Visiting Madrid...Advice?
May 29, 2012, 10:29 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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Visiting Madrid...Advice?
***UPDATED in last post****
hi All,
Visiting Madrid for Business in a couple of weeks.
I arrive on a Sunday....then then leave the following Saturday to meet a friend in Monte Carlo.
I am staying at the Marriott-AC Hotel Aitana.
I am on business so typical day will probably be like 8:30-4:30ish work wise.
I have looked around the web, etc and am really clueless of what to see, what I CAN see in the evening, etc etc.
Any advice?
hi All,
Visiting Madrid for Business in a couple of weeks.
I arrive on a Sunday....then then leave the following Saturday to meet a friend in Monte Carlo.
I am staying at the Marriott-AC Hotel Aitana.
I am on business so typical day will probably be like 8:30-4:30ish work wise.
I have looked around the web, etc and am really clueless of what to see, what I CAN see in the evening, etc etc.
Any advice?
Last edited by morphius909; Jun 7, 2012 at 2:24 pm
May 29, 2012, 11:02 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: OH
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, Marriot Lifetime Gold
Posts: 9,534
Madrid is a great city in the evening and nights. Dinner is usually around 10. I would actually expect your work day to be a bit longer since you will likely have 60-90 min break for lunch.
The museums should have some later hours. The Prado is a true treasure.
Go tapa crawling on C/ Cava Baja behind Plaza del Sol. (Do not eat in Sol, crappy over priced tourist food).
I don't know what their hours are anymore but you can visit the Convento de Los Descalzos. The tours are in Spanish only.
I also love sitting out with a glass of wine and some tapas inPlaza Santa Ana.
The museums should have some later hours. The Prado is a true treasure.
Go tapa crawling on C/ Cava Baja behind Plaza del Sol. (Do not eat in Sol, crappy over priced tourist food).
I don't know what their hours are anymore but you can visit the Convento de Los Descalzos. The tours are in Spanish only.
I also love sitting out with a glass of wine and some tapas inPlaza Santa Ana.
May 30, 2012, 12:15 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: 127.0.0.1
Posts: 947
My advice:
1. Watch out for gypsies.
2. If you dine outside, be sure that you have control over your property at all times.
3. If you a solo male and are anywhere near Calle de la Montera, do not make eye contact with any lone female as the prostitutes are surprisingly aggressive (either that or I am irresistible to Spanish women which is a possibility).
4. Do not order paella at any restaurant that has signs out front with pictures of paella.
1. Watch out for gypsies.
2. If you dine outside, be sure that you have control over your property at all times.
3. If you a solo male and are anywhere near Calle de la Montera, do not make eye contact with any lone female as the prostitutes are surprisingly aggressive (either that or I am irresistible to Spanish women which is a possibility).
4. Do not order paella at any restaurant that has signs out front with pictures of paella.
May 30, 2012, 12:56 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,158
My advice:
1. Watch out for gypsies.
2. If you dine outside, be sure that you have control over your property at all times.
3. If you a solo male and are anywhere near Calle de la Montera, do not make eye contact with any lone female as the prostitutes are surprisingly aggressive (either that or I am irresistible to Spanish women which is a possibility).
4. Do not order paella at any restaurant that has signs out front with pictures of paella.
1. Watch out for gypsies.
2. If you dine outside, be sure that you have control over your property at all times.
3. If you a solo male and are anywhere near Calle de la Montera, do not make eye contact with any lone female as the prostitutes are surprisingly aggressive (either that or I am irresistible to Spanish women which is a possibility).
4. Do not order paella at any restaurant that has signs out front with pictures of paella.
May 30, 2012, 1:17 am
#5
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
In my opinion no, #2 is valid, beware of apparently friendly couples, one distracting you whilst the other robs you. #1 I have never had issues with gypsies, #3 I didn't find the hookers aggressive, they are just there but don't hassle you. #4 is excellent advice
May 30, 2012, 2:02 am
#7
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: GVA, LAX, ICN
Programs: KE MC
Posts: 240
If you like seafood, I really enjoyed Marisqueria Ribeira do Mino on my last visit about a month ago (31eur for a plate for two with crab, shrimp, etc). Checkout tripadvisor for more reviews (it may not be for everyone).
May 30, 2012, 2:25 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,443
The art galleries are a must, particularly the Prado but also the Queen Sofia (Reina Sofia).
The day-to-day timings of life in Madrid will come as a shock if you're not used to it. After breakfast, the working day seems to get off to a start at a "normal" sort of time, but there is often a big wind-down at lunch-time, even if not any more the full-blown siesta of yesteryear in most modern offices.
The evenings are very long and very late. You'll have trouble dining much before 9.00pm (except in the most touristy restaurants, which are not recommended), and if you do dine at 9.00 it will seem like the nursery hour (like dining at 6.00 in, say, London would do).
Concerts start late – the great Spanish–Catalan soprano Victoria de los Angeles used to be regarded as somewhat eccentric for starting her song recitals in Spain at 8.00 or 8.30pm (more like a matinée!); I remember going to a flamenco "evening" (not aimed at tourists) that got merrily under way at 12.45 am and was still going at 3.00 am – and it was billed as an "evening performance".
You've just got to get used to all of this; don't go to bed at 10.00pm though, because the evening is yet young at that time and you'll miss all the fun. Just watching the Madrileños and Madrileñas promenading in the late evenings is worthwhile.
The advice about watching your possessions is probably a good one, especially in these straightened times. But the people of Madrid will treat you well – they have a great sense of of their own dignity (no bad thing), so don't expect the overwhelming and "in-your-face" joie de vivre that is sometimes on display in Mediterranean countries: the Spanish way is much more subtle than that.
The day-to-day timings of life in Madrid will come as a shock if you're not used to it. After breakfast, the working day seems to get off to a start at a "normal" sort of time, but there is often a big wind-down at lunch-time, even if not any more the full-blown siesta of yesteryear in most modern offices.
The evenings are very long and very late. You'll have trouble dining much before 9.00pm (except in the most touristy restaurants, which are not recommended), and if you do dine at 9.00 it will seem like the nursery hour (like dining at 6.00 in, say, London would do).
Concerts start late – the great Spanish–Catalan soprano Victoria de los Angeles used to be regarded as somewhat eccentric for starting her song recitals in Spain at 8.00 or 8.30pm (more like a matinée!); I remember going to a flamenco "evening" (not aimed at tourists) that got merrily under way at 12.45 am and was still going at 3.00 am – and it was billed as an "evening performance".
You've just got to get used to all of this; don't go to bed at 10.00pm though, because the evening is yet young at that time and you'll miss all the fun. Just watching the Madrileños and Madrileñas promenading in the late evenings is worthwhile.
The advice about watching your possessions is probably a good one, especially in these straightened times. But the people of Madrid will treat you well – they have a great sense of of their own dignity (no bad thing), so don't expect the overwhelming and "in-your-face" joie de vivre that is sometimes on display in Mediterranean countries: the Spanish way is much more subtle than that.
May 30, 2012, 7:29 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: AA GLD, AC
Posts: 4,212
Violent crime, not so much. Snatch-and-grab, yes. Especially if you look like a tourist. Pickpocketing is a particular problem.
There are some aggressive thieves in Madrid - I've had guys come up to me on a busy street and grab my arm, trying obviously to wrestle their way into my pockets. I've discovered that when I start screaming at them loudly in Spanish, that's pretty much the end of it. There's also the old trick of a gypsy woman coming up to you, flinging a baby at you (!) so you try to catch it, and then the other kids hanging around swarm you and try to steal your money. I actually saw this happen to an old Spanish guy on the street near/on Gran Vía, but he grabbed the woman, and a whole sh*tshow ensued until the cops came.
I also saw someone at Chamartín station try to lift a suitcase from a tourist on an escalator. I don't really know what he was thinking, but that plan didn't go well. It's sort of hard to make off surreptitiously with a suitcase that someone's holding onto...
Madrid isn't a particularly dangerous city, so don't stress yourself out too much. But it's probably a good idea not to carry unnecessary amounts of cash with you, and to make sure you have copies/#s of your passport, credit cards etc back at the hotel.
There are some aggressive thieves in Madrid - I've had guys come up to me on a busy street and grab my arm, trying obviously to wrestle their way into my pockets. I've discovered that when I start screaming at them loudly in Spanish, that's pretty much the end of it. There's also the old trick of a gypsy woman coming up to you, flinging a baby at you (!) so you try to catch it, and then the other kids hanging around swarm you and try to steal your money. I actually saw this happen to an old Spanish guy on the street near/on Gran Vía, but he grabbed the woman, and a whole sh*tshow ensued until the cops came.
I also saw someone at Chamartín station try to lift a suitcase from a tourist on an escalator. I don't really know what he was thinking, but that plan didn't go well. It's sort of hard to make off surreptitiously with a suitcase that someone's holding onto...
Madrid isn't a particularly dangerous city, so don't stress yourself out too much. But it's probably a good idea not to carry unnecessary amounts of cash with you, and to make sure you have copies/#s of your passport, credit cards etc back at the hotel.
May 30, 2012, 8:08 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,443
There's also the old trick of a gypsy woman coming up to you, flinging a baby at you (!) so you try to catch it, and then the other kids hanging around swarm you and try to steal your money. I actually saw this happen to an old Spanish guy on the street near/on Gran Vía, but he grabbed the woman, and a whole sh*tshow ensued until the cops came.
May 30, 2012, 8:20 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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Awesome advice!!!
I was in Argentina twice in the past two years so late dinners is not new to me...and long drawn out lunches...but nothing as bad as you guys state...I'll just have to bring snacks!
And I had to look up Paella! Looks good!
Err so why do I NOT visit if the pic of Paella is on the restauarant? Tourist trap?
I might have more questions...please bear with me!
I was in Argentina twice in the past two years so late dinners is not new to me...and long drawn out lunches...but nothing as bad as you guys state...I'll just have to bring snacks!
And I had to look up Paella! Looks good!
Err so why do I NOT visit if the pic of Paella is on the restauarant? Tourist trap?
I might have more questions...please bear with me!
May 30, 2012, 8:22 am
#13
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: GVA, LAX, ICN
Programs: KE MC
Posts: 240
May 30, 2012, 8:31 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
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May 30, 2012, 9:00 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: AA GLD, AC
Posts: 4,212
Can I ask, what happened to the baby? Did the baby fall to the ground? This is something that I've often wondered when one reads of these scenarios (I've never seen it happen). Obviously, the strength of the scam (if "scam" is the right word) lies in the fact that it is a natural human instinct not to allow the baby to fall...
This type of scenario is usually accompanied by a lot of shrieking and wailing on the part of the woman and the kids, the better to distract/confuse their victims.