Madrid

Rather than hang around in a town, which during term time is, tranquil at best, I thought that during the holidays I’d get out.

Madrid was an easy choice for a number of  reasons; the cheap flight from Toulouse, the number of friends based there for this year, the fact that having lived their for four years during my teens I have a number of old friends still there and of course, the fact that it’s a superb city.

Having stayed at the Equity Point in Barcelona, I had no hesitation in booking the Madrid branch for my trip.  Perhaps my expectations were a little high after the Barcelona hostel had served me extremely well for next to nothing, but I felt a little let down by the Madrid hostel. Admittedly for €12 a night, I couldn’t complain too much, but the facilities on offer were lacking somewhat. For example, most people who book into hostels such as this one don’t tend to have masses of cash to spend on meals, and so a kitchen is a necessity. Unfortunately, the kitchen here consists of a microwave. Not ideal. Oh well, the location more than makes up for the hostel’s shortcomings.  Puerta del Sol, billed as the centre of Madrid, is a minute’s walk from the hostel, and from there, you can walk to pretty much all of the city’s major landmarks and museums.  Despite only being in Madrid for a few days, I managed to visit all of the top tourist sites, such as the Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor, Retiro Park and the Prado Museum. Puerta del Sol is also an ideal location for shopping and food.

Parque del Buen Retiro

Down the many little side streets off the square, a plethora of tapas bars, takeaway joints and restaurants make it easy to sample Spanish cuisine without looking too hard. Down one of these side streets is La Tapateria Alhambra, which is ideal for anyone wanting to sample Spanish gastronomy at a reasonable price, as well as avoid a tourist-ridden restaurant. Although the locals only descend on the bar later on, there is certainly no lack of atmosphere before then. The staff greet each customer in loud unison and immediately take your request.  Serving complimentary pinchos with your drinks whilst you wait for a table or decide on your main course, the bar gives you the true tapas experience. The Paella Mixta, a classic, is not only cheap, but a generous helping and delicious. La Tapateria Alhambra is a must for anyone wanting a real Spanish evening, without breaking the bank. During the week I came here twice, once just for a drink, and once for the paella. Both times were perfect.

Seeing as the Madrileños don’t begin their evenings until long after most of Britain is asleep, after your meal, you have some time to kill before its late enough to head to the nightclubs.  100 Montaditos maybe a chain of bars, but each joint has a different atmosphere and the drinks are the cheapest in town. If you’re looking to kill some time before heading out out, I recommend one of these, as they’re always buzzing, and if you get peckish after your tapas, they serve little sandwiches, or Montaditos, from only €1, or free with your beer. Certainly an improvement on a packet of pork scratchings.

Teatro Kapital, like many other nightclubs in Europe, is an old school theatre in central Madrid and is the venue for Madrid’s best night/morning. Straddling seven floors, with an open roof terrace, its not hard to see why the locals stay here until closing time, which is usually around 7am, just in time for the first tube. Although both the entry fee and drink prices may seem a little high for the average student (you pay no less than €10 per drink) you can take solace in the fact that a) the entry fee is always worth it as Kapital guarantees an incredible night and b) the drinks are strong, very strong. No stingy measuring of vodka here, the bartenders are, generous.  One warning about the terrace bar/smoking area, during the winter or when it’s raining, the roof closes over and the bar becomes engulfed in smoke and for the non-smoker and even some smokers, it is unbearable. So stick to the other six floors, and you won’t be disappointed.

Of the tourist attractions, Retiro Park is not to be missed, especially on a late autumn evening. The Museo del Prado contains more than a dozen of the world’s most famous paintings and is free for students, and Plaza Mayor is the place to soak up the Madrileño way of life.  If you’re in Madrid during the football season, try and get to a match at either Real Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabeu or Altetico Madrid’s Estadio Vicente Calderon, for a real treat. The Madrileños are extremely passionate and the atmosphere is incredible.

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

All in all, Madrid has to be high on the checklist, and with cheap flights there from most European countries, it would be rude not to visit it.

Equity Point Madrid, Calle Cruz 2-5

www.100montaditos.com

Teatro Kapital, Calle Alcala

La Tapateria Alhambra, Calle de Espoz y Mina