Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with madrid

Taking pictures in Barcelona and Madrid.

scooterdman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:00:35 -0800

What are the best locations for taking pictures of Barcelona/Madrid? We'll be spending about 10 days there. Barcelona from 12/25 - 12/28 and Madrid from 12/29 - 01/02.

I'd really like to take some nice photos, specifically of the landscape, the cities from above and the surrounding environment.

I'm also interested in taking pictures of normal touristy things, but will likely stumble into many of them on my own. (Feel free to recommend these, too, though.)

What are your thoughts? Where ought I point my camera?

Catching el clasico soccer game in DC?

uk_giffo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:50:59 -0800

Where in Washington DC will I be able to watch el clasico (Barcelona v Real Madrid) this Sunday afternoon at 1pm? I don't have cable so I want to get out to a good bar or cafe to watch the soccer game. Can any locals recommend somewhere? Anywhere metro-accessible I suppose, but the more central or NW the better. The Washington Redskins and a ton of other American football teams are playing at exactly the same time so I don't think I'll have much luck seeing it at the traditional sports bars.

As a cheeky bonus question (sorry!), are there any useful DC-centric general forums? I'm looking for an online space where I'll be able to ask these kinds of local questions and others. The forums I've found seem to lean quite heavily towards discussing politics on the hill (understably so).

How to use an iPhone in Spain without running up a ridiculous bill?

scooterdman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:03:14 -0800

How can I use my iPhone in Spain without running up a ridiculous bill? I talked to AT&T, and, not surprisingly, their plan is nonsense. You pay an extra nominal fee and get (a whopping!) 25 megabytes of data before they start issuing major fees.

I basically want to use my phone while there to check email, use Google Maps, access Wikipedia, etc. Nothing fancy.

What should I do? Is there a reasonable way to go about using an iPhone in Spain? Or am I out of luck?

FYI: I also have an old iPhone that I would be open to hacking/jailbreaking if that would be of any use, as well. Would rather not mess around with my new 3GS.

The Rain in Spain... Please Entertain (my bf)

samthemander — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:50:50 -0800

Madrid this Friday and Saturday: Any way to get my boyfriend to a sports game? My boyfriend and I are from San Francisco, spending this Friday and Saturday in Madrid at the end of a two-week trip for a wedding. We fly out Sunday morning. He's been nothing but patient with my interests the last week of the trip (museums, dancing), so I'd love to do something that's of more interest to him. He's a VERY active guy and into all types of sports, but unfortunately, it's raining where we are now (Sevilla).

Any suggestions on games, places to check out, ticket web sites, etc? Any links you can provide would be wonderful! Thanks!

Affordable Spain!

lattiboy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:46:38 -0800

What are some of the best things to do in Spain in October? Going on an 11 day trip of Spain:

We will be spending the 1st, 2nd, 3rd days in Madrid, hopping the bullet train and then spending the 4th, 5th, and possibly 6th day in Barcelona. After that we're going to play it by ear, but we're thinking of going to Valencia and different spots in Catalonia (I lined up a rental car) and driving back to Madrid (it's my scheduled drop off point for the car).

Looking for awesome stuff to check out. We'll have a car from the 6th to 11th day of the trip. It would be great if things could trend toward the affordable as I'd like to have some of our savings when we get home.

Also, is there a "city pass" type thing for Madrid and/or Barcelona? We saved a bundle on our last trip to San Francisco by getting one of those. It included metro and museum entry for a flat fee.

How do we make the most out of our trip to Spain?

scooterdman — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:03:41 -0800

How do we make the most out of our trip to Spain? We are flying into Barcelona on Christmas morning and flying out of Madrid January 2. My girlfriend (who is well-traveled and speaks fluent Spanish) and I want to make the most of our trip but want to avoid overkill.

We are working on a spending budget of around $1500. We are looking for ideas regarding daytrips, transportation, lodging and other variables we should be taking into consideration.

Cheap, but fun Europe!

lattiboy — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:19:10 -0800

Help me plan an October European vacation (starting/ending in Madrid) on the cheap! Since AskMe was SO helpful last time, I thought I'd try a bigger project:

I picked up a pair of airline tickets to Madrid for an incredible price about a month ago and now I'm freaking out about 10 days in Europe and the costs associated with that. I'll be traveling with my fiance and we're open to just about anything (we would like to avoid non-private hostel rooms). The travel dates are from October 1st until the 10th.

We'd like to see as much as possible (Paris and London especially) for as little as possible.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

PS The conversion rate being what it is, if EASTERN EUROPE is realistic, I'm all over that!

Habla inglese?

djgh — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:37:09 -0800

Getting from Benicassim to Madrid. Speaking no Spanish, trying to get three bus/train tickets from Benicassim to Madrid on the 21st July, arriving before 19:00, is proving virtually impossible.

Can anyone point to a website in English where this route is available, on that date for that time?

Many thanks for any help which you can offer.

Please help me to determine if moving to Madrid will make me go into debt.

heliotrope — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:39:51 -0800

How does the cost of living in Madrid compare to NYC? How much should I expect to pay for a one-bedroom apartment in a desirable neighborhood in Madrid? I currently work in NYC, and there may be an opportunity for me to work in my company's Madrid office for a year. This is something that I would very much like to do. However, I have just learned that typical salaries for my role in Madrid are generally between €20k-30k. My current income, adjusted for cost of living differences, equates to about €40k. While I hope to negotiate close to my current salary, I would like to determine the minimum salary that I could accept.

Any general advice about the cost of living in Madrid would be greatly appreciated. I am particularly concerned with the cost of renting an apartment. How much should I expect to pay for a one-bedroom apartment in a desirable neighborhood? The office is near Chueca and La Castellana, and I would like to have a convenient walk or commute. Also, I would prefer to avoid shared housing/roommate situations. Super bonus question: do any MeFites know of a reputable broker in Madrid that I might contact for advice?

Thanks in advance.

More money por favor.

run"monty — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:38:59 -0800

What can two people with little money do in Madrid (and in particular, Aranjuez) during a week at the end of May? We'll be there around the 23rd of May. We won't have much money to spend. What's FREE in Madrid?

MBA Wanted: Help me get to Spain!

OuttaHere — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:22:49 -0800

How do I fulfill my dream of getting my MBA in Spain? (Argentina is on the menu too). My main goal is to get my MBA, and I am currently a United States Citizen, however I have family in Spain. Morning Mefites,

This is my first question. I am young, have about 2 years of good work experience behind my back, but I am starting to go a little crazy. My wanderlust is taking control and my dream of studying abroad again needs to be fulfilled.

I have lots of family in Spain, my Grandparents were born there and have already spoken with family members who are pretty high up in the government who have told me obtaining a visa should be no problem, even a non-student visa, so I consider myself slightly lucky in that regard. I currently am looking at good International Business Schools in Spain where I can get my MBA. There are several top-notch schools in Barcelona and Madrid that I am looking at. The one problem is that I may not have enough work experience to get accepted (I'm at the complete low point). I think that with a killer GMAT score, my work experience, and my experiences studying in Spain and Argentina previously may help as well.

So what I want from you guys are suggestions, tips or ideas. I am currently in a rut at my job, unhappy, doing the same thing over and over and I realize this is part of life, but I really want to move forward and get my international experience going. How can I, a young 20 something get to my MBA in Spain. The main problem I have right now might be funding, I know I will have to get student loans for my MBA program so any suggestions on how to fund a plan like this would be of great help.

Also, does anyone else have experience getting MBA's abroad, especially in Spain?

Another thing I am looking at is potentially saying HECK with my current job (which I think is great experience) and moving down with my friend in Buenos Aires for a year in Argentina, and maybe trying to find work there that would qualify as experience. However I'm not sure if I could get anything more than an under the table teaching job there. Any suggestions?

This is my first Mefi question, you guys are the best, so any help would be great!

What's the best way to secure an English teaching job in Spain?

aikidoka — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:43:31 -0800

I'm a qualified British TEFL teacher with about 2 years experience living in the UK. I want to teach in Spain and have applied for a few jobs online in the last month but heard nothing. I am thinking of just moving to Madrid to find work, is that the only realistic way of getting a job quickly (I don't have a lot of cash) or should I hold on and try and secure a job before I leave?

Anyone know anything about Noxer?

KantGoOn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:49:59 -0800

I need information about Noxer, the pollution absorbing pavement, and fast! Noxer is a relatively new type of paving material made from Titanium Dioxide that, when exposed to light, begins a reaction that attracts the things in car exhaust that one generally does not want in one's lungs, and basically neutralizes it into something harmless.

I've been working on a magazine article about Noxer, as well as other green paving technologies, for some time and while I've a wealth of secondary background material, the extent of my interviewing has been a short email with the PR rep for the company that developed it, Mitsubishi Materials. Reason being that most of what is happening with this technology is concentrated in Europe, specifically Spain and Italy, where the fact that I can only speak English severely limits me.

I am coming up against my deadline this coming Friday and so I am throwing out a desperate cry for help to the hive mind. I am looking for someone, anyone, who would be able to provide contact information for an English speaker who is connected with the pilot project in either Madrid or Milan, or are, themselves, connected to and knowledgeable about them. I need someone who can speak on the record. People can answer on this thread or through messaging me here.

Any help that can be sent my way would be much appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Studio apartment in the sub-400 euro per month range in Madrid?

charls — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 08:08:47 -0800

MadridApartmentSearch Filter: I recently moved to Madrid to study for a year, but have a terrible experience with my current flatmates and I'm looking for another place to stay. Can I expect to find a studio apartment in the sub-400euro range, or is it too much to ask for? I've seen many places, but from what it seems the only offers in that suit my budget are from families/elderly people renting rooms to make ends meet. Can I expect to find a studio in that range, or is it too much to ask for? Can anybody lead me to some sites or newspapers where I could find such offers here?

Your help is much appreciated!

PS. My spanish is OK, so I will be able to communicate with prospective landlords.

Heading to Madrid!

Taken Outtacontext — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:24:28 -0800

I'm giving a talk in Aranjuez, Spain (southern part of Madrid metro area) in mid July and will be in the area for a week. Can anyone tell me about Aranjuez? How far is it from the center of Madrid and is it easy to get into the city? I'm a designer and am always on the lookout for cool places in cities to walk and shops that might have interesting things not found in regular stores. Is there an area in the city that might have some iconoclastic places like this and fit the bill?

I don't know how much time I'll have away from the conference I'm attending (I hope I can get away enough to see the city as I haven't been there in a few decades). Given this, what should be first on my list of things to see? (My trip is being sponsored by one of the art museums in Madrid so I'm sure I'll be seeing some art.)

Also, what is the best guide book for Madrid? Rough Guide? Something else? Thanks.

Get me from Madrid to Lisbon

scribbler — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:23:52 -0800

At the Madrid airport, will I be able to get off an international flight coming from North America and then make it on to another flight - different airline, going to Lisbon - in just under two hours (1 hr 50 min to be exact)? If I can't make that transfer then I'll probably have to end up taking a train or bus from Madrid to Lisbon or Porto.

These are both budget airlines so I'm weary of delays, but I'd really like to get to Lisbon as quickly as possible without having to stay in Madrid for a short time and then take a really long, not very much cheaper or even more expensive bus or train ride. Any help... much appreciated. Thanks!

Advice for traveling alone in Morocco?

farishta — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:46:27 -0800

Advice about traveling alone in Morocco and Madrid, or about solo travel more generally? In about a week I'll fly to Marrakech, where I have four nights booked at a Riad. I have another flight booked ten days later from Tangier to Madrid, where I'll spend another five days before returning to England. Other than that I have no concrete plans. I'll most likely train from Marrakech to Tangier, perhaps through Casablanca, but I am more than welcome to any suggestions about how to spend ten days in Morocco along this route. Should I take the Marrakech/Tangier train overnight? Are there any must-visit spots nearby? Should I go to a bullfight in Madrid, and if so, how and where? I've read the standard resources (guide books, wikitravel, previous AskMes), and my only vague worry concerns the fact that I will be traveling solo.

Does anyone have any general (or Morocco/Madrid-specific) advice about traveling alone? What and how much reading material should I bring? Are there any good tricks for staying sane for two weeks of solo travel? Any particular dangers for a 23 year old male to avoid? I'll likely be staying at hostels, where I'll meet people for short excursions, but I'm more concerned about having no one at hand to constantly bounce ideas off of, ask questions, consult, etc.

Thanks in advance!

3 Days in August: Spanish or Portuguese?

foxy_hedgehog — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:04:40 -0800

The last weekend in August: Madrid or Lisbon? I have a three-day stopover in Madrid at the very end of August (8.30-9.2). I've never been to Spain, and I have no doubt there are many wonderful things to do and see and eat in Madrid. However, I've heard some reports that Madrid is unbearably hot in August- and that everything is closed. I thought as an alternative that I'd transfer to a cheap flight to Lisbon from the Madrid airport, and spend my few days there instead.

These are obviously both amazing and very different places. But having no experience in either city or either country, I'd love your take(s) on what might be the best way to spend the time. Particularly vis a vis the August thing.

Real Madrid CF, $$$

priested — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:00:46 -0800

Real Madrid Tickets, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, More inside... Has anyone ever bought tickets to a European match (specifically La Liga) on-line from the US?

Any advice on where to go as well as how not to get ripped off? The match I'm interested in wouldn't be considered a big rivalry so tix should be available. I checked some of the immediate google search results and the tickets seemed way more expensive than I expected, anywhere from 70-180 Euros.

I paid approx. 20 Euros to see a Champions League match at the same stadium in 2001. Have they gone up that much? Thank you much for the help-

Never the twain shall meet

ohio — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 13:41:38 -0800

Where to meet a friend in Madrid? We need something very precise, since our cell phones will not be working! I am meeting a friend in Madrid on the morning of the 27th. Her flight gets in around 11:30, so I'm guessing we will be meeting around 12:30. What I need is a place that is very precise and very easy to find so we will be sure to find each other.

I will be checking out of a hotel on Calle Sevilla near Puerta del Sol, near the Sol metro station. She will be coming in from the airport on the trains. We will probably be leaving Madrid a few hours later from the Atocha railway station. Neither of us has been to Madrid before and we have absolutly no familiarity with the metro system, etc.

Is there a coffeeshop or restaurant near Sol? Maybe we should meet at or near Atocha railway station? If we meet at the railway station, is there a particular place that we both will be able to find? I'm worried about how large the station will be, etc.

Thanks!

My girlfriend and I (both college students) want to go on an extravagant vacation this January for $600 each. How should we do it?

peetle — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:31:10 -0800

My girlfriend and I (both college students) want to go on an extravagant vacation this January for $600 each. How should we do it? My girlfriend and I are students on a budget. We live in DC and Chicago respectively. We would really like to go to London or Madrid, but the plant ticket prices are terribly expensive for our budget. Oh lordy! But, we still want to go somewhere special and interesting together. We are interested in architecture, music, and walking.

Have you had any success with this before?

Strange Travelling Filter: I am trying to get to Singapore in the next few weeks from Madrid or New Jersey. Intrigued? Read on and humor me.

Lockeownzj00 — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:13:37 -0800

Strange Travelling Filter: I am trying to get to Singapore in the next few weeks from Madrid or New Jersey. Intrigued? Read on and humor me. Preliminary infos: I'm in Madrid right now. I go back to the US July 9th.

Details: Due to unforseen and wonderful circumstances (re: a woman), I have got the very fickle and far-fetched idea in my head that I will go visit this woman in Singapore. She will be travelling all summer, but she'll be in Singapore from the 10th to August 4th.

I've been scouring mefi and trying websites like airgorilla (which is strangely blocked in Spain?) and courier and stuff. I can't seem to wrap my head around this.

My question to you all is, what should I do? Should I look for Madrid -> Singapore? Should I look for Newark/NYC -> Singapore? Should I do Madrid -> Bangkok -> Singapore? Some of these combinations promise to yield a price that's significantly lower (especially if I use airasia at some point...15$? are you kidding me?)--and I am looking for the cheapest possible. Some of these sites have very poorly made search functions, so I can't just search for 'the month of july,' and my searches so far have yielded nothing. What else do I need to know? Do I need super special documents to make this work? Right now I'm just trying to work out this theoretical trip stage: where I stay and whatnot would come later.

Please help a foolish, lovesick young man.

Fun places to live in Madrid.

slimepuppy — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 04:53:19 -0800

What is a fun area to live in Madrid? La Latina? I'm moving to Madrid in May. I've been there on a (very busy) familiarisation trip for three days a few weeks ago. This brief visit is the only experience I've had of Madrid or of Spain in general.

Now I need to decide where to live. I'm not setting up permanent residence, this will be for one or two years.

My work is located near San Lorenzo metro station, so a relatively easy connection via metro/bus is essential. I don't mind a bit of a walk to the station, however. We were shown some properties near Nuevos Ministerios, Salamanca and Colombia. NM and Salamanca both seemed a bit too pricey and, well, a bit sterile. Colombia was more like it, as I'm interested in a place that has an active night life, mostly in the way of bars and restaurants. I'm in my mid 20s, so an area with a similar crowd would be good. Madrid seems nice and compact (in comparison to London at least) so the distances to fun areas aren't too critical but a some good local hangabouts are absolutely essential. Also, as my budget is somewhat limited, the most expensive areas are out.

From the brief bus tour of Madrid and the information I can muster up, La Latina looks ideal. Any other areas that are similar in 'feel' that anyone can recommend? Personal experiences of living in Madrid would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if you can draw comparisons between areas in London to give me an idea of the feel, I would greatly appreciate it. (For example, Sol was like Piccadilly Circus, touristy and good for shopping...)

Work for a English-speaking nurse in Madrid?

slimepuppy — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 04:58:49 -0800

Work for an English-speaking nurse in Madrid? Due to my job, I may soon be moving over to Madrid but a big part of the decision relies on my girlfriend's ability to find work there.

After graduating (from a London uni) this September, she will be a qualified nurse with a specialisation in sexual health. She has done several placements in various fields of nursing, including palliative care, ICU, recovery wards etc. so she has a good general knowledge of nursing and can adapt well to different working environments. Ideally she would like to pursue her specialisation, but any work is better than none at all.

The question is if there is work for a UK-trained nurse in Madrid?

Her Spanish is basic, though we will both be receiving lessons on behalf of my employer. Will this be as major hindrance as I think it is? Also, is there any extra training that has to take place before she is allowed to work as a nurse in Spain? How much do nurses earn in Spain? Should we be looking at private or public?

Any resources, information or personal anecdotes are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Madrid on a Friday night

greggish — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 08:59:13 -0800

It's Friday evening in Madrid, I got some money cause I just got paid. Oh how I wish I had somewhere to go to... It's my only Friday in this fine city, but either my friends aren't in town yet or my family members are pooping out early.

So -- who knows of a good time to be had for a young straight stag dude who likes good music, electronic in particular, but really anything at which one could shake a butt?