Here are five tips for simple ways to save in Madrid, from finding a perfect pastry and scoring free museum admission to booking a cheap and charming hotel in a convenient location.

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• How to save on your trip to Madrid
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1. Visit the Reina Sofia and Prado museums for free

Madrid’s Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is free for evening admission from 7 pm to 9 pm on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday. On Sundays, admission is free from 1:30 pm to 7 pm. If you happen to visit Madrid on April 18, May 18, or October 12, or December 6, lucky you — the museum is open to visitors free of charge for the entire day!

Meanwhile, the permanent collections of the Museo del Prado are free every evening from 6 pm to 8 pm, except Sundays and holidays when the free hours are from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Tip for the young travelers: In addition, guests under 18 and students between 18 and 25 years of age (with an ISIC card) can always visit the Reina Sofía and the Prado free of charge.

Related: How to save time and money at the Prado Museum

2. Find a perfect croissant

Yes, you read that right. This is a list of budget-friendly tips for Madrid, not Paris, but the Spanish capital’s exceptional La Duquesita (Calle Fernando VI, 2) bakes a fantastic croissant for €1.80. It’s flaky and soft — pretty close to perfect. It’s not a bad way to start the day for just a handful of change.

Hostal La Plata is a budget traveler’s dream come true. Photo: EuroCheapo

3. Stay at a great hotel for a low price

Hostal La Plata (Gran Vía, 15) is a dependable, tried-and-trusted cheapo option. Family-run run since 1972, La Plata has a central location and a level of charm that plenty of inexpensive and mid-range hotels don’t quite capture. There are cheaper beds in Madrid, but few of these match the convenience or comfort of La Plata.

Related: Budget hotels in Madrid under $100 per night

4. Save with a public transportation pass

Madrid’s Tourist Travel Pass covers one day of travel in Zone A for just €8.40 (two days for €14.20; three for €18.40; five for €26.80; one week for €35.40). Zone A includes Madrid-Barajas Airport. The pass is valid through 5 am on the day following the expiration date.

Spend a little bit of time with maps of Madrid to figure out where you want to spend your time. If you intend to move about a fair amount, this pass can end up saving you some valuable euros.

Keep an eye out for “Menú del Día” lunch deals all over Madrid. Photo: Melanie

5. At lunchtime, go for the Menú del día

Spain’s “menu of the day” lunches are a great way to eat a two- or three-course meal for what you might reasonably expect to pay for a single course at night. If you enter a restaurant at lunchtime and a menú del día isn’t advertised, just ask for one. For a great menú del día deal in Madrid, check out Restaurante Momo (Calle Libertad 8 in Chueca). You get a nice three-course meal for only €12.50.

More ways to save in Madrid

Looking for more budget tips for Madrid? Check out all of our Madrid posts here, and be sure to explore this list of recommended cheap hotels in Madrid.

The post 5 budget tips to help you save in Madrid appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But even so, as in all popular European destinations, if you’re not careful, you may end up spending more than you’d like on a pretty lackluster dining experience. But fear not, we’ve got you covered with 8 tips to help you eat and drink better on a budget!

Related:
• Budget Guide: How to save on your trip to Madrid
• 10 Spanish phrases every traveler should know
• 50 Ways to save in Spain

Madrid cheap eats guide

Here are a few of our best tips to stretch your euros a little farther and feast on Madrid’s tastiest fare without breaking the bank.

1. Dine with the locals

There’s a reason you don’t see many Madrileños dining close to the Prado Museum, Plaza Mayor, or Puerta del Sol. The prices are higher for sub par fare. Follow the locals lead and limit your intake in the touristy areas to the necessities: coffee and beer.

Related: How to save time and money at the Prado Museum

Fortunately for the ravenous, you don’t have to venture too far — even wandering a few blocks down smaller side streets can usually save you a few euros and guarantee a better experience for less.

Tortilla is a classic (and tasty!) tapas choice. Photo: ornello

2. Try to eat on schedule

Eating on a Madrid schedule makes it easier to eat authentic fare at bars and restaurants aimed at locals. Trust us. The tapas will be freshly prepared, and sometimes strangely enough, cheaper, if you order them at the right time of day.

Here’s a rundown of a typical dining schedule for Madrid:

Around 8 am: Coffee and pastry
10 – 11 am: Mid-morning snack (beer and a sandwich)
2 pm: Lunch (many times a set menu for a three-course meal)
After 8 pm (at the very earliest): Tapas or dinner à la carte.

Tip: During Madrid’s summer heat, you may want to move your tapas (or dinner of any sort) back to 10 pm.

3. Do your research

There are lots of cheap restaurants and traditional hole-in-the-wall style bars scattered throughout the Spanish capital, but you probably won’t stumble on them without prior research. And let’s face it, even if you do, they’re likely to be full up, or worse still, closed for their weekly day off.

Doing a little research will make it easy to coordinate which restaurants and bars to look for in which neighborhoods — because no one wants to get “hangry” and end up eating fast food out of frustration, right? Especially not in Madrid, where for the cost of your McMenu, you can usually get a beer and calamari on a baguette.

Related: 5 Cheapo-friendly restaurants to try in Madrid

4. Splurge on lunch out

If you want to feast for less, save your money for a big lunch. Keep an eye out for restaurants that offer fixed price menus called the “menu del día.” A relic of the Franco administration that required restaurants to offer hearty fare to workers on the cheap, it’s the best bargain for your money, even in high-end restaurants.

At the lower end, prices start in the single digits from about €8. The offerings will vary but typically it includes an appetizer, main course, and dessert (or coffee), plus bread, water, or wine.

5. Head to neighborhood bars

While these “bares de siempre” or “always” bars, sometimes referred to as “grandpa” bars, aren’t the prettiest (or the even cleanest), they’re great places to have an authentic Spanish experience at a bargain price.

Most locals haunt at least two such bars — one near work and one near their home. These neighborhood bars are the perfect place for a morning coffee and croissant or deep-fried tapas washed down with beer before a night out. They might also offer free mini-tapas like olives or peanuts with a drink, while a few even break out more elaborate treats like meatballs or scoops of Russian salad.

Related: Cheapo night out in Madrid for tapas tasting and bar hopping

6. Order house wine

At most places around Madrid, ordering the house wine is a great way to save. A whole carafe starts at only €5 — not only do you get more than a bottle but you’ll save a bunch, too!

If you’re a little picky about your vino, wine by the bottle is usually far more reasonable in Madrid than elsewhere in Europe, with good bottles in nice restaurants starting at only €10.

7. Skip the hotel breakfast

Unless breakfast is included with your hotel in Madrid, you should probably skip the hotel breakfast. In Spain, they’re usually overpriced for what you get (pastries, coffee, cold cereal, lunch meat and the occasional hard-boiled egg).

Instead, head to a nearby bar or bakery for a coffee and a pastry for around €2 or a coffee with a hot sandwich for around €4. If you want a full English, expect to pay €7 and up, while American brunch-style offerings run the gamut but start around €12 and up.

Related: Our recommended cheap hotels in Madrid

Tipping is not required in Madrid. Photo: rafa

8. Don’t overtip

In Madrid (and the rest of Spain), the tip for service workers is almost always included in your bill. That’s why anything more than a few coins is unnecessary.

Pro tip: When you’re really happy with a meal and plan to return to a restaurant, leave a gratuity of €1-2. At bakeries and self-service cafeterias, leave 10-20 cents if you like or nothing at all.

More budget travel tips for Madrid

Are you hungry yet? Check out more articles on eating in Madrid including our favorite cheap restaurant in Chueca and our favorite affordable foods in Spain.

And don’t forget to book your Madrid hotel on EuroCheapo!

The post Madrid Cheap Eats: 8 Tips to save on dining and drinking in Madrid appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

¡Ningún problema! No problem — you don’t have to spend a ton of money to make the most of your time in Madrid. Here are some of our favorite cheapo tips for the Spanish capital so you can stay on budget, even with the occasional splurge on a nicer meal out, or a fancy cocktail in a club or on a rooftop terrace.

Flea markets

El Rastro Flea Market: Like the food markets, Madrid’s flea markets will give you an insight to how local people live (and shop). Held Sundays and on public holidays from 9 am until 3 pm in Plaza de Cascorro, Ribera de Curtidores street and the surrounding area, El Rastro Flea Market is a spectacle worth braving the crowds for. Barter for the best deal on old books, antiques, and artisan wares or just elbow your way through the masses and take in the show at what’s said to be Europe’s largest flea market.

Rave Market: For a trendier experience on the cheap, spend an afternoon shopping to live music and DJ sessions at the Rave Market, which promotes the recycling and exchange of second-hand goods (once a month, usually the last Sunday of the month).

“Free Store”: An interesting flea market alternative is the tienda gratis or free store at Centro Cultural La Piluka (Plaza Corcubión 16).  Lighten your luggage donating clothes or shoes you don’t like or trade ‘em for something better Wednesdays and Fridays between 7 pm and 9 pm.

Parks and outdoor attractions

Madrid may be a massive metropolis, but it has green spaces aplenty where you can escape the crowds with a picnic or a good book. Without venturing far from the center, spend an afternoon in Madrid’s glorious central park, the Parque del Retiro, once a retreat for the Spanish Monarchy.

Highlights here include the sparkling glass atrium, El Palacio de Cristal, the sculpture-lined Paseo de la Argentina, and the Fallen Angel statue and fountain, rumored to be the only monument in the world dedicated to the devil.

Or head to Capricho Park, another former noble property to find your way to the middle of the bay tree maze and soak up the sun in the manicured gardens afterward.

Looking for something historic but more unusual? Snap sunset or sunrise shots at the 2,000-year-old Templo de Debod (Parque del Oeste), a gift from Egypt to Spain, sent to Madrid after Spanish engineers helped the Egyptian government move historic monuments at risk of being ruined after a new dam caused serious flooding.

If exercise is what you’re truly after, try Parque Juan Carlos where you can bike eight miles of trails with 19 outdoor art installations on a free loaner bike (bring an I.D. to leave as a deposit). When you’re worn out, hop the free tourist train that departs on the hour from the exit to get a leisurely look at the park.

Architecture aficionados will want to stroll the length of the striking modern Arganzuela Footbridge designed by Dominique Perrault at Madrid’s Rio Park. On cold or wet days, stroll among leafy green plants at the tropical garden in Atocha Railway Station.

The two-star Hotel Plaza Mayor is located next to the famous square and regularly has rates under $100.

Save big on hotels

We’re always hunting down the best hotel values in Europe’s capital cities. Check out our guide to the best budget hotels in Madrid for our top picks (including the Hotel Plaza Mayor, above).

Remember that Madrid is easy to get around with excellent neighborhoods and incredibly walker-friendly, so staying anywhere near the center of the city will prove to be convenient for heading out and coming home at night without the need for expensive taxis or cars.

Related: 10 First-time mistakes to avoid on a trip to Spain

Free museums in Madrid

Some of the capital’s biggest attractions are its awe-inspiring art museums and monuments where lines tend to be long, and entry is expensive. Depending on the time of year, the lines are hard to avoid, but Madrid’s most important art and culture attractions are free of charge afternoons, evenings, one day a week, or even better, all of the above.

Here’s how to save at the city’s top cultural attractions:

Palacio Real
Mondays through Thursdays, European residents and citizens can explore the Spanish royal palace (no longer the royal residence) between April and September from 6 to 8 pm, and October to March from 4 to 6 pm. Come with a book or a friend — the line is long — although if you come on a rainy or cold day you just might miss the line. On Wednesdays, catch the Changing of the Guard at the Bailen Street entry, every 20 minutes between 11 am and 2 pm.

Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Get a glimpse of Spain’s prehistoric art scene and see the see the Altamira cave paintings free on Saturdays from 2 to 8 pm and all day on Sundays. Check out an astrolabe from 11th century Islamic Spain before you go.

The Changing of the Guard at Palacio Real. Photo Elentir

El Prado
Take in five centuries of art, classics by Goya, Velásques, and El Greco for free at Madrid’s most famous art museum from 6 to 8 pm Monday through Saturday and 5 to 7 pm on Sundays and holidays. Expect long lines.

Reina Sofia
Get an eyeful of Picasso’s Guernica and other more modern masterpieces in a 16th-century hospital free of charge from 7 to 9 pm Monday to Saturday (closed Tuesdays) and 1:30 pm to 7 pm on Sundays.

Thyssen Bornemisza
Admire great works by European masters at this museum that completes Madrid’s golden triangle with one of the largest private collections in the world for free Mondays from 12 to 4 pm.

Andén O
Delve into the history of Madrid’s metro in this unusual underground museum. Free Tuesday to Friday from 11 am to 7 pm and from 11 am to 3pm on weekends. Trains circulating between the city’s Iglesia and Bilbao stops still come through on the rails, even though there’s no stop here.

Caixaforum
Catch a free concert, exhibit, or just gawk at the modern architecture at this former electric power station with a striking living plant wall.

Visit modern masters like Picasso at the Reina Sofia. Photo Ricardo

Centro Cultural Conde Duque
Browse the books at the artisan press and stick around for a contemporary art exhibit or performance. Most shows are free.

Museo Taurino
Channeling Hemingway? Follow the history of bullfighting in Spain from ancient times to the present at this free Madrid attraction. Don’t miss the collection of gory objects, including famous fighter Manolete’s sparkly traje de luces that he wore when gored to death at age 30.

Museo de Arte Público
Lurking underneath a bypass, this free outdoor museum features abstract sculptures by Miró and Chillida among others.

Museo de América
Examine historic artifacts at exhibitions tracing Spain’s dramatic relationship with the American continent from its “discovery” to the present. Free on Sundays.

Museo Tiflológico
At Madrid’s Blind Museum, you can learn about the experience of being blind from a historic point of view. It’s always free but it is closed Sundays and Mondays.

Planetario
Learning about the stars in the exhibitions, interactive displays, and videos at Madrid’s planetarium is always free. However, to see the stars in the projection hall, you’ll need to buy a ticket.

Dining: Free tapas

While not exactly free, at many local bars, small tapas or snacks are served as a gift when you order a glass of wine, beer, or a cocktail. Depending on the bar, the tapa could be anything from something light, like popcorn, chips, or the ubiquitous olives, to something more substantial like little sausages, meatballs, or a scoop of Russian salad on toast.

Tapas tip: For the biggest portions for the lowest prices, get away from the city center and busy tourist attractions and zero in on busy neighborhood bars.

Favorite tapas joints include:

• El Tigre: A centrally located favorite for hefty tapas with drinks is El Tigre (Calle de las Infantas, 30) — just don’t look down, the floor is not exactly clean.
• El Respiro: If El Tigre is too full, try El Respiro next door.
• El Rincón Abulense: Near Puerta de Sol, El Rincón Abulense (Caballero de Gracia, 18) is also well known for its generous portion sizes.
• Índalo Tapas: There’s also the popular chain, Índalo Tapas that offers a good selection of free tapas with inexpensive drinks.
  

  Shopping for ham (jamón) at a Madrid market. Samples are free! Photo binderdonedat

Food markets

Browsing Madrid’s food markets is the best way to learn about the city’s foodie culture —and it’s free to boot! For the city’s best street food stands, head to San Ildefonso, or for a more traditional market experience make your way to Mercado de Maravillas, or Mercado de San Antón, right in the city center in a shiny modern building.

Don’t be shy, if you’re interested in making a purchase, but not sure if you’ll like something, ask for a sample (nicely, of course). Although San Miguel market is popular, it can get crowded and can feel a bit too touristy at times with prices to match.

Related: 10 Spanish phrases every traveler should know

Free Wi-fi

If you’re a relaxed traveler that likes to pull up a park bench, people watch, and browse the Internet for facts about your destination, Madrid might just be your spirit city. The local government offers free Wi-Fi hotspots in the airport, at libraries, newspaper stands, buses, plazas, local shops, and cafés.

On rainy days, hang out and read the local press while surfing the web in the chillout space at CentroCentro at Palacio de Cibeles or browse the collection at the majestic 18th century Biblioteca Nacional de España, the largest library in Spain (Paseo de Recoletos, 20-22).

Renting a car?

If you’re starting your journey in Madrid, we’d recommend starting your car rental on the day that you’re leaving Madrid, not the day you arrive. Most of Madrid’s big attractions are centrally located, meaning that you will not need (or want!) to mess around with a car. Parking garages in the center city are expensive — expect to pay at least €30 a day to park your car (and even that’s pretty cheap). Thus, rent it on your way out of town!

Also, rent your car well in advance for the best deals. Find a better deal closer to your travel date? Cancel and rebook — almost all agencies allow free cancellation. Search car rental companies here for the best deal.

More tips

Read more articles about saving in Madrid in EuroCheapo’s Madrid guide.

The post How to save on your trip to Madrid, Spain appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

La Fabula
Calle Ruiz, 20

The outside looks like any taberna in the city, but inside the decor is a mix of cultures. Paintings by a Russian artist, hand-carved Mexican furniture, painted tables flown in from India, and the list goes on. Besides stopping in to see what this place looks like, you should also take a seat in the gorgeous dining area and order some Galician style pintxos (tapas). The dishes here start at €1.80. To wash the Boquerones en Vinagre down, try one of dozens of types of wines. There’s also a good beer selection and the bartender here makes excellent cocktails.

El Sur
Calle Torrecilla del Leal, 12

For Spanish film buffs out there, this tapas joint has got the goods. If you’re up on your movie trivia, you might try naming the director of each movie poster plastered to the wall. Walk to the back where there are wooden tables, large enough for groups, and browse through the savory menu. At El Sur you’ll find a mix of Raciones: spinach quiche with raisons (a larger plate at only €2.50), scrambled eggs with mushrooms, chorizo, and Jamón Serrano, the Tortilla Española, plus a a bunch of daily specials.

Bar Automåtico
Calle de Argumosa, 17

Posters and old framed photographs adorn the light blue walls of this popular bar-cum-restaurant. The vibe here is 50s chic mixed with a local Lavapiés-neighborhood flavor. During warmer months, Automåtico is the place for sipping Tinto de Verano and other refreshing concoctions outdoors. All year long, though, this place is chock-a-block full of patrons. Put simply, the tapas some of the best in the ‘hood. The Salmorejo is rich and fresh, croquetas pack a punch, and the prices are reasonable.

The post Three cheap and tasty tapas spots in Madrid appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.