Madrid, the city that never sleeps

Crazy at night

On my first night in Madrid, my American waitress gave me a piece of advice I’d never heard before: “Learn to say no.” What she meant by this was that the food was impeccable, and Madrid’s culture of dancing, drinking, eating, and late nights was so easy to get sucked in that it was only when your body begged to be brought back to itself that you panicked: I was in a place where people eat dinner at 11 p.m. and skip their morning coffee before 8 a.m.

Madrid is special, everything seems to be going on all day long. And few places in the world, especially in Europe, can compare to this city for its cultural diversity, historical preservation and bustling nightlife.

Like many European cities, Madrid’s center is made up of countless squares and shopping centers. Connecting those majestic buildings are wide, clean avenues. The city map seems to gradually lose its guiding effect when the whole city is a “pedestrian street”. The subway system can instantly soothe tired feet, no matter where you are. With subway trains running like shuttles, you will not have the concept of waiting for a train every time you want to go to the suburbs.

When the rich visit Madrid, the first place they want to stay is the Westin Palace or The Ritz - both located on Plaza de las Cortes, overlooking the Neptune Fountain. The Westin Palace was built by the king in the 1900s to accommodate guests attending his daughter's wedding. Today, this replica of an 18th-century European palace is considered Madrid's top hotel.

With a “reasonable” price - Catalonia Hotel Gran Via - a boutique hotel, located right on the most vibrant shopping street in Madrid is really a good place to stay. The bedrooms are spacious, the interior is modern and spacious but still mixed with traditional Spanish features. For more frugal travelers, it is also simple because the system of motels in Madrid is more than any other city in Europe.

Madrid will certainly disrupt your daily routine. First, understand that dinner in Madrid, like in many parts of Spain, is no earlier than 9pm. If you try to find a “hot table” at 8pm, that’s fine, but you’ll be the only diners in the place. Dinner is late, so evening cocktails will naturally be pushed back to midnight. Bars tend to be empty before midnight. And if you’re looking for nightclubs, don’t show up before 3am.

Busy during the day

Talking about a city that never sleeps, you will probably think that life must be quiet and boring during the day as an inevitable rule. But no, you are wrong. Madrid is still bustling and bustling like any other city in the world. However, in a city that never sleeps and as a tourist, of course you will have some difficulty enjoying the city's scenery during the day. If you sleep until 8am, you will no longer have the opportunity to visit museums. Only a few famous tourist attractions in the city are open to visitors until 8-9pm. So, the first rule when traveling here is to limit your energy in night activities if you want to visit the city during the day.

When you arrive in Madrid, the first place you should stop is the museums. The city has 73 museums in different fields. Among them, the most prominent is the Prado Museum, one of the places that preserves the most precious works of art in the world. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum preserves more than 800 paintings, sculptures and tapestries. There is also an exhibition about the influence of Spanish art through the designs of the Balenciaga fashion house. The Reina Sofía National Art Center preserves contemporary works by famous authors such as Picasso, Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris.

Another place worth stopping is the Plaza Mayor, in the heart of the city. It has been used for everything from executions to royal weddings. Today, its courtyards are used as cafes for tourists. A few minutes' walk away is the Royal Palace, a 2,000-room palace built by the Spanish king in the 18th century. The Spanish government has opened 50 rooms to tourists, with their unique architectural decorations and original artifacts.

After a day of exploring, a few minutes of wandering around the city will make you love this place even more. Madrid has some of the most delicious and expensive food on the continent. However, you have to adjust your stomach accordingly because Spanish meal times are completely different from most countries in the world. To start the day (breakfast seems to be a concept not for the people here), it can be just a pastry and a cup of coffee. Lunch, from about 13:00 to 16:00 and restaurants are busiest at 15:00. This is the main meal of the day and ensures energy until the night, even until 9:00 the next morning because dinner is most likely to be skipped.

I am not exaggerating because I have had difficulty finding a table in a restaurant at 11 pm, especially on weekends. On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays we were crammed into a crowded table at 11 pm and waited. However, the wait was worth it because Spanish cooking is excellent. The dishes are spicy and well prepared. The best are the garlic prawns at Puerta del Sol with red wine; the fried potatoes with red pepper sauce; the grilled mushrooms served with bacon, fresh parsley and garlic. In addition, the most typical dish in Spain, Tapas with all kinds of ham to fish, shrimp, cheese... is also very interesting.

Picalagartos Rooftop Bar

is a familiar restaurant for tourists in Madrid, because it not only serves delicious food but is also a famous check-in address, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Grand Via - the most vibrant area of ​​Madrid.

If you want a change of pace, stop by Sobrino de Botín, just off Plaza Mayor, the oldest restaurant in the world according to Guinness, which specializes in roast suckling pig and roasted Segovian lamb. If you love Mediterranean and Asian food, head to Bazzar. You’ll never get tired of eating in this city all year round.

The people are one of the factors that make this city interesting. In Madrid, the people are really friendly, although they are not as good at English as many people in Europe, but they will always try to talk to you, welcome you to their city. Very proud of their native language, Madrid people will always be embarrassed, even apologetic if they cannot speak English with you. However, you should be prepared to meet many people from all over the world here because Madrid's reputation has attracted many international visitors to work and travel.

On weekend nights during the summer, few people drink in bars, but they all go out on the streets. In the crowded markets, people sit with their glasses of wine until 5am. And the sidewalks of Chueca are filled with hundreds of people, causing traffic jams. Once you have come to Madrid, I am sure you cannot help but think about coming back, even if you have not left this land.

Before saying goodbye to Madrid, don't miss the chance to enjoy authentic Spanish Tapas and Flamenco.

More information

Visa:Spain is a Schengen country, so you can apply for a Spanish visa or just have a Schengen visa to make the trip to Madrid.

Trip:

- 5-star airline Qatar Airways has daily flights (1 morning flight, 1 evening flight) from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Madrid (Spain). However, flights from Qatar Airways Vietnam to Madrid do not have direct flights, must transit in Doha with a transit time of about 2.5 hours.

- Qatar Airways was voted "World's Best Airlines 2019" by Skytrax.

- Doha International Airport is one of the most modern and convenient airports in the world. This is also a favorite check-in location for tourists with a giant golden Lamp Bear statue worth 7 million USD.

Time:Madrid is a city in the southwest of Europe, near the Mediterranean Sea, so the weather in Madrid is hotter than the rest of Europe. The best time to visit Madrid is around April - May or September - October of the year. July and August are the peak heat waves in Madrid, but still much more pleasant than the hot and humid weather of Vietnam. Winter in Madrid is very cold, snow covers many streets in the city, making it inconvenient to visit places.

Transportation:After landing at Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD), about 12 km north of the city center, you can travel to the center by metro, taxi or airport shuttle bus.

Madrid's public transport system is quite clean, safe and convenient, Metro tickets in Madrid are also quite cheap and can be used for all types of public transport. A single ticket costs from 1.5 - 2 EUR, if you buy a 10-trip card, the price is only 12.2 EUR. However, the attractions in Madrid are quite close together so you can completely walk, only going to far places like visiting Bernabeu Stadium will need to take the train.

If you stay in Madrid for 3-5 days and travel a lot, you can consider buying a Tourist Pass for unlimited travel on public transport. Passes are sold by the day at the following prices: 1-day pass: 8.40 EUR; 2-day pass: 14.20 EUR; 3-day pass: 18.40 EUR; 5-day pass: 26.80 EUR; 7-day pass: 35.40 EUR.

Besides, you can also experience Madrid Vision buses which are hop-on – hop-off buses. This bus has 2 main routes: Historic Madrid (running around the city center) and Modern Madrid (going through the northern and central areas where there are large hotels, office buildings and bustling shopping malls).

Accommodation:Hostel room prices in Madrid are not too high, around 10 - 25 EUR/night/bed, and if you rent a private room, the price is around 45 - 60 EUR/night. Hotels and hostels here often increase prices on weekends or peak seasons and festivals.

Rooms in the area around Plaza Santa Ana are chosen by many tourists because they are in the city center, close to tourist attractions, metro and bus lines. Lavapiés is a place where backpackers often go because the room rates are cheaper than other areas, but there are also many small shops and street food stalls around. If you do not have to worry about finances, Barrio Salamanca - an upscale area and also considered the safest in Madrid - will be suitable for you.

Cuisine:The most famous is tapas - a traditional Spanish dish, followed by seafood. However, because it is not adjacent to the sea, seafood in Madrid is relatively expensive compared to other foods, but seafood is transported quickly so it is very fresh. In some restaurants, if you order beer or wine, you will get free Tapas, but if you order seafood, you will not.

Money:Spain uses the Euro (EUR), 1 EUR is worth about 28,000 VND.

Some places to visit:

- Royal Palace (Palacio Real De Madrid): This is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, and is also the largest palace in Western Europe. Ticket price: about 10 EUR, free on weekend evenings (from 6 - 8 pm).

- Plaza Mayor: The main square and considered the heart of Madrid. This large square is a popular cultural and sightseeing destination with millions of visitors each year.

- Santiago Bernabeu Stadium: For football fans and fans of the famous Real Madrid Club, this is a great place not to be missed when coming to this city. Located right near Nuevos Ministerios and the end of Metro line 8 from the airport to the city, this stadium with a capacity of up to 100,000 people is a treasure and a beautiful symbol of Madrid. Ticket price: 20 EUR/tour. Opening hours: 10:00 - 19:30, from Monday to Saturday; 10:00 - 18:30 on Sundays or holidays.

Cost of the trip:Apart from the slightly higher airfare and accommodation prices, the overall cost of living in Madrid is quite reasonable. The total cost for 5 days and 4 nights is around 40,200,000 VND.

Bui Anh Tuan