt get there but the Casa de Campo is a huge park with a zoo and I think there's a cable car there from near the Egyptian temple (but I'm not sure about that).

Otherwise just wander around and stop where you fancy for a beer, coffee and some tapas. There are some mouthwatering food shops, particularly the meat ones.
 
softlad said:
Just booked up here with 4 of my mates for first weekend in October, hoping we can catch at least one game at a mix of Atleti / Real or Rayo Vallecano.

Has anyone had experience of getting tickets, is it easy and cheap?

Also, what areas are good for drinking and food?
Click to expand...

I went a few weeks ago on the way to Barcelona and I got to both Getafe and Atletico. I think you can buy tickets for all teams online but if you prefer you can just buy hem at the ground - they rarely sell out. As long as the games aren't against Real or Barca, the cheapest tickets at either of those were €30. Not sure how much Rayo tickets cost, but that was the one I wish I had gone to - I went to Burnley instead (that was a mistake!). The Atletico game was against Leverkusen and it went to penalties. To be honest its easily the loudest ground I've ever been to, and I got the impression it wasnt just because it was a tight game - everyone in the ground knew all the songs and sang them passionately.

Other than football, I think I missed the bull fighting season by one week. Not sure if its on in October but you could do that.

In terms of food, I had decent tapas at various places, but I had the best steak ever in a bar just off Puerta del Sol. It was huge and cooked perfectly. I think its called Le Maria Parilla. Due to the proximity of Sol, it was a bit steep price wise but I thought it justified the cost. I cant remember the name of the big market but the tapas there was excellent.

It was St Paddys day while we were there and we found an Irish bar near Alonso Martinez metro station (where our hotel was) doing Guinness for €2.50 (Fosters same price) which was the cheapest I found - it was a bit quiet though. The bar near Getafe's ground served Mahou in these weird glasses which had ice around them. It meant your beer was really cold but it would slush a little, and as it melted there was a lake on the table by the time you finished.
 
cptaidan88 said:
softlad said:
Just booked up here with 4 of my mates for first weekend in October, hoping we can catch at least one game at a mix of Atleti / Real or Rayo Vallecano.

Has anyone had experience of getting tickets, is it easy and cheap?

Also, what areas are good for drinking and food?
Click to expand...

I went a few weeks ago on the way to Barcelona and I got to both Getafe and Atletico. I think you can buy tickets for all teams online but if you prefer you can just buy hem at the ground - they rarely sell out. As long as the games aren't against Real or Barca, the cheapest tickets at either of those were €30. Not sure how much Rayo tickets cost, but that was the one I wish I had gone to - I went to Burnley instead (that was a mistake!). The Atletico game was against Leverkusen and it went to penalties. To be honest its easily the loudest ground I've ever been to, and I got the impression it wasnt just because it was a tight game - everyone in the ground knew all the songs and sang them passionately.

Other than football, I think I missed the bull fighting season by one week. Not sure if its on in October but you could do that.

In terms of food, I had decent tapas at various places, but I had the best steak ever in a bar just off Puerta del Sol. It was huge and cooked perfectly. I think its called Le Maria Parilla. Due to the proximity of Sol, it was a bit steep price wise but I thought it justified the cost. I cant remember the name of the big market but the tapas there was excellent.

It was St Paddys day while we were there and we found an Irish bar near Alonso Martinez metro station (where our hotel was) doing Guinness for €2.50 (Fosters same price) which was the cheapest I found - it was a bit quiet though. The bar near Getafe's ground served Mahou in these weird glasses which had ice around them. It meant your beer was really cold but it would slush a little, and as it melted there was a lake on the table by the time you finished.
Click to expand...

Cheers mate, really handy! Will pass the ideas on. I'm hoping we can get to Rayo and Atleti, not all that fussed about the bernabeu, although we'll probably do the tour.
 
Just a bump here. We've got tickets for Atleti / Real at the Calderon. Just happened that game fell on the weekend we pre-booked!

If anyone has any other tips to see or do, lets have it!
 
Get to the Reina Sofia art gallery and see Picasso's Guernica, it takes your breath away. There's also some amazing works by Dali in there.

If you get the weather though it's a great city to just walk around and take in.
 
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