Madrid

Madrid is an obvious choice for travel with its vast history, grand plazas, savory restaurants, and thriving night life. A weekend in Madrid will not disappoint.

While it is often more economical to visit sites without a tour guide, Madrid is an exception. A European tour group actually offers daily tours of Madrid free of charge (however tipping is highly encouraged, if not expected). I am normally wary of things that seem to good to be true but this tour is worth your time. Tours last 3.5 hours, however, my tour guide was so enthusiastic about explaining the history of Madrid that the tour actually went for nearly 5 hours. It was worth every minute. Without a tour, many of the sights of Madrid would have gone unnoticed to me without a proper explanation. Here is the website for the tour group.

One sight that is not visited on the tour is Parque del Buen Retiro. Pack a lunch one afternoon and eat in the park as it is easy to spend a couple hours there. Also, for about 5 € you can rent a boat for an hour. Be sure to wander this park as it is one of the biggest and best in all of Europe. On your way out of Parque del Buen Retiro, make sure to visit the Puerta de Alcala which is located at the North West entrance.

Other sites worth seeing include Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, the childhood home of Miguel Cervantes, the Metropolis building and Plaza del Cibeles. There is so much to see in Madrid that a weekend doesn't even begin to do the city justice.

Transportation to Madrid can be done a number of ways. The cheapest is about 40 € by bus. Unfortunately it will take you 6 hours. If you don't mind sleeping on a bus, a great way to be economical is to take the overnight trip which leaves around midnight and arrives the next morning.

There are also two types of train that travel to Madrid. One is high speed and the other is not. Ticket prices range from about 60-80 € but the trip is significantly shorter. The regular train takes about 3 hours while the high speed train arrives in about 2.5.