Madrid – know before you go:
Money –
- ·As Spain is part of the European Union, its currency is the euro.
- ·ATM’s are abundant and accessible if you need cash, but credit and debit cards are widely accepted.
- ·Restaurants by law include a service charge so it’s not necessary to tip, although most people leave some small change on the table if satisfied with the service.
Business Hours –
- ·Banks generally open weekdays from 8.30am to 2pm and Saturdays until 1pm, but usually during the summer most banks close at 1pm weekdays and do not open on a Saturday.
- ·Most museums are open from 9.30am to 2pm and again from 4pm to 7pm. They are closed one day a week, usually Monday. Some big attractions do not close during the afternoon like El Prado.
- ·Almost all shops close during the afternoon for about three hours and are closed all day Sunday and on Saturday afternoons. El Cortes Ingles is an exception and stays open all day long and even at weekends.
- ·If a bank holiday falls on a Thursday or Tuesday expect to see a lot of closed shops on the Friday and Monday as well.
Telephones –
- ·When making a phone call in Madrid always dial the full number, including the city code, even if you are making a local call.
- ·Public phones are green and accept coins and pre paid phone cards. These phone cards can be bought at tobacco shops or the post office.
- ·Calls are cheaper after 8pm during the week and all day at weekends and phones in bars are usually more expensive.
Emergency-
·Like other European counties just call 112
When’s a good time to go-
·Due to its central location in the country, Madrid has a continental climate, hot dry summers with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees centigrade and cold and dry winters. Due to the high summer temperatures there’s a six-week period from the end of July when many locals head to the coast – as a result not everything is open. The best time to go is probably spring or autumn – June's nice too though!
Book a Madrid hotel NOW!