I can't say for Aranjuez, as I live in the centre of town, so my suggestions are aimed specifically free things to do in Madrid 'proper'.
On Saturday, the Reina Sofia museum is free. It's my favorite museum around here, but I'm a fan of contemporary/modern art. You can get in for free to most museums at certain times of day (the Prado is free for the last 2 or 3 hours of every day) or certain days on the week if you're a citizen of the EU.
If the weather is nice (it really isn't at the moment), a walk around Retiro(warning, link is slow flash 3D map thing) park is an excellent way to spend time. Also a great place for a picnic if you want to save some more money by grabbing a bit of cheap bread and meat/cheese from town.
For a cheap meal, I recommend the sidreria El Tigre (located here). Madrid is not a great place for free tapas with your drink, but the above place is the exception to the rule. Order a drink (small beer, wine etc.) for a bit over a euro and you get a plate full of whatever freshly made tapas they happen to have. Always excellent quality and it will fill you up in a drink or two. Guaranteed to be busy, but it's worth cramming yourself in. Helps if you're not picky about what food you're offered.
For the best churros y chocolate in town, head to Chocolateria San Gines locate here. Shouldn't set you back too many euros.
Other than that, I just suggest walking around town soaking in the ambience. I'll ask around from my friends if anyone's stayed in Aranjuez and knows what there is to do around there. posted by slimepuppy at 3:08 PM on May 10 [1 favorite]
One thing I love to do on a budget is take as many photos as my digital camera can accommodate, on a theme. Get a topical word into your head: sun, bulls, heat, whatever - and go on a photo exposition to find that thing. posted by mdonley at 3:39 PM on May 10
On Sunday in Madrid there is the big flea market, El Rastro. Fun people watching and you don't have to buy anything. Do be aware of pickpockets, however.
Also there is a postage stamp market on Sundays in Plaza Mayor. Not as interesting as El Rastro (to me, anyway), but also is a great people watching place and a beautiful square to visit. You can sit at an outdoor cafe there and have a beer. My personal favorite (and I am a woman) is a clara (which is beer mixed with lemonade). Another low cost activity is to ride a bus to the end of the line and back. If you take the Circular, which circles around Madrid, you can have a low-cost sightseeing tour.
Most churches are open to the public and as long as you act respectfully, are cool and a pleasant and free place to visit.
I like shopping at VIPS, which is a sort of 7-11 convenient store chain. Lots of cheap stuff and usually their restaurants have better-than-average food. FNAC is a bookstore/music/magazine store near Callao. Also at the Principio Pio train station there is almost a whole shopping mall of small artisan-type goods.
I like Casa Mingo for food, which has a very limited menu of roast chicken, salad, tarta santiago for dessert and their house drink, hard cider. It is not expensive and not touristy. It is also across the street from a chapel decorated with Goya frescos.
At any bar in Spain you can sit and people watch for a long time without feeling like the staff wants you to leave. If its nice, sit outside, sipping a beer and enjoy yourselves. Very low cost and a typical Spanish thing to do.
The big 3 art museums in Madrid (Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen) are all worth visiting. posted by daneflute at 8:36 PM on May 10
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On Saturday, the Reina Sofia museum is free. It's my favorite museum around here, but I'm a fan of contemporary/modern art. You can get in for free to most museums at certain times of day (the Prado is free for the last 2 or 3 hours of every day) or certain days on the week if you're a citizen of the EU.
If the weather is nice (it really isn't at the moment), a walk around Retiro(warning, link is slow flash 3D map thing) park is an excellent way to spend time. Also a great place for a picnic if you want to save some more money by grabbing a bit of cheap bread and meat/cheese from town.
For a cheap meal, I recommend the sidreria El Tigre (located here). Madrid is not a great place for free tapas with your drink, but the above place is the exception to the rule. Order a drink (small beer, wine etc.) for a bit over a euro and you get a plate full of whatever freshly made tapas they happen to have. Always excellent quality and it will fill you up in a drink or two. Guaranteed to be busy, but it's worth cramming yourself in. Helps if you're not picky about what food you're offered.
For the best churros y chocolate in town, head to Chocolateria San Gines locate here. Shouldn't set you back too many euros.
Other than that, I just suggest walking around town soaking in the ambience. I'll ask around from my friends if anyone's stayed in Aranjuez and knows what there is to do around there.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:08 PM on May 10 [1 favorite]