I lived in Madrid for ten full years (now I live in another, nicer part of Spain). But anyway, here is a new data sheet for Madrid, the capital of the Kingdom of Spain.
Geographical situation: Madrid is right in the middle of Spain, so it is an excellent location to travel anywhere from an equal distance. Situated in the middle of a desert, the climate is brutally hot and dry in the Summer and Winters can range from quite chilly during the day to freezing at night - the good part is that it hardly ever rains or snows and nearly always sunny with perfect blue skies. Many people say they like how dry Madrid is, but I prefer more humidity. To each his own.
So, if you are a tourist, let's start with:
1. Accommodation: I can't think of any other major city in Europe - or the US, that has so many excellent choices for short stays at VERY reasonable prices. You can find, if you look VERY hard, hostels for 20 €/night. I know this for a fact since every time I go to Madrid I stay in one that is very clean and family-run in the middle of the city. I won't say which one because it's one of my best kept secrets, but you will find these sort of hidden gems if you look and are smart enough not to just go by the internet.
One of the very good things about Spain is that although the general population may be ignorant, they are extremely clean in their homes and hostels. Showers are cleaned in most places on a daily basis with "lejia" (bleach), you can literally see your face shining on the tile floors and carpeting is almost unheard of. The cleanliness in most places puts US motels or London's awful choices (if on budget) to shame.
If you are looking to rent an apartment in a NICE area, you can spend about 800 to about 1000 €/monthly if you're talking about a 3-4 bedroom, again, in a nice classy area. If you want to impress many women, tell them you live alone and got your own nice place "in the center". Most Spanish women, like Spanish men, live with their parents so that complicates things A LOT if you are looking for just one night of fun. If you have your own place, you've got 30% of the deal closed in many cases.
Areas I would recommend: Barrio Salamanca (wealthier area), Chamberi (wealthy but more mixed economically speaking), Cortes (very centric and expensive but close to everything that matters in Madrid -- close to Government, Puerta del Sol, Atocha station, Prado Museum, Reina Sofia, etc).
Barrio Malasaña is basically all hipsterish now, as is formerly quite dangerous Lavapies area. Lavapies was a place filled with illegal North African immigrants a decade or more ago, and muggings were common but not anymore.
Madrid is now basically a police state. You will see police in almost every single street, both National Police and Municipal.
*One thing to keep in mind: Unlike the USA or the UK, Spain has national ID cards and you are required to have ID AT ALL times and police can stop you to check it without probable cause -- now, normally if you are White and a tourist, they won't bother you at all since Spain desperately needs tourist money. But just be aware that Spain is not really a fully Western country so there are some police practices that wouldn't be tolerated in the US /UK. There is no such thing as a Civilian Complaints board, for instance.
Bars/Clubs
If you were to have asked me 10 years ago, I would have said that Madrid was THE PARTY CAPITAL of Europe. Not anymore - bars close much earlier than they used to and all "after hours" have long since been shut down. Even 6 years ago, you could smoke ANYWHERE in Madrid bars, restaurants, and the party truly never stopped. Now, most bars during the week will close even around 1,30/2 am. Madrid is not what it used to be and in their efforts to follow European Union diktats, they are enforcing tighter opening/closing times.
The only really good thing Madrid had going for it was its nightlife...because other than that it's not really a pretty city to visit.
On the plus side, you can get alcohol ANYWHERE since there are no licensing laws and it is not unusual to see people drinking (IN MODERATION) during the day or tapas outing.
Price-range: if you're paying more than 2,50 € in Madrid for a bottle of beer, you're doing it wrong and are going to "guiri" (tourist) bars.
Bars in Spain are not just bars for alcohol - they almost always also serve food, juices, coke, and children are allowed in (unfortunately the Spaniards love kids, no matter how annoying they are...and trust me Spanish kids are very annoying, loud, entitled and spoiled). I make it a point not to go in any bar where I see a group of kids running around. Spanish kids go wild in restaurants running around and screaming as their parents think they are God's gift to the planet.
Service in bars: Madrid is VERY RUDE and direct when you want something. Leave your pleases and thank yous at home. Just say what you want and fast. Madrid waiters are very impatient and surly. Walk in, "Hola, un tercio" (a bottle of beer)). NO TIPPING is necessary. Only American and British tourists tip in local bars. Tip is already included when you pay. I love that about Spain. No need to calculate sales tax or tip. They do it for you and its much easier. Madrileños are also very intolerant if you order something they don't know or don't do. Example: "Can you put some lime in my Fanta?" Waiter: WHAT?? LIME DOESN'T GO WITH FANTA!"
Customer: "I'd like to order lunch".
Waiter: "It's not lunch time yet, is it?"
Spanish like that you do things EXACTLY as they do it, no diversity, no tolerance for special requests.
Again, "please" (por favor) and "thank you" (gracias) are not really used in Spain. People think too much formality is not genuine.
Strangers: unlike Americans, Spaniards are much more like the English - speaking to strangers is frowned upon here in a bar. People go out with their friends, so making small talk with a stranger will many times be perceived as weird or that you're lonely. That's one of the things I definitely love about most of Europe - walking into a bar and not having to deal with some guy making random small talk with me. In the US, it is much more common to ask strangers what they do, where they are from...don't do that here, because asking someone those questions can be offensive. Waiters will also generally not talk to you, which I also love. None of this "everything ok with your food?" multiple times crap you get in the US just for the tips.
Girls in bars: NEVER EVER EVER will you see a girl alone in a bar in Spain unless she's a prostitute. Spanish girls will go with their group of friends to the bar and not expect or welcome you if you get into their conversation. Be wary of that.
Men in bars: SAME. Spanish men don't have the "cojones" to go alone to a bar. All Spaniards, unless they are alcoholics or just plain weird, will go out with large groups of friends or at least a partner/wingman.
If you want to hook up with foreign girls though, here are some good places:
Sala Caravan -- posh/preppy style, 80s music...LOTS of opportunities to meet women. The quality of the alcohol though is not very good...but you go for the women, not the whiskey.
The Causeway -- Irish pub. 20-25 age range though, so a bit youngish crowd...sometimes even younger.
Any of the bars around Puerta del Sol area...there is one called "Fontana de Oro", run by a Russian mafia, awful quality in alcohol but good to meet foreign people visiting Spain and have a good time for some hours.
If you like clubbing, well:
Gabana Club 1800 -- high/er class and one men with piercings aren't typically allowed in. You better dress well and have money. Women here are either higher-class Spanish from Madrid or international tourists. Stick with either...if you speak English you're good to go (but make sure you carry yourself with some degree of comportment).
Ramses-near Puerta de Alcalá. Food isn't great, but quality of the people is top-notch for Madrid. A lot of women from different countries and good looking people generally.
In Spain, as elsewhere, you will find that the more money or old money someone is, the nicer looking and more intelligent.
There are others but these are some places I know well.
The people:
Madrileños are not really "friendly" as they say they are. In general people will ignore strangers, but MAJOR STARING PROBLEMS. In Barcelona and other Mediterranean coastal cities, nobody generally stares. In Madrid, the staring will be blatant if you look foreign or dress differently or have the wrong shoes. People will stare you up and down. I never get stared at since I dress very properly but if you are wearing shoes that obviously make you stand out as a foreigner, people will stare and wonder where you come from or even, at times, openly laugh/ridicule. Madrid is NOT a tolerant place for people who are in any way different from the masses. They are also very,err, "Spanish" -- eg: a bit nationalistic and get very jittery when you criticize any aspect of Spain. There are a lot of old francoist-fascists walking around and old attitudes die hard.
It may be the capital, but Madrid looks more like a provincial big town.
Monuments:
Plaza Mayor
Puerta del Sol
Palacio Real
That's about it...history wise. It's a relatively new city (compared to other Euro capitals).
SPANISH IS A MUST IN MADRID if you want to effectively communicate with the people. They are speaking more and more English, but the Spanish culture in general is very self-aware and they are embarrassed about speaking poorly or making mistakes because they think you are out to ridicule them. So just use Spanish if you can.
Daygame
As I said, Madrileños don't engage too much with strangers, but it is not as aloof as Barcelona. So if you do start talking to girls in NEUTRAL settings, things will generally be much friendlier than other cities in Spain with the exception of Andalusia in the South of the country.
Transportation
UNPARALLELED. Excellent. Buses and trains are generally on time and there are late night connections to nearly every town in the Madrid region. Much much better than Barcelona which closes much earlier and is more limited.
The Madrid closes at 2 am and opens at 6 am. Service is obviously slower late at night. Barcelona is better in that on the weekends, the metro does not close at all...but I still prefer Madrid's public transportation generally.
As a city, I LOVE Barcelona but Madrid has some perks worth noticing, so that's why I have taken the time to write this.
Madrid girls:
1) They are somewhat interested in foreigners, but nothing really tends to impress them too much. They are a bit indifferent about many things.
2) Again, hard to meet them outside their social circle since they expect men to put in all the work and will never usually approach you unless introduced through her friends.
3) They are not typically heavy drinkers.
4) Can be very loud.
5) Physically speaking, Madrid girls aren't as White as Catalan origin girls...and there are fewer instances of blonde beauties, so if you like darker types, Madrid is good for that. A high percentage of them smoke a lot.
6) Keep in mind that across Spain, Madrid girls are known to be one of the most difficult, bitchy and mistrusting in the country. Some of you may do well with them, but don't think it will be easy.
I haven't included all of the details on Madrid because it would be too long for a post. Hope this helps.
Geographical situation: Madrid is right in the middle of Spain, so it is an excellent location to travel anywhere from an equal distance. Situated in the middle of a desert, the climate is brutally hot and dry in the Summer and Winters can range from quite chilly during the day to freezing at night - the good part is that it hardly ever rains or snows and nearly always sunny with perfect blue skies. Many people say they like how dry Madrid is, but I prefer more humidity. To each his own.
So, if you are a tourist, let's start with:
1. Accommodation: I can't think of any other major city in Europe - or the US, that has so many excellent choices for short stays at VERY reasonable prices. You can find, if you look VERY hard, hostels for 20 €/night. I know this for a fact since every time I go to Madrid I stay in one that is very clean and family-run in the middle of the city. I won't say which one because it's one of my best kept secrets, but you will find these sort of hidden gems if you look and are smart enough not to just go by the internet.
One of the very good things about Spain is that although the general population may be ignorant, they are extremely clean in their homes and hostels. Showers are cleaned in most places on a daily basis with "lejia" (bleach), you can literally see your face shining on the tile floors and carpeting is almost unheard of. The cleanliness in most places puts US motels or London's awful choices (if on budget) to shame.
If you are looking to rent an apartment in a NICE area, you can spend about 800 to about 1000 €/monthly if you're talking about a 3-4 bedroom, again, in a nice classy area. If you want to impress many women, tell them you live alone and got your own nice place "in the center". Most Spanish women, like Spanish men, live with their parents so that complicates things A LOT if you are looking for just one night of fun. If you have your own place, you've got 30% of the deal closed in many cases.
Areas I would recommend: Barrio Salamanca (wealthier area), Chamberi (wealthy but more mixed economically speaking), Cortes (very centric and expensive but close to everything that matters in Madrid -- close to Government, Puerta del Sol, Atocha station, Prado Museum, Reina Sofia, etc).
Barrio Malasaña is basically all hipsterish now, as is formerly quite dangerous Lavapies area. Lavapies was a place filled with illegal North African immigrants a decade or more ago, and muggings were common but not anymore.
Madrid is now basically a police state. You will see police in almost every single street, both National Police and Municipal.
*One thing to keep in mind: Unlike the USA or the UK, Spain has national ID cards and you are required to have ID AT ALL times and police can stop you to check it without probable cause -- now, normally if you are White and a tourist, they won't bother you at all since Spain desperately needs tourist money. But just be aware that Spain is not really a fully Western country so there are some police practices that wouldn't be tolerated in the US /UK. There is no such thing as a Civilian Complaints board, for instance.
Bars/Clubs
If you were to have asked me 10 years ago, I would have said that Madrid was THE PARTY CAPITAL of Europe. Not anymore - bars close much earlier than they used to and all "after hours" have long since been shut down. Even 6 years ago, you could smoke ANYWHERE in Madrid bars, restaurants, and the party truly never stopped. Now, most bars during the week will close even around 1,30/2 am. Madrid is not what it used to be and in their efforts to follow European Union diktats, they are enforcing tighter opening/closing times.
The only really good thing Madrid had going for it was its nightlife...because other than that it's not really a pretty city to visit.
On the plus side, you can get alcohol ANYWHERE since there are no licensing laws and it is not unusual to see people drinking (IN MODERATION) during the day or tapas outing.
Price-range: if you're paying more than 2,50 € in Madrid for a bottle of beer, you're doing it wrong and are going to "guiri" (tourist) bars.
Bars in Spain are not just bars for alcohol - they almost always also serve food, juices, coke, and children are allowed in (unfortunately the Spaniards love kids, no matter how annoying they are...and trust me Spanish kids are very annoying, loud, entitled and spoiled). I make it a point not to go in any bar where I see a group of kids running around. Spanish kids go wild in restaurants running around and screaming as their parents think they are God's gift to the planet.
Service in bars: Madrid is VERY RUDE and direct when you want something. Leave your pleases and thank yous at home. Just say what you want and fast. Madrid waiters are very impatient and surly. Walk in, "Hola, un tercio" (a bottle of beer)). NO TIPPING is necessary. Only American and British tourists tip in local bars. Tip is already included when you pay. I love that about Spain. No need to calculate sales tax or tip. They do it for you and its much easier. Madrileños are also very intolerant if you order something they don't know or don't do. Example: "Can you put some lime in my Fanta?" Waiter: WHAT?? LIME DOESN'T GO WITH FANTA!"
Customer: "I'd like to order lunch".
Waiter: "It's not lunch time yet, is it?"
Spanish like that you do things EXACTLY as they do it, no diversity, no tolerance for special requests.
Again, "please" (por favor) and "thank you" (gracias) are not really used in Spain. People think too much formality is not genuine.
Strangers: unlike Americans, Spaniards are much more like the English - speaking to strangers is frowned upon here in a bar. People go out with their friends, so making small talk with a stranger will many times be perceived as weird or that you're lonely. That's one of the things I definitely love about most of Europe - walking into a bar and not having to deal with some guy making random small talk with me. In the US, it is much more common to ask strangers what they do, where they are from...don't do that here, because asking someone those questions can be offensive. Waiters will also generally not talk to you, which I also love. None of this "everything ok with your food?" multiple times crap you get in the US just for the tips.
Girls in bars: NEVER EVER EVER will you see a girl alone in a bar in Spain unless she's a prostitute. Spanish girls will go with their group of friends to the bar and not expect or welcome you if you get into their conversation. Be wary of that.
Men in bars: SAME. Spanish men don't have the "cojones" to go alone to a bar. All Spaniards, unless they are alcoholics or just plain weird, will go out with large groups of friends or at least a partner/wingman.
If you want to hook up with foreign girls though, here are some good places:
Sala Caravan -- posh/preppy style, 80s music...LOTS of opportunities to meet women. The quality of the alcohol though is not very good...but you go for the women, not the whiskey.
The Causeway -- Irish pub. 20-25 age range though, so a bit youngish crowd...sometimes even younger.
Any of the bars around Puerta del Sol area...there is one called "Fontana de Oro", run by a Russian mafia, awful quality in alcohol but good to meet foreign people visiting Spain and have a good time for some hours.
If you like clubbing, well:
Gabana Club 1800 -- high/er class and one men with piercings aren't typically allowed in. You better dress well and have money. Women here are either higher-class Spanish from Madrid or international tourists. Stick with either...if you speak English you're good to go (but make sure you carry yourself with some degree of comportment).
Ramses-near Puerta de Alcalá. Food isn't great, but quality of the people is top-notch for Madrid. A lot of women from different countries and good looking people generally.
In Spain, as elsewhere, you will find that the more money or old money someone is, the nicer looking and more intelligent.
There are others but these are some places I know well.
The people:
Madrileños are not really "friendly" as they say they are. In general people will ignore strangers, but MAJOR STARING PROBLEMS. In Barcelona and other Mediterranean coastal cities, nobody generally stares. In Madrid, the staring will be blatant if you look foreign or dress differently or have the wrong shoes. People will stare you up and down. I never get stared at since I dress very properly but if you are wearing shoes that obviously make you stand out as a foreigner, people will stare and wonder where you come from or even, at times, openly laugh/ridicule. Madrid is NOT a tolerant place for people who are in any way different from the masses. They are also very,err, "Spanish" -- eg: a bit nationalistic and get very jittery when you criticize any aspect of Spain. There are a lot of old francoist-fascists walking around and old attitudes die hard.
It may be the capital, but Madrid looks more like a provincial big town.
Monuments:
Plaza Mayor
Puerta del Sol
Palacio Real
That's about it...history wise. It's a relatively new city (compared to other Euro capitals).
SPANISH IS A MUST IN MADRID if you want to effectively communicate with the people. They are speaking more and more English, but the Spanish culture in general is very self-aware and they are embarrassed about speaking poorly or making mistakes because they think you are out to ridicule them. So just use Spanish if you can.
Daygame
As I said, Madrileños don't engage too much with strangers, but it is not as aloof as Barcelona. So if you do start talking to girls in NEUTRAL settings, things will generally be much friendlier than other cities in Spain with the exception of Andalusia in the South of the country.
Transportation
UNPARALLELED. Excellent. Buses and trains are generally on time and there are late night connections to nearly every town in the Madrid region. Much much better than Barcelona which closes much earlier and is more limited.
The Madrid closes at 2 am and opens at 6 am. Service is obviously slower late at night. Barcelona is better in that on the weekends, the metro does not close at all...but I still prefer Madrid's public transportation generally.
As a city, I LOVE Barcelona but Madrid has some perks worth noticing, so that's why I have taken the time to write this.
Madrid girls:
1) They are somewhat interested in foreigners, but nothing really tends to impress them too much. They are a bit indifferent about many things.
2) Again, hard to meet them outside their social circle since they expect men to put in all the work and will never usually approach you unless introduced through her friends.
3) They are not typically heavy drinkers.
4) Can be very loud.
5) Physically speaking, Madrid girls aren't as White as Catalan origin girls...and there are fewer instances of blonde beauties, so if you like darker types, Madrid is good for that. A high percentage of them smoke a lot.
6) Keep in mind that across Spain, Madrid girls are known to be one of the most difficult, bitchy and mistrusting in the country. Some of you may do well with them, but don't think it will be easy.
I haven't included all of the details on Madrid because it would be too long for a post. Hope this helps.
![[Image: facepalm2.gif]](https://rooshvforum.network/images/smilies/new/facepalm2.gif)
