Madrid

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Price guide: from £202 return from London.
Journey time (excluding transfers): 17h 47m

IntroductionGetting thereStations & AirportsWhere to stayWhat to doFurther afield

Top 5 attractions in Madrid

A. Museo del Prado

Information office: +34 (9)1 33 02 900
With the possible exception of the Louvre, the Prado is the finest art gallery in Europe. The gallery showcases art from the 12th to the 19th centuries and is housed in a fine 18th century public building commissioned by Charles III. There are far too many fine works to see in one visit. Several entire rooms are devoted to the great Spanish masters Velasquez, Goya and Picasso.

Official website >

B. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

B. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Information office: +34 (9)1 36 90 151
Madrid’s second museum of art is in walking distance of the Prado and is well worth a visit. The collection was started by an Austro-Hungarian baron and art connoisseur. There’s an emphasis on works from the 14th and 15th century by the likes of Van Eyck and Titian, plus modern masterpieces by Degas, Picasso, Hopper and many others.

Official website >

C. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

Information office: +34 (9)1 77 41 000
At the southern end of Madrid’s ‘Golden Triangle of Art’, the Reina Sofia is a treasure trove of 20th century art. Spanish artists are very well represented, particularly Picasso and Dali; the museum is home to Picasso’s famous ‘Guernica’, a timeless representation of the horrors of war.

D. Palacio Real

Information office: +34 (9)1 45 48 800
This extravagant 18th century palace is the official residence of the Spanish royal family. Amazingly, it has nearly 3,000 rooms where masterpieces by the likes of Velasquez, Caravaggio and Goya are on display. The palace is partially open to the public and sits in several acres of gorgeously maintained grounds.

E. Plaza Mayor

Information office: +34 (9)5 22 17 646
Madrid is a city of grand plazas and the Plaza Mayor is the grandest of them all. The square is fringed by impressive buildings, cafes and shops and is popular with locals and tourists alike. At the centre of the square there’s a triumphal bronze statue of the 17th century Spanish king, Philip III.