Madrid Travel Guide (2026): What to Know Before You Go

Last updated on May 16, 2026

Madrid is the heart of Spain. It’s the country’s capital, its financial hub, and its most populous city. It’s also my favorite city in Spain to visit. The authenticity, cultural ties, and food make it a top place to visit, and what has drawn me back seven times now.

From the Royal Palace, the charming historic center, its tapas culture and great bars, there’s a lot to love. But it also requires some special planning to get the most of our trip. This Madrid travel guide breaks down everything you need to know—from entry requirements and where to stay to must-visit sights, local dishes to try, and the best places to eat to help you have the best vacation possible.

Helpful Things to Know about Madrid

Below are some important things to know about Madrid, Spain. I’ll talk a bit more about many of these items later in this Madrid city guide.

🗺️ Location: Madrid is the capital of Spain, located in the center of the country.
🛂 Stay Limits: Spain is in the EU and Schengen Zone, limiting stays to 90 days within 180 across all Schengen countries, not just Madrid.
🚨Visas: Visas are not typically required for most North American and UK visitors to Spain; However, starting in 2026, you will need to get an ETIAS before arriving.
🗣️ Language: Spanish (Castellano) is the official language, but English is often spoken/used on signage.
🧾 Tipping: Tipping is not customary in restaurants or tour experiences in Spain. You can round up a bill to an even euro, or if the service was excellent, leave a 5% tip. But it is not required, nor expected.
💳 Money: The Euro is the official currency. Most places in Madrid will accept debit or credit cards, but bring ~200€ with you, just in case. We pull out money from ATMs using our Revolut debit card (no international or ATM fees).
📱Cell Phone: Most North American cell phone providers charge roaming and international fees for data, phone calls, and texts. Check with your provider before arriving. Most charge $10 per day (which can get expensive). Instead, keep it on Airplane mode and get an eSim card once you arrive for data, phone, and text while in Spain.
💧 Tap Water: The tap water in Madrid is clean and delicious. Feel free to drink from fountains around town.
⏰ Time Zone: Central European Standard Time (can be five or six hours ahead of EST).
🔌 Electricity: Runs on 220 volts (USA runs on 110 volts). A European adapter is needed.

My Mini Madrid Travel Guide for 2026

2026 Spain Entry Requirements

Spain is part of the Schengen Zone, so travelers from visa-exempt countries, like the United States, don’t need a special visa to enter. All you need is your passport upon arrival.

However, there’s a limit—you can only stay in the Schengen Zone for up to 90 days within 180 days. This rule applies across all Schengen countries, not just Spain.

The country announced new entry requirements, called ETIAS, for travelers, which are set to begin at the end of 2026. ETIAS stands for European Travel Information and Authorization System and is a visa waiver that helps the country track who enters the country for safety. Once implemented, the ETIAS requires online registration before you arrive and can take up to 2 weeks to approve.

It will impact most travelers visiting Barcelona and the rest of Spain. All US travelers and tourists from other countries that don’t traditionally need a visa to enter the Schengen area, like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, will eventually need to apply for the ETIAS.

However, the launch has been postponed several times, and there is a chance it will be pushed into 2027, so check the website before traveling to confirm if it’s required or not at the time of your visit.

The ETIAS costs $7 per adult applicant and only takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Each person must have their own ETIAS before arriving, including children and seniors. However, the application fee is waived for minors and elders. The ETIAS sounds scary, but it’s honestly not a big deal.

Just make sure you apply shortly after booking your tickets and triple-check that you’ve entered your information accurately, including your passport number, name, and contact information, arriving destination in Spain, and verify your passport won’t expire in the next 5 months, or you can be denied entry once arriving.

How Many Days in Madrid

Madrid is a huge city, with more to see and do than you could ever accomplish in a single visit. If you’re a first-time visitor, I recommend at least 3 days in Madrid to get a good feel for the city and see the top sites. If you really want to feel like a local, five days is ideal. You can also include a day trip to nearby Ribera del Duero for wine tasting or visit the old capital city, Toledo, an hour away by train.

The Best Time to Visit Madrid

The best time to visit Madrid is in spring and fall. April and May are rainier times of year, but the weather is typically warmer, and there is a lot to do. Equally nice are October and November. All of the photos you’ll see in this post were taken in early October (my favorite month to visit).

➡ Read Next: Spain in August: What to Expect (and When to Go Instead) ⬅

I highly recommend avoiding Madrid in August if possible. August is when most locals leave for vacation, and the most tourists visit the city, making it a very touristy time to visit. It’s also disgustingly hot. It’s not uncommon to have days above 100°F (37.7°C) in August. We flew into Madrid in early August for an annual festival in a town nearby, and it was 110°F (43.3°C) when we arrived. 🥵

Check out the average weather below to decide what month might be best for you to visit.

Month	Avg. High	Avg. Low	Avg. Precipitation (in.)
January	51°F (10.5°C)	36°F (2.2°C)	1.2″ (31 mm)
February	55°F (12.7°C)	37°F (2.7°C)	1.1″ (28 mm)
March	62°F (16.6°C)	42°F (5.5°C)	0.8″ (20 mm)
April	66°F (18.8°C)	46°F (7.7°C)	1.1″ (30 mm)
May	75°F (23.9°C)	52°F (11.1°C)	1.6″ (43 mm)
June	86°F (30°C)	61°F (16.1°C)	0.7″ (19 mm)
July	93°F (33.8°C)	66°F (18.8°C)	0.26″ (6 mm)
August	91°F (32.7°C)	66°F (18.8°C)	0.27″ (7 mm)
September	82°F (27.7°C)	59°F (15°C)	0.9″ (23 mm)
October	70°F (21.1°C)	51°F (10.5°C)	2.2″ (56 mm)
November	58°F (14.4°C)	42°F (5.5°C)	1.8″ (48 mm)
December	52°F (11.1°C)	37°F (2.7°C)	1.5″ (38 mm)

What to Do in Madrid, Spain

Below are a few of the top things to do in Madrid. If you’re looking for more details than we offer in this Madrid travel guide, check out my 3-day Madrid itinerary. It takes all the guesswork out of what to do and where to eat each day, making trip planning super easy!

• Tour the Royal Palace. This is the largest royal palace in Western Europe and is twice as large as Buckingham Palace. It’s incredible! Highly recommend skip-the-line tickets (the line gets CRAZY long and tickets sell out days to weeks in advance).
• Visit one (or all three) of Madrid’s “Golden Triangle of Museums”. This includes the Prado Museum (the most extensive collection), the Reina Sofía (modern art), and the Thyssen-Bornemisza (a mix of both modern and historic artworks).
• Take a stroll or have a picnic lunch in Retiro Park, the largest park in Madrid. Don’t miss the Palacio de Cristal, or crystal palace, which is free to enter, and the rose gardens. You can also rent a paddle boat for a day on the water.
• Wander the streets of the Centro Historico. Stop at one of the oldest markets in Madrid, Mercado San Miguel (although skip eating there), and walk through the Plaza Mayor.
• Go thrifting on Calle de Velarde, which is home to dozens of vintage clothing shops.
• Watch the sunset in Parque del Oeste and visit the Debod Temple, a gift to Spain from Egypt.
• Take a day trip to Toledo (the former capital of Spain) and Segovia (a charming historic Roman city).
• Take a day trip to Ribera del Duero for a day of wine tasting.

Tours in Madrid to Book

A lot of the top activities in Madrid require advance tickets. You don’t want to wait to book your tours, because they will sell out! Below are a few of the top Madrid tours to book in advance:

• Royal Palace Tour (highly recommend a guided tour and early entry with GetYourGuide)
• Prado Museum skip-the-line tickets (seriously, the ticket line gets ridiculously long)
• Reina Sofia Tickets
• Madrid food + tapas tour
• If you’re into sports, visit the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, where Real Madrid plays.

What to Eat in Madrid

Madrid is a multicultural city with every type of cuisine imaginable. There is a large asian population with incredible authentic dumpling and noodle restaurants, as well as several lovely Italian, Mexican, and American restaurants.

However, you’re likely reading this Madrid city guide because you want to try traditional Spanish food on your trip. Seek out some of the traditional Spanish foods like tortilla de patatas, croquetas, jamón iberico, and pimientos de padrón, but you should also try more local dishes.

Below are a few local Madrid specialties to seek out:

• Cocido Madrileño: This hearty stew slow-roasts a variety of meats in water with vegetables. The broth is served with fideua (noodles) as the first course, then the second course is the meat with garbanzo beans. It’s iconic Madrid!
• Bocadillo de Calamares: This fried squid sandwich originated in Madrid and is the best place to enjoy it in the country.
• Huevos Rotos: While you can find this elsewhere in Spain, it’s another iconic and popular dish for this region.

Where to Eat in Madrid

In my book, no Madrid travel guide would be complete without sharing where to eat. We are foodies, first and foremost, so food drives a lot of what we do as we explore. Thankfully, Madrid is a foodie heaven with such an amazing restaurant scene. I created an entire post about the 16 best restaurants in Madrid for first-time visitors with a helpful map, but here are a few of the top spots.

• Juana La Loca (one of my favorite tapas bars)
• Anywhere on Cava Baja
• Anywhere on Calle Ponzano (a super local street north of the tourist area of the city)
• Street XO
• Pez Tortilla (great for tortilla de patatas)
• Charnela
• Chocolatería San Ginés (for churros con chocolate)
• Bar Trafalgar

Where to Stay in Madrid

The best neighborhoods to stay in on your trip to Madrid are likely Retiro, Chueca, Opera, or La Latina. Some sections of Salamanca and Lavapies are also popular. However, the four neighborhoods above are the most centrally located to the top tourist sites and easily walkable with lots of restaurants to enjoy.

➡ Read Next: Where to Stay in Madrid for First Timers: Best Neighborhoods ⬅

Opera is by far the most popular neighborhood for first-time visitors to Madrid because it’s home to the historic center, the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor, and many other top sites. However, my favorite neighborhood to stay in is La Latina. It has such a fun vibe and great food with the iconic tapas street, Cava Baja.

No matter where you stay, it’s important to be a mindful traveler. Madrid is facing significant overtourism backlash, especially regarding short-term rentals. To support the local community and ensure a responsible stay, I recommend choosing hotels that are legally registered and contribute to the city through proper taxes and fees.

🏩 Browse accommodations in Madrid below.

Our top 3 hotels in Madrid, Spain

• Luxury: Only YOU Hotel Atocha ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, 9.0 rating
• Mid-range: B&B HOTEL Madrid Centro Puerto del Sol ⭐⭐⭐⭐, 9.0 rating
• Budget: Toc Hostal Madrid ⭐⭐⭐, 8.8 rating
  Explore all Madrid hotels >

Getting Around Madrid

Madrid has a fantastic metro system that easily connects travelers to virtually anywhere in the city. Rides cost between €1.50 and €2.00 per trip, but you can purchase multi-fare passes for slightly less. The metro offers a 50% reduction for 10-trip tickets, which is what we bought.

This is definitely the most cost-effective and often the fastest way of getting around. Walking is also a great way to see the sites and most areas tourists will visit are very walkable and safe. If you need to go longer distances, you can get a taxi or Uber. Madrid banned rented electric scooters in 2024, so that’s no longer a way to get around.

If you’re trying to get from the Airport into the city center, I recommend taking the metro or a taxi. There is an Express Bus (Bus Line 203) that goes from Madrid Airport to the Atocha Train Station.

However, you’ll still need to get a metro ticket and get to your final destination from there. Tickets for the Express Bus are €5 and can be bought inside the bus in cash, via a contactless bank card, or with your phone.

If you want to take a taxi to and from the airport or train station, it will charge a flat-rate fee, which is 30€ at the time of this writing. Rates increase at night and should be listed on the taxi window.

Madrid city guide for public transportation:
🚉 Metro is the easiest way to get around from spot to spot, but it has an extra charge to the airport.
🚍 The Express Bus can take you from the airport to the Atocha Train Station for 5€ one way.
🚕 The most expensive option costs $10 – $45 per ride, depending on where you’re going.
🚶🏼‍♂️Walking is the best way to get around within the city. We walked 10 – 12 miles a day.

Madrid Travel Tips

Here are a few insider tips to help you have a better travel experience and to avoid having an overly touristic time in the city. These aren’t the same tips you’ll find in every Madrid travel guide and use my “insider” knowledge from multiple visits and having family/friends who live in the city.

How to spot tourist trap restaurants

Avoid grabbing a meal in the Plaza Mayor. It’s a beautiful plaza with charming restaurants surrounding the square, but the food is more expensive and often not very good. You’ll see a lot of restaurants advertising paella and sangria for lunch or dinner, with a bright yellow-orange-looking dish in photos.

Avoid this at all costs! It’s not real paella and is often reheated in microwaves. I promise, you’ll be so disappointed and also pay a ton of money.

Is Madrid safe to visit?

Madrid is safe to visit, but pick-pocketing and opportunistic theft on the street are common occurrences here. Don’t carelessly hold your phone out on the street as you navigate or scroll through social media. I’ve seen people pass by on bikes and grab it from their hands!

Have a tight grip on your phone, put it in a zippable bag (not your pocket), and always have your bag on your body. Don’t leave it on the ground at restaurants.

Tipping in Madrid

Tipping isn’t customary in Spain (or most European countries). You can round up your bill to the nearest euro if you want to support the server or say thanks. If it were a nicer dining experience, for example, at a Michelin restaurant, you can leave a 5% tip. But tips are usually not expected, even in finer dining experiences.

When do people eat in Madrid?

Spain has a very unique dining schedule. People in Madrid eat lunch and dinner later, around 2:00 – 3:00 pm and 9:00 – 10:00 pm, respectively. Try to adhere to their later dining schedule to have a more authentic experience. It also means you won’t go hungry because you knew all restaurants would close between 4:30 and 8:30 pm!

Cash vs Card (How Much Money to Bring to Madrid)

Most shops, restaurants, and popular tourist sites in Madrid will accept debit or credit cards. Very few places are cash only these days, but you should always have some cash on you. I recommend no more than €100 for a three-day trip for two people. On our last trip, we spent three weeks in Spain and spent less than €200 the entire time.

You can exchange money beforehand at your bank if they don’t charge a fee. However, we use our Revolut card to withdraw cash from local ATMs. The following ATMs do not charge a fee for international cards (although it’s always wise to confirm before pulling out cash).

• Unicaja (Free)
• Deutsche (Free at most ATMs)
• Bankinter (<€1)
• Banco Popular (<€1)
• Banco Pastor (<€1)
• Targobank (<€1)
• Caja Rural (<€1)

What to Bring on a Madrid Trip

To finish off this Madrid travel guide, let’s talk about what you should bring with you.

• 🎒 Zippable backpack with straps or fanny pack: Given that pickpocketing is a serious issue in Madrid, make sure you have a secure way to hold your belongings. I recommend a backpack with a zipper, not an open top or drawstring. We always kept our phones and wallets in our backpacks in the interior zipper.

• 🩻 Travel Insurance: We always recommend having travel insurance to cover the “what-ifs”. While Madrid is safe, it’s nice to know you would be covered if there were any major medical emergencies or trip interruptions. Our go-to travel insurance is Safety Wing. You can get a free quote for coverage by clicking here.
  
  
• 💃🏻 Cute outfits: Madrid is a very trendy, chic city. The fashion is on point, and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb in your tourist or athleisure clothing (seriously, please leave that at home). I love leveling up my travel wardrobe with Nuuly for trips like these. I can rent 6 pieces of clothing from some of the top designers for a low fixed-rate fee. Try Nuuly here. Blazers, trousers, heels, and cute dresses should be staples for the trip.

• 🔌 European adapter: For anyone traveling outside of Europe, you will need a European adapter to charge things like your phone or computer. This is the adapter we chose, which allows for items requiring up to 100W (like a laptop) to charge.⚡️ Be careful with high-wattage things like razors or straighteners. Electricity is stronger in Europe than in the US, and certain gadgets have a hard time (I’ve ruined two hair tools now).
  
  
• 👟Comfortable shoes. We walked 7 to 10 miles a day exploring Madrid. Dennis almost exclusively wore his Earth Runners, while I mostly wore my Vessis. They are waterproof sneakers, so I don’t have to worry about a rainy day, and they are incredibly comfortable and cute. Grab a pair here!
  
  
• 💳 Travel credit card with no international fees: Most places in Madrid will accept credit and debit cards. But before swiping, check your bank or credit card company’s international fee policy.

Frequently Asked Questions about Traveling to Madrid, Spain

Hopefully, this Madrid travel guide has made you feel more confident in planning your trip to Spain’s capital city. Madrid is seriously a *vibe* with so much to see and enjoy. If you found this Madrid city guide helpful, let me know in the comments below, and make sure to check out our other Spain blogs below.

• The Perfect 3 Days in Madrid Spain (Itinerary with Map)
• Where to Stay in Madrid for First Timers: Best Neighborhoods
• The 15 Best Places to Eat in Madrid You Can’t Miss
• 3 Days in Barcelona, Spain: The Best First-Time Itinerary
• 10 Amazing Wineries in Ribera del Duero Spain You Have to Visit
• The 18 Best Tips for Traveling in Spain (From an Insider)