Madrid
Late dinners, great paintings and a city that lives in its squares.
Madrid is Spain's high, dry capital in the centre of the country: a city of grand avenues and tight old streets, of three great art museums within a short walk of each other, and of evenings that begin when other cities are going to bed.
Why go
The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen sit along one boulevard, and between them hold Velázquez, Goya, Picasso's Guernica and most of what came in between. The Retiro park is next door for when the eyes need a rest.
The rest is a way of life: tapas bars where the night moves from one to the next, markets that double as dining rooms, and squares where families are still out at midnight in summer. Toledo and Segovia are each under an hour away by train.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The Plaza Mayor and the old centre
The arcaded square at the heart of the Habsburg city, with the Puerta del Sol, the Mercado de San Miguel and the streets of La Latina a few minutes away.
02The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen
Three museums along the Paseo del Prado, from the Spanish old masters to the twentieth century. Each is a half-day at least; the Prado's evening opening is a quieter way in.
03The Retiro
The city's great park, with a boating lake, the glass Palacio de Cristal and avenues of chestnut and plane. Sunday afternoons fill it with families and musicians.
04The Royal Palace and the Almudena
The palace on its bluff at the western edge of the old town, with the cathedral beside it and the Sabatini and Campo del Moro gardens below.
05Tapas in La Latina and Malasaña
Cava Baja in La Latina for the classic crawl; Malasaña and Chueca for newer bars and a younger crowd. Sunday morning belongs to the Rastro flea market.
06Toledo and Segovia
Toledo's hilltop old city and Segovia's Roman aqueduct are each a short high-speed train ride away, and each a full day.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Centro, Sol and the Austrias
The historic core around the Plaza Mayor. Central, busy and walkable to everything.
Salamanca and Retiro
Elegant streets, the smart shops of Serrano and the park. Calmer, and close to the museums.
Malasaña and Chueca
The city's independent shops, cafés and nightlife. Lively late, with the centre a walk away.
La Latina and Lavapiés
Old streets, the Rastro market and the tapas bars of Cava Baja. Characterful and close to the Austrias.
When to go: Madrid
- SpringMarch – May
- Warm, bright and the terraces are open. May brings the San Isidro festival and the city at its most cheerful.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot and dry, with the city emptying in August as Madrileños leave for the coast. Evenings are long and the nights are the time to be out.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- Mild and golden, the Retiro turning colour and the cultural season beginning. A comfortable time for the museums.
- WinterDecember – February
- Cold and clear, with snow on the sierra visible from the city. Christmas lights on Gran Vía and quieter galleries.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Madrid. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- MADAdolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas
Distance from
- CDGParis1,070 km
- LHRLondon1,250 km
- DXBDubai5,660 km
- JFKNew York5,750 km
- BOMMumbai7,530 km
- JNBJohannesburg8,100 km
- SINSingapore11,390 km
- SYDSydney17,690 km
Getting around: Madrid
The metro is extensive and reaches the airport; a multi-journey card covers metro and buses. The centre is compact enough to walk between the squares and along the Paseo del Prado.
High-speed trains from Atocha and Chamartín reach Toledo, Segovia, Seville, Valencia and Barcelona in comfortable hours. Taxis are plentiful and metered.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Spain
- Currency
- EUR · Euro
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +34
The atlas
Madrid in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Madrid, month by month
- Jan9°
- Feb10°
- Mar14°
- Apr18°
- May23°
- Jun30°
- Jul34°
- Aug33°
- Sept27°
- Oct20°
- Nov13°
- Dec9°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: April to June, September and October.
Mean highs run from 9°C in January to 34°C in July, with about 448 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for MadridModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBMadrid
5,660 km
7 hrs 25 mins · Estimate
From AUHMadrid
5,650 km
7 hrs 25 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Madrid
Plan this trip: Madrid
Open the trip builder with Madrid already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
