Madrid is the capital city of Spain, located in the middle of Spain it’s quite far from the beach so in the middle of summer probably isn’t the best time to be visiting as the temperature can reach the high 30’s. I would recommend heading there in April-June. Madrid is such a beautiful and easily walkable town! Madrid’s history is so fascinating, so I would definitely recommend looking into it before heading there!

While in Madrid, I found cooking my own food was the only way I could stick to my budget. I have a list of recipes on the top of this 2website for easy, cheap and somewhat healthy meals while backpacking!

Where to stay?

Madrid has so many hostels to choose from! Every time I go back, I stick to the same one because it is just so unbelievably social and I always seem to meet the coolest people there! My personal pick for Madrid is Cats Hostel. Cats has social activities every night, as well as a pub crawl (20£ includes some free shots and entry to all the bars) There are tones of common areas but the one downside is, the kitchen isn’t super equipped.

Another awesome hostel in Madrid is called Sungate by OneFam. At Sungate they organise activities every night and it really is a one in all in kind of vibe and to make it even better most of the activities are included! We went to a ‘Tapas Crawl’ which ended at a bar. We found some of the coolest bars in Madrid on this night! The rooms are comfy and the common area includes a great kitchen!

How do I get around?

Madrid has an awesome and extensive train system. Getting from the airport you can get a train that brings you right to the heart of Madrid. You will need to get a tap on train pass which can be purchased from any of the train stations. You can load your train card with as many trips as you like.

As I have said Madrid is also a very walkable city, so for the most part I walked pretty much everywhere except for the trip from the airport.

What to do in Madrid?

In Madrid there are so many things you can do, I have included some free activities as well as some paid ones.

1. Take a free walking tour

   There are lots of different companies that offer free walking tours, all you need to do is google “free walking tour near me” and you will be able to choose a time as well as a location to meet your guide. They will walk you around the city telling you all about the city and the country’s history. It is amazing to see how much history has been built into the walls of the beautiful buildings. After the walking tour make sure to tip your guide however much you think (usually around 5-10€) as they only get paid via tips.

2. Have a picnic in the park

   There are so many lush, tree-filled parks in Madrid. Make sure when you are in this amazing city you take a stroll around a couple of them to take a break from city life. I would highly recommend visiting El Retiro Park with a couple of hostel mates (or just by yourself and a good book) bringing along some grocery store snacks, a speaker and some cards/board games and having a nice little picnic under the shade of some trees. We spent hours in this park playing drinking games and listening to music (hot tip you can buy 1.5L of sangria in most grocery stores for around 4€). It is a great way to bond with travel mates as well as immerse yourself in nature.

3. Dilly Dally around all of the beautiful neighbourhoods

   The changes throughout Madrid as you enter different neighbourhoods is outstanding. Walking from one neighbourhood to another can help get a better understanding of the culture. I found taking the train between the neighbourhoods was really easy and it was quite inexpensive if you were using the metro card! At Cats Hostel, they will give you a map with the different neighbourhoods outlined as well as a rundown of the specialties of these neighbourhoods.

4. Chill out at a hotel rooftop pool

   Take a day to cool off and escape the heat of the Madrid summer sun. Multiple hotels will allow you to use their pool for a fee, so far I have not been able to find a free swim spot in Madrid, however, prices start from about 25-30€, this will give you unlimited access to the hotel pool and sometimes they will include discounts for beverages and other facilities you can use while there for the day.

5. Check out some incredible Tapas bars

   Tapas has got to be one of my favourite ways to enjoy a meal. Getting small plates of different things so you can try everything is one of the things that make tapas so inviting. There are so many different tapas places to try all around Madrid, make sure you try a few to get a feel for your favourite. Walking along the streets you can find deals like ‘buy a drink and get free tapas’, so most of the time you will end up spending around 5-20€ depending on how much you want to try, however the plates by themselves usually range from 1-3€.

6. Do a language exchange

   Immerse yourself in the Spanish culture while also helping the locals learn English. You can find language exchanges online for any level, whether you are fluent or are just starting out on Duolingo, you can find a language exchange to help you out. The use of language exchange is such a great way to practice your Spanish as well as learn some more. Definitely check some out while you are there!

Bars you can’t miss in Madrid

Madrid had some incredible nightlife. When I was there I mostly stuck to bars and I had an absolute blast! You can search around for happy hours too get some cheaper drinks in and most hostels will have a pre-party deal at the bars.

1. Pub La Vía Láctea (Milky way bar) - One of my favourite bars to ever exist. This bar has got a 60’s space theme, it genuinely is just so much fun to go and have a drink and marvel at the decor. There is a DJ spinning physical records and the drinks are fairly priced, there is also a pool table for the pool lovers! Later in the night a dance floor breaks out and there are people from all around the world coming together to have a boogie.

2. Intruso Bar - Intruso bar was one of the stops on our ‘Tapas tour’ with Sungate Hostel. This bar has an awesome vibe where there are a couple of musicians up on the stage just improving. It is amazing how talented these musicians are and they really get the crowd into it, here you can drink some nice wine and boogie to some incredible music.

3. Neon Bar - Neon Bar was our last stop on the Cats Hostel Pub Crawl. It has an amazing vibe, there is a face painting station set up by the bar where you can get neon face paint that glows under the blue lights. There is a great dancefloor mostly playing modern music as well as some throwbacks. Once you are in the bar grab a drink and go exploring, this place is kitted out from the floor to ceiling in neon decor, even the bathrooms are vibrant.