I gotta disagree. Im from madrid and there are amazing paella places but they arent aimed towards tourists, they are aimed towards locals. If you want an easily accessible paella go to Valencia but Ive had better than Valencia paellas in Madrid
I just got back from Madrid and I agree with everything you said. The nightlife here was incredible and the food was absolutely delicious. The Spanish take great pride in regional food and we are all the beneficiaries. I found that by staying in the city centre, I was able to walk everywhere, from the Prado to the Royal Palace. Taxis were cheap and readily available and while I like to try transit systems wherever I go, because of where I was staying it would often take almost as much time to use transit as it was to walk. To your point about pickpockets, in the three weeks I was there, I never felt that my safety was compromised and I only saw a few possible pick pockets. As long as I kept my phone and wallet secure on my person, in zippered pockets, I had nothing to fear. I found the Market of San Miguel to be a bit over hyped. It was expensive and very crowded but still worth a visit. Another thing I really enjoyed in Madrid was the vermouth, so many varieties and in some of the tapas bars and taverns, the vermouth was drawn from a tapped cask. Overall, I loved Madrid and I look forward to returning. I took two day trips (Toledo and Segovia) which I also greatly enjoyed.
Loved seeing this! I lived in Madrid for two years and this made me miss it so much. Definitely get the menu del dia. I did that everyday on the Camino De Santiago and there were some for 8 or 9€ for a 3 course meal, and in smaller places if you order wine they’d leave you the whole bottle, even if you’re eating alone. Spain in general is magical and Madrid is a great home base.
I lived in Madrid 1991-95 and loved it. I did already speak Spanish when I got there, lived with Spanish girls and always socialised with Spanish people only. Greetings from Sevilla 😊
I am traveling around Europe for 3 months and your videos are the first thing I look for to know the places and what to do hahaha I really like all the help you provide to all of us!
As a Spanish person living here most of my life, this stuff is something I wouldnt even think about on a day-to-day basis. Its super cool to see the perspective of a tourist in madrid! Have fun everyone! If i had a piece of advice dont go to las bravas because I want to go!! Jajaja
Starting at 6:58 in the video, it mentions about how late people in Spain eat their meals and about how kids play with their grandparents at midnight. Well, I think I can explain why that is. It's because Spain operates in completely the wrong time zone. For example, during the March equinox, the sun doesn't rise until at least 7:15 in the morning, then doesn't set until 7:30 in the evening. It's even worse in the summer during DST when the sun times are even later. During June and July, the sun doesn't set until well past 9:30 in the evening, meaning it doesn't get dark until past 11:00 pm, then doesn't rise again until closer to 7:00 am. In Tokyo, Japan, during June and July, the sun sets at a much more reasonable 7:00 in the evening, then rises around 4:30 in the morning. This "midnight" in Madrid, when the kids play with their grandparents, isn't really midnight at all. It's more like 10:00 in the evening. I hope I'm not the only one seeing how out of sync the clocks are over in Spain.
Yes, you are right. Look at the time zones of Europe, and you will notice that Spain is in the wrong one for its longitude....thus making the sun in the sky at a much later time on the local clock.
Hi @mike Dickerson thank you for noticing technically we should be using around London time but we are following the same time that Mid Europ (aka Amsterdam. This was done during the dictatorship in Spain around the 1940s. So as our dictator liked the Germans, I am not getting into politics in this comment I am putting facts out there, we switched our timezone to match Germany/Poland and similar. There are some people saying we should go back to our original timezone, but on the other hand in our culture, we belive in "if it is not broken why fix it" kind of mentality :)
Sharing is good, we do that all the time. Madrid is on our visit list, probably go by train as we both hate flying. Glasgow to London, London to Paris, Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Madrid
Madrid my favourite city in Europe by faaaarrrr a little bit Paris and a little bit New York ...the architecture is amazing, the food, people...and the gay zone Chueca and Malasaña incredibleeeee
At the start of Chueca on the Calle de Las infantas is the El Tigre Sidra Bar and great collage bar with a plate of tapas to fill the belly of every young student or young at heart person to accompany each glass of beer or cider. After two or three beers you will be screaming no mas! Yes Madrid is a magical place and great to walk all hours of night and day from La Latina to the Duca d'Alba to the Puerta del Sol , the Gran Via to the park to the Prada and Chueca and the metro system is fabulous too. You seem like a great guide, teacher and friend to show off a great city.
Great video, as someone who lived in Madrid for 2 years I agree with all of it. I would also add, don't visit in August. It's 40 degrees and everything is closed for summer holiday 😁
As a local from Madrid I confirm I love helping tourist and giving them directios. I feel grateful they chose Madrid as their tourist destination. Also try asking the younger poeple they know more english.
Hey Alex . I hope you don't mind me picking your brains . Planning on booking a birthday trip for my partner with our 4 year old . Madrid is totally new to me . Any suggestions on areas to book ?. We love to explore, walk and eat and drink 😅 Many thanks in advance for any tips and advice
i do love their late dinners even as an american it sort of matches my families lifestyle here, daughter is in sports and activities so most nights dont even get her home till 8, wife works 12's as a nurse so ditto i work till 3;30 and sometimes do side jobs after work and also have boxing a few nights a week so we usually dont eat dinner till 9;30-10
That's so funny you mention the language thing. I had the opposite experience last time. I've lived in Madrid on and off for about 5 years. Last time I was there I really was looking forward to practicing my Spanish, but every time I went out to eat the server, noticing I was American, immediately spoke English to me. haha!
Great tips Mark! There is amazing nature very close by unlike many other major European cities too, although the landscape might just feel like home to people from some southern/western parts of the US. Also that's not sopa de mariscos, it's boquerones (anchovies in vinegar) but still delicious!
Hello Walter, l stumbled across your video. I moved to Madrid in November. It is a wonderful city. Even though I've been living here for a few months now and grew up here (and later moved to the states) l learned a lot from this video so thank you!
Thanks Mark for another great video , going to Madrid and Valencia as part of a European trip in May . I’ve watched/listened too all your videos for any country I’m wanting to visit many times . Merry Christmas to you and the family !
I visited Madrid two weeks ago for the first time. I stayed at a hotel righ in the center of Madrid on Gran Via. If you stay in the center, please note that it will be very crowded and very noisy till 3:00 AM pretty much every day. Also, I found the food in the city center quite greasy with fried food (fried potatoes, crockets, fried pork or meat, fried eggs). I did enjoy my day trip to Toledo and Seville.
When it comes to the food, Madrid is quite an impressive place when it comes to gastronomy, you have millions of choices, specially in the city, and it's very inexpensive (specially in the case of free tapas with your drink). Also our food culture is very much based around sharing and eating together (we call it picoteo, you order many plates and share so everyone takes a taste). And honestly, paella or sangría are not typically from Madrid, and it's best to avoid them, sure some Spanish people can recommend nice places for those, but try to have a taste of what is typically from the city (and is way better bc it's local, so waaay more fresh). If you want paella go to Valencia, if you want sangría, go to Andalucía, it's like asking for Chicago deep dish pizza in Kansas, makes no sense.
What are some typical dishes from Madrid? Genuinely interested to know because I’ll be going Oct 26- Nov 6 with my friend. Would love to know the local dishes :)
I like how u say that there are places that are very touristy, it's true it's better if u know someone who's from the country u visit. Sometimes even there are places to shop that are cheaper like clothing stores or electronic shops if u know someone from the country who can take u there.
We went to Madrid Just recently and we loved it. The Plaza Mayor is beautiful and offers many foods alternatives. We took all kind of tours that allows us to see the city in a week. By Plaza Major, we ate at Botin Restaurant, one of the oldest restaurants around. We had cochinito 🐷. It was amazing meal. The tapas we had were great. I like a little how the Spaniards eat. Small meals. Enjoyed the siestas and the late nights eating outside. The city felt safe for me. Police is very efficient, we saw them off and on every where. They keep their city so clean. Everything early in morning you see government employees sweeping the plazas and the streets. Ut is amazing to see how efficient they are keeping a such of big city so clean! We will go back anytime!!!!
I enjoyed Spain once I got past the glares of repulsion. I watched Walter's videos and got a lot of insight on traveling. But, as earth goes, I watched videos of what to expect as a person of color. The reality was I got there and was going to enjoy it. AND I DID!!!! I actually plan on going back.
Man the glares was the most annoying part of my Spain trip. Me and my friend made it into a game. Whenever someone was glaring, we both stare at them until they looked away 🤣🤣
@@unsilencednation6036 the first night at a mall in Alcala, the head of a clerk just about exploded that we were there. By the next morning, I was over it and started giving the Wendy Williams "how you doing?" There was quite a bit of ruffling that was amusing. My daughter's friends from South America told her that there's a lot of racism and prejudice. Maybe from the Moorish occupation. It really doesn't matter. Anywhere there's soil, we have been there. No matter where the deeper they dig, the blacker it gets. It is what it is.....
Sorry that you both had less than positive experiences when in Spain/ Madrid. My experience was totally different, my mom and I did a tour of Spain in 2008 and started the tour in Madrid. And we got nothing but smiles from elderly couples walking near the Temple of Debod. The first night, we went to the Plaza Mayor and my mom thought it was so sweet how the older men would hold their wives' arms as they took their evening 🌆 paseos( walks,); in the Plaza. As we continued our tour, we were met with smiles and we and some of the women in our tour group ( international some from US and Canada, and Australia ) got flirted with as we started to return to the tour coach from seeing the Plaza de España in Seville
Thanks Walter for this great video. I love Madrid. I was there many years ago for 4 weeks to learn basic spanish, and in september 2022 for one week on a holiday. I love the city for the food, the museums, the people, the wonderful retiro park, the markets and much more. I was however quite shocked to see that there are so many homeless people, living and surviving on the streets. I dont know how the can survive in winter.
I dont understand your reaction. As I said, I love Madrid and it has a very dear place in my heart. It is not a critism at all to Madrid, it just made me sad to see so many homeless persons and to think of them in winter. Thats all. Empathy and no harm intended.
@@swissfoodie3542 So, are you rtrdd? is easy, Madrid has not more homeless than some another european cities, and almost all are romanians or magrebians... so, whats your point talking about homeless in a Madrid video?
6:51 Dinner at 9pm? well now, that must be difficult. I know that if I eat dinner at 7 or half past, I struggle with it.....also once again, great share, Spacious, gracious
Love this part: dont expect much english. Of course, when you go to a country where English is not the official language, please, take your time to learn some words in local language. Many english speaking tourists believe that "as I speak English, everybody must understand me" maybe your wrong... maybe. If you are the tourist you have to make te effort to understand and be understood.
I'm from Madrid, I don't know why I always end up watching these tourist advice videos for my own city LOL Good tips, I'm not actually from the city but from a town in la Sierra and I agree with the daytrip thing hahaha! Especially for americans who are used to driving long distances, you have some really nice stuff less than a 2 hour drive from the city. Not necessary to rent a car tho, there's always buses or trains. Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial as you said, but also some beautiful nature in the mountains, lots of Embalses (Valmayor, Pantano de San Juan, La Jarosa) and hiking routes around there, in winter time if it snows you can have some fun in the snow in Navacerrada. Expect even less English though! And the quality of the food can have more variance. Rare to find a place that really sucks in the city but also rare to find a "mega deal" but in these smaller towns both can happen Tapas can be hit or miss, there are places that renowned for having good tapas and you can basically have dinner just barhopping and having a drink at several different places and you end up full after all the tapas, but in some other places the tapa is just some commercial chips from a bag or a small plate of aceitunas lol.
I've been to Spain once in 2008 , my mom and I did a packaged 9 day guided tour ( I'm American from California); and loved every moment of it. We went to Toledo on a stop on our way out of Madrid and on the way sourh to Sevilla, I have pictures of walking by Washington Irving's house while he lived in Tolédo in the 19th century. We saw the El Greco painting in the Cathedral. While in Madrid, we did go to the Prado which we loved but my mom loved museums and so do I. You're not alone in watching videos about Madrid, I watch videos about what do in Southern California and throughout the state and I am a native of Los Angeles. 😁☺️
Madrid is a magnificent city, I loved it so much, I went this and last year 🤩 As for day trips, Toledo is doable, but you'll be rushed. Segovia also is doable, but again, there is a lot to see. The perfect trip plan would be Madrid for 5 days, Toledo for 2 and Segovia for 2, and Make El Escorial a day trip. By the way, Toledo and Segovia cathedrals are incredible!!! In Madrid, do not do a museum cram day, you'll be so sick of art, you'll never want to look at another painting again. There are three main museums, do one per day. The Prado does not allow photos, so if you feel like you can only do two museums, do the Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza only, where they do allow photos (though the RS bans photos of Picasso's work). Call me a typical tourist, but I want those photographic memories after I visit a place and often a no photo policy means I'll skip it.
As a Madrid resident I agree with most of what you said except for the museum suggestions. Honestly, I get that you want pictures but missing out on El Prado just for that reason seems ilogical for me. It hosts some of Spain's best artworks and some of the world's most beautiful yet overlooked pieces (mainly bc of the mainstream notoriety of the Louvre's, the Neuer's and others' collections). If you are into classical art El Prado is almost obligatory, and for sure you could never be done with it in a single day. Also they offer discounts for uni students (national and international) and they offer a free pass after 6 p.m. (just before the museum closes) for EU citizens (for those interested in only planning a trip to look at the better known pieces).
I love Madrid I am originally from the city, now living in the Netherlands. I consider myself a madrileño local person, and I agree with all your points. Do not despair though if you do not speak Spanish, the situation is getting better over time younger people have been learning more English in schools and such and the city is more focused on tourism so you will see more people understand English. I agree that you should learn some Spanish, as indeed we are super friendly and help a lot. It really cracked me up the thing with the gestures that you explained I did not realize we did that, we are really expressive in that way. Thank you Walter for promoting my city it definitely pulled on my heartstrings seeing my hometown you do not know how much I miss it. Btw if you are low on cash there are many cheap and even free activities around the city, Prado is free after 17-18h during the week so you can check it without paying, also the menu of the day is a must, I rarely go "a la carta" going out of the menu. It is not really worth it unless you really want a specific dish. I loved this video it was like it was made by a local, Walter you seem to be a proper "gato" from Madrid.
Wolter what’s the name of the restaurant you got the meal of the day at? With the bread, beer, steak, and seafood soup! Can’t wait to visit next summer
Hello. New subscriber. Saw some of your Ireland ones before I visited and thank you. Question, not sure if you’ve answered in other videos. I’m a big guy. Is this place “big guy” friendly? 😅
My very first memory of Madrid when I came first time to Spain was somebody wanting to steal my purse on the metro. But that is nearly normal, in European big city as I later read in statistics about the most petty theft problem towns in the world. Most of them (Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Prague among others) are in Europe, and I wonder about why police is not doing more against it. This problem does not exist in Southeast Asia, f.x. in Bangkok where I stay.
Parisian here, my reply for u is that thieves don't get enough punishment at all, just 2h in police station and get released, and lot of them are immigrants and pretend to be underage here and they don't carry ID so that's why police don't waste their times they just arrest them and let them go without punishment.
Does anyone know if there are particular bus/tram routes that take you to most of the attractions like in Berlin’s bus 100 or Warsaws Tram 23? We’re only going for the day so we’re looking for something fast paced
Hi Wolter I really appreciate your channel I will be traveling to Madrid alone and I will most likely be staying at a hotel closer to Barajas airport . Will I still he close enough to go to Madrid city center with the night life and restaurants? Thank you ❤
That pretty much sounds like my meal schedule, with smaller meals/snacks throughout the day. I don't understand how Americans eat dinner at 6PM. Way too many hours between that and waking up.
@@woltersworld Enhorabuena por tu Español tienes muy buen control del idioma, enhorabuena por un video tan interesante sobre mi ciudad natal. Se echa mucho de menos Madrid.
I didn't realise the menu del dia wasn't compulsory by law anymore. It was repealed in 2010 apparently. Still yet to see anywhere that doesn't do it though. Worth pointing out that free tapas is only served with alcohol. You won't get any if you have a coke. Also I've noticed fewer and fewer places actually doing it these days. Surprised you didn't mention the bocadillo de calamares since its the unofficial "dish" of Madrid (never understood that since there isn't a port and it's literally as far away from the sea as you can get in Spain). Love the jacket by the way 👍
My wife and I are going to Paris in march.....we keep thinking , do we head to San Sebastián? do we go to Germany Munich? we are really open for a couple weeks....what do you recommend? after Paris in march? been to Italy Prague already.
Madrid is beautiful. To me it seemed more polished posh clean city versus Paris which was more historic magical romantic vibe to it. Both were great but I don’t think you can’t go wrong with either. The flamenco 💃🏽 & sangria in Madrid top notch!
@@adrilyst5 Went to spain. From san sebastian to barcelona, segovia...allover....beautiful. did france basque n pyrenees....and portugal. Ill take Portugal over spain ....of all our travels I think we tend to like exotic countries a lot more....europe maybe overexposed...I dnt know....Laos, Guatemala.....magical. a feeling I just dont get from europe...doesnt mean I wont return to other european countries
@@adrilyst5 Tikal Guatemala....The natural beauty. Classical Maya site. Sitting atop the sun temple above the jungle canopy,seeing for miles, Howler monkeys howling all around you. Just cant explain how beautiful the feeling. They keep the park pristine. Couple commercial shops open, that was it, at least when I went. Area closes at 5 pm to protect wildlife, including Jaguars. Its like the Grand Canyon, take as many pictures as you want..never will you capture the beauty. Of course , one of my desires has always been to see major Maya sites. To have an exotic miniature toucan fly next to you...and im not talking cuz hes in an enclosed setting , but your literally in pristine jungle......no fences...I could go on and on...Flores lake Island was quaint ...everyone is different....I like feeling like im in an ancient time....and culture.
Paella is a dish from Valencia. You should only ever eat it there. And I agree re the pickpockets, don't skimp on the taxi back to the airport by using the Metro instead (speaking from experience here). And if you're a soccer/football fan the Estadio Bernabéu is awesome (take a well-stocked wallet !).
@Marco Ceca I'm saying that the real deal is in Valencia. Everywhere else paella is a pale copy sold to unsuspecting tourists who don't know any better.
@@WDH59510dude paella is not that difficult. You can get great paella using the same ingredients (none of them are particularly exotic even saffron is easy to find) with the same dish with the same process in many parts of the world never mind Spain. I can even cook a very good one myself. With the socarrat or fond at the bottom.
Sangria and paella are things for tourists who don't know anything. We don't drink sangria and we don't usually eat paella outside the home. By the way, sangria is disgusting.
Eso no puede ser verdad, precisamente el agua de Madrid es una de las mejores de España y los madrileños se sienten muy orgullosos de su excelente agua que se puede beber sin ningún problema y es de las mejores.
Spain, the UK & France are not dangerous. What you been reading. I’ve been to all 3 many times. Never had any trouble. There are dodgy areas every major city on earth
@@eqschuster porque ingles es mais important lingua e todos personas quienes terminan la escuela secundaria deberían poder hablar inglés B1 al menos, en mi país ahora también es un estándar, las personas mayores están bien, pero si tienes menos de 40 años y, por ejemplo, tienes un título universitario y no hablas inglés, eres un simplón. para mí.
@@eqschuster y Madrid es capital, no lo espero en algún pueblo pero capital sí, en Praga o Brno no te pasará que tengas problemas con el inglés en restaurantes y etc.
Directions for best Paella spot in Madrid... First go to the train station, buy a ticket for Valencia, get on train, get off. You should be good. 😄
I went to Valencia last year and I had the best holiday!! It was so amazing& so much fun.
I gotta disagree. Im from madrid and there are amazing paella places but they arent aimed towards tourists, they are aimed towards locals. If you want an easily accessible paella go to Valencia but Ive had better than Valencia paellas in Madrid
@@RoogaltYo también
In fairness, for those of us who eat Paella once every 10 years, any Paella in Spain is probably fine and better than we’d get anywhere else. 😀👍🏼
Great advice 😅😂
I just got back from Madrid and I agree with everything you said. The nightlife here was incredible and the food was absolutely delicious. The Spanish take great pride in regional food and we are all the beneficiaries. I found that by staying in the city centre, I was able to walk everywhere, from the Prado to the Royal Palace. Taxis were cheap and readily available and while I like to try transit systems wherever I go, because of where I was staying it would often take almost as much time to use transit as it was to walk. To your point about pickpockets, in the three weeks I was there, I never felt that my safety was compromised and I only saw a few possible pick pockets. As long as I kept my phone and wallet secure on my person, in zippered pockets, I had nothing to fear.
I found the Market of San Miguel to be a bit over hyped. It was expensive and very crowded but still worth a visit. Another thing I really enjoyed in Madrid was the vermouth, so many varieties and in some of the tapas bars and taverns, the vermouth was drawn from a tapped cask. Overall, I loved Madrid and I look forward to returning. I took two day trips (Toledo and Segovia) which I also greatly enjoyed.
Loved seeing this! I lived in Madrid for two years and this made me miss it so much. Definitely get the menu del dia. I did that everyday on the Camino De Santiago and there were some for 8 or 9€ for a 3 course meal, and in smaller places if you order wine they’d leave you the whole bottle, even if you’re eating alone. Spain in general is magical and Madrid is a great home base.
I lived there for 2 years as well, 2006-8. Absolutely a great city
How can someone from the us move there
how did you do this?
@@benmacmillan1323 I heard it's way cheaper in Spain but harder to find work
I lived in Madrid 1991-95 and loved it. I did already speak Spanish when I got there, lived with Spanish girls and always socialised with Spanish people only. Greetings from Sevilla 😊
I love El Escorial. Beautiful town and art. Terrific.
I am traveling around Europe for 3 months and your videos are the first thing I look for to know the places and what to do hahaha I really like all the help you provide to all of us!
Wolters videos are great advice
Spain Revealed is a GREAT channel for learning about Spain and the food!
I agree! James and Yoly!
As a Spanish person living here most of my life, this stuff is something I wouldnt even think about on a day-to-day basis. Its super cool to see the perspective of a tourist in madrid! Have fun everyone! If i had a piece of advice dont go to las bravas because I want to go!! Jajaja
Thanks!
Thanks Mark, España is definitely on my bucket list.
Que hermoso Madrid y su cultura
Starting at 6:58 in the video, it mentions about how late people in Spain eat their meals and about how kids play with their grandparents at midnight. Well, I think I can explain why that is. It's because Spain operates in completely the wrong time zone. For example, during the March equinox, the sun doesn't rise until at least 7:15 in the morning, then doesn't set until 7:30 in the evening. It's even worse in the summer during DST when the sun times are even later. During June and July, the sun doesn't set until well past 9:30 in the evening, meaning it doesn't get dark until past 11:00 pm, then doesn't rise again until closer to 7:00 am. In Tokyo, Japan, during June and July, the sun sets at a much more reasonable 7:00 in the evening, then rises around 4:30 in the morning. This "midnight" in Madrid, when the kids play with their grandparents, isn't really midnight at all. It's more like 10:00 in the evening. I hope I'm not the only one seeing how out of sync the clocks are over in Spain.
Here in California it's basically like Spain
Yes, you are right. Look at the time zones of Europe, and you will notice that Spain is in the wrong one for its longitude....thus making the sun in the sky at a much later time on the local clock.
Hi @mike Dickerson thank you for noticing technically we should be using around London time but we are following the same time that Mid Europ (aka Amsterdam. This was done during the dictatorship in Spain around the 1940s. So as our dictator liked the Germans, I am not getting into politics in this comment I am putting facts out there, we switched our timezone to match Germany/Poland and similar. There are some people saying we should go back to our original timezone, but on the other hand in our culture, we belive in "if it is not broken why fix it" kind of mentality :)
Sun barely sets in Finland in the summer and yet in our culture we eat early year round 😊
Sharing is good, we do that all the time. Madrid is on our visit list, probably go by train as we both hate flying. Glasgow to London, London to Paris, Paris to Barcelona, Barcelona to Madrid
Madrid my favourite city in Europe by faaaarrrr a little bit Paris and a little bit New York ...the architecture is amazing, the food, people...and the gay zone Chueca and Malasaña incredibleeeee
I just visited Madrid a month ago. I had a wonderful time. Would love to go again!!!
Look forward to going to Madrid:) thank you for sharing your tips!
At the start of Chueca on the Calle de Las infantas is the El Tigre Sidra Bar and great collage bar with a plate of tapas to fill the belly of every young student or young at heart person to accompany each glass of beer or cider. After two or three beers you will be screaming no mas! Yes Madrid is a magical place and great to walk all hours of night and day from La Latina to the Duca d'Alba to the Puerta del Sol , the Gran Via to the park to the Prada and Chueca and the metro system is fabulous too. You seem like a great guide, teacher and friend to show off a great city.
All hours of the day and night? Yeah if you want to get robbed.
Great video, as someone who lived in Madrid for 2 years I agree with all of it.
I would also add, don't visit in August. It's 40 degrees and everything is closed for summer holiday 😁
40 degrees is cold bro 😂
@@oa8945 40°Celsius bro 😂
@@no_soy_rubio I know I'm just playing 😂
@@oa8945 I melt in 40 degrees 🤣
@@kyran333 that's a normal day in the California summer 😂
As a local from Madrid I confirm I love helping tourist and giving them directios. I feel grateful they chose Madrid as their tourist destination. Also try asking the younger poeple they know more english.
Hey Alex . I hope you don't mind me picking your brains . Planning on booking a birthday trip for my partner with our 4 year old . Madrid is totally new to me . Any suggestions on areas to book ?. We love to explore, walk and eat and drink 😅
Many thanks in advance for any tips and advice
i do love their late dinners even as an american it sort of matches my families lifestyle here, daughter is in sports and activities so most nights dont even get her home till 8, wife works 12's as a nurse so ditto i work till 3;30 and sometimes do side jobs after work and also have boxing a few nights a week so we usually dont eat dinner till 9;30-10
I’m a “madrileño” and I think your video is pretty good. Thank you very much.
Going next week. I cannot wait. Thanks for the tips, Mark.
That's so funny you mention the language thing. I had the opposite experience last time. I've lived in Madrid on and off for about 5 years. Last time I was there I really was looking forward to practicing my Spanish, but every time I went out to eat the server, noticing I was American, immediately spoke English to me. haha!
We loved this city, such beautiful sceneries and food👏🏽💯💃🔥. Great tips!
I loved Madrid. It felt like a living breathing city without the over-tourism of other cities
Yeah, its not so touristy and its great city to live at. I've been living here for past year and half and I like it here.
Great tips Mark! There is amazing nature very close by unlike many other major European cities too, although the landscape might just feel like home to people from some southern/western parts of the US. Also that's not sopa de mariscos, it's boquerones (anchovies in vinegar) but still delicious!
Going there this summer, 1st time. Thank you!
good luck with the heat.
Hello Walter, l stumbled across your video. I moved to Madrid in November. It is a wonderful city. Even though I've been living here for a few months now and grew up here (and later moved to the states) l learned a lot from this video so thank you!
Thanks Mark for another great video , going to Madrid and Valencia as part of a European trip in May . I’ve watched/listened too all your videos for any country I’m wanting to visit many times . Merry Christmas to you and the family !
No tpurism
Loved every minute of madrid
I really enjoy watching these types of videos.
Excellent video! Thanks for posting.
I visited Madrid two weeks ago for the first time. I stayed at a hotel righ in the center of Madrid on Gran Via. If you stay in the center, please note that it will be very crowded and very noisy till 3:00 AM pretty much every day. Also, I found the food in the city center quite greasy with fried food (fried potatoes, crockets, fried pork or meat, fried eggs). I did enjoy my day trip to Toledo and Seville.
Quedarse en el centro no es una buena idea.
Gracias Jose! Que area de Madrid aconsejas que no sea tan turistica y tan ruidosa? @@joseluisluque449
Never been in Spain. It is definitely on my bucket list. Meanwhile I enjoy it through your videos. You just got a new subscriber!!!!
When it comes to the food, Madrid is quite an impressive place when it comes to gastronomy, you have millions of choices, specially in the city, and it's very inexpensive (specially in the case of free tapas with your drink). Also our food culture is very much based around sharing and eating together (we call it picoteo, you order many plates and share so everyone takes a taste). And honestly, paella or sangría are not typically from Madrid, and it's best to avoid them, sure some Spanish people can recommend nice places for those, but try to have a taste of what is typically from the city (and is way better bc it's local, so waaay more fresh). If you want paella go to Valencia, if you want sangría, go to Andalucía, it's like asking for Chicago deep dish pizza in Kansas, makes no sense.
What are some typical dishes from Madrid? Genuinely interested to know because I’ll be going Oct 26- Nov 6 with my friend. Would love to know the local dishes :)
I'll be in Madrid late October, early November😊Thanks for your tips.
I like how u say that there are places that are very touristy, it's true it's better if u know someone who's from the country u visit. Sometimes even there are places to shop that are cheaper like clothing stores or electronic shops if u know someone from the country who can take u there.
We went to Madrid Just recently and we loved it. The Plaza Mayor is beautiful and offers many foods alternatives. We took all kind of tours that allows us to see the city in a week. By Plaza Major, we ate at Botin Restaurant, one of the oldest restaurants around. We had cochinito 🐷. It was amazing meal.
The tapas we had were great. I like a little how the Spaniards eat. Small meals. Enjoyed the siestas and the late nights eating outside. The city felt safe for me. Police is very efficient, we saw them off and on every where. They keep their city so clean. Everything early in morning you see government employees sweeping the plazas and the streets. Ut is amazing to see how efficient they are keeping a such of big city so clean! We will go back anytime!!!!
It’s very likely that I will never get to Madrid, but great tips for many places. Thanks.
Just booked my flights/hotel!
I enjoyed Spain once I got past the glares of repulsion. I watched Walter's videos and got a lot of insight on traveling. But, as earth goes, I watched videos of what to expect as a person of color. The reality was I got there and was going to enjoy it. AND I DID!!!! I actually plan on going back.
Man the glares was the most annoying part of my Spain trip. Me and my friend made it into a game. Whenever someone was glaring, we both stare at them until they looked away 🤣🤣
@@unsilencednation6036 the first night at a mall in Alcala, the head of a clerk just about exploded that we were there. By the next morning, I was over it and started giving the Wendy Williams "how you doing?" There was quite a bit of ruffling that was amusing. My daughter's friends from South America told her that there's a lot of racism and prejudice. Maybe from the Moorish occupation. It really doesn't matter. Anywhere there's soil, we have been there. No matter where the deeper they dig, the blacker it gets. It is what it is.....
Sorry that you both had less than positive experiences when in Spain/ Madrid. My experience was totally different, my mom and I did a tour of Spain in 2008 and started the tour in Madrid. And we got nothing but smiles from elderly couples walking near the Temple of Debod. The first night, we went to the Plaza Mayor and my mom thought it was so sweet how the older men would hold their wives' arms as they took their evening 🌆 paseos( walks,); in the Plaza. As we continued our tour, we were met with smiles and we and some of the women in our tour group ( international some from US and Canada, and Australia ) got flirted with as we started to return to the tour coach from seeing the Plaza de España in Seville
@@danielleporter1829 do you blend in? ..congrats.
@@RJones-mx2oi I'm a little lost, what do you mean blend in? I'm African American
I went to Paella Real with my Spanish friends near Opera and it was very good. I don't think it was microwaved. Also, I love the tinto de verano!
Thanks Walter for this great video. I love Madrid. I was there many years ago for 4 weeks to learn basic spanish, and in september 2022 for one week on a holiday. I love the city for the food, the museums, the people, the wonderful retiro park, the markets and much more. I was however quite shocked to see that there are so many homeless people, living and surviving on the streets. I dont know how the can survive in winter.
Walter rocks. He’s the man
WTF? Madrid has not homeless compared with another big cities of Europe...
I dont understand your reaction. As I said, I love Madrid and it has a very dear place in my heart. It is not a critism at all to Madrid, it just made me sad to see so many homeless persons and to think of them in winter. Thats all. Empathy and no harm intended.
@@swissfoodie3542 So, are you rtrdd? is easy, Madrid has not more homeless than some another european cities, and almost all are romanians or magrebians... so, whats your point talking about homeless in a Madrid video?
@@piloto88ed forget it, you are just looking for trouble. Dont bother answering me again.
6:51 Dinner at 9pm? well now, that must be difficult. I know that if I eat dinner at 7 or half past, I struggle with it.....also once again, great share, Spacious, gracious
Lunch is the main meal of the day and many have a menu del dia eating out. Dinner is much lighter than in the US.
0:09 this plaza is where i stayed i was literally staying right outside the plaza
Thats cool
Love this part: dont expect much english. Of course, when you go to a country where English is not the official language, please, take your time to learn some words in local language. Many english speaking tourists believe that "as I speak English, everybody must understand me" maybe your wrong... maybe. If you are the tourist you have to make te effort to understand and be understood.
Tinto de verano reminds me of Fanschop in Chile.
I'm from Madrid, I don't know why I always end up watching these tourist advice videos for my own city LOL
Good tips, I'm not actually from the city but from a town in la Sierra and I agree with the daytrip thing hahaha! Especially for americans who are used to driving long distances, you have some really nice stuff less than a 2 hour drive from the city. Not necessary to rent a car tho, there's always buses or trains. Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial as you said, but also some beautiful nature in the mountains, lots of Embalses (Valmayor, Pantano de San Juan, La Jarosa) and hiking routes around there, in winter time if it snows you can have some fun in the snow in Navacerrada. Expect even less English though! And the quality of the food can have more variance. Rare to find a place that really sucks in the city but also rare to find a "mega deal" but in these smaller towns both can happen
Tapas can be hit or miss, there are places that renowned for having good tapas and you can basically have dinner just barhopping and having a drink at several different places and you end up full after all the tapas, but in some other places the tapa is just some commercial chips from a bag or a small plate of aceitunas lol.
I've been to Spain once in 2008 , my mom and I did a packaged
9 day guided tour ( I'm American from California); and loved every moment of it. We went to Toledo on a stop on our way out of Madrid and on the way sourh to Sevilla, I have pictures of walking by Washington Irving's house while he lived in Tolédo in the 19th century. We saw the El Greco painting in the Cathedral. While in Madrid, we did go to the Prado which we loved but my mom loved museums and so do I.
You're not alone in watching videos about Madrid, I watch videos about what do in Southern California and throughout the state and I am a native of Los Angeles. 😁☺️
😂
I do the same and I am in Paris!
Pride of origin....
Could I suggest Aránjuez for a day trip?
no
You got me at " is not as bad as Barcelona"
There is a saying; de Madrid al cielo ! 🥂🥂🎵🎵
Madrid is a magnificent city, I loved it so much, I went this and last year 🤩
As for day trips, Toledo is doable, but you'll be rushed. Segovia also is doable, but again, there is a lot to see. The perfect trip plan would be Madrid for 5 days, Toledo for 2 and Segovia for 2, and Make El Escorial a day trip. By the way, Toledo and Segovia cathedrals are incredible!!!
In Madrid, do not do a museum cram day, you'll be so sick of art, you'll never want to look at another painting again. There are three main museums, do one per day. The Prado does not allow photos, so if you feel like you can only do two museums, do the Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza only, where they do allow photos (though the RS bans photos of Picasso's work). Call me a typical tourist, but I want those photographic memories after I visit a place and often a no photo policy means I'll skip it.
As a Madrid resident I agree with most of what you said except for the museum suggestions. Honestly, I get that you want pictures but missing out on El Prado just for that reason seems ilogical for me. It hosts some of Spain's best artworks and some of the world's most beautiful yet overlooked pieces (mainly bc of the mainstream notoriety of the Louvre's, the Neuer's and others' collections). If you are into classical art El Prado is almost obligatory, and for sure you could never be done with it in a single day. Also they offer discounts for uni students (national and international) and they offer a free pass after 6 p.m. (just before the museum closes) for EU citizens (for those interested in only planning a trip to look at the better known pieces).
I love Madrid I am originally from the city, now living in the Netherlands. I consider myself a madrileño local person, and I agree with all your points. Do not despair though if you do not speak Spanish, the situation is getting better over time younger people have been learning more English in schools and such and the city is more focused on tourism so you will see more people understand English. I agree that you should learn some Spanish, as indeed we are super friendly and help a lot. It really cracked me up the thing with the gestures that you explained I did not realize we did that, we are really expressive in that way. Thank you Walter for promoting my city it definitely pulled on my heartstrings seeing my hometown you do not know how much I miss it. Btw if you are low on cash there are many cheap and even free activities around the city, Prado is free after 17-18h during the week so you can check it without paying, also the menu of the day is a must, I rarely go "a la carta" going out of the menu. It is not really worth it unless you really want a specific dish. I loved this video it was like it was made by a local, Walter you seem to be a proper "gato" from Madrid.
Nice video!!
Thanks going in May for aa 2 day layover!
So good man
The tap water can be stinky sometimes. Also the prices have increased to 15-20 euros
Awesome video
My wife on her first visit to Spain walking with me on the Gran Via: Why do I hear microwaves dinging everywhere? Me: Paella for tourists.
Wolter what’s the name of the restaurant you got the meal of the day at? With the bread, beer, steak, and seafood soup! Can’t wait to visit next summer
Hello. New subscriber. Saw some of your Ireland ones before I visited and thank you. Question, not sure if you’ve answered in other videos. I’m a big guy. Is this place “big guy” friendly? 😅
If they eat dinner at 10 PM, what time do they go to work?
My very first memory of Madrid when I came first time to Spain was somebody wanting to steal my purse on the metro.
But that is nearly normal, in European big city as I later read in statistics about the most petty theft problem towns in the world. Most of them (Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Prague among others) are in Europe, and I wonder about why police is not doing more against it.
This problem does not exist in Southeast Asia, f.x. in Bangkok where I stay.
Parisian here, my reply for u is that thieves don't get enough punishment at all, just 2h in police station and get released, and lot of them are immigrants and pretend to be underage here and they don't carry ID so that's why police don't waste their times they just arrest them and let them go without punishment.
Yeah, some one from YOUR COUNTRY.
Does anyone know if there are particular bus/tram routes that take you to most of the attractions like in Berlin’s bus 100 or Warsaws Tram 23? We’re only going for the day so we’re looking for something fast paced
Hi Wolter
I really appreciate your channel
I will be traveling to Madrid alone and I will most likely be staying at a hotel closer to Barajas airport . Will I still he close enough to go to Madrid city center with the night life and restaurants? Thank you ❤
I visited Madrid once. Unfortunately, I got sick there.
Merienda and eating 5 times a day. Those are some things we inherited in the Philippines
That pretty much sounds like my meal schedule, with smaller meals/snacks throughout the day. I don't understand how Americans eat dinner at 6PM. Way too many hours between that and waking up.
Thank you~! Very very nice video. I wanna visit there once in my life. ¿E Donde Estudiaste Espanol? Eso es marvillioso
In school and college. Lived in Argentina too.
@@woltersworld Enhorabuena por tu Español tienes muy buen control del idioma, enhorabuena por un video tan interesante sobre mi ciudad natal. Se echa mucho de menos Madrid.
It's a criminally underrated city IMO.
Awesome!
I loved Madrid
Asking for a photo with the police after they give you directions is SUCH a uniquely American thing that I can’t really get my head around it haha.
The cops there are also very attractive 😅
Yes they are. My students kept wanting to get arrested to meet them
@@woltersworld I was about to say that if they are handsome, I wanna get arrested.
How do you ask for a pitcher of water in Spanish?
¿Puedo tener una jarra de agua?
I didn't realise the menu del dia wasn't compulsory by law anymore. It was repealed in 2010 apparently. Still yet to see anywhere that doesn't do it though.
Worth pointing out that free tapas is only served with alcohol. You won't get any if you have a coke. Also I've noticed fewer and fewer places actually doing it these days.
Surprised you didn't mention the bocadillo de calamares since its the unofficial "dish" of Madrid (never understood that since there isn't a port and it's literally as far away from the sea as you can get in Spain).
Love the jacket by the way 👍
Is the tax and tip included in the price of a meal
Yes
My wife and I are going to Paris in march.....we keep thinking , do we head to San Sebastián? do we go to Germany Munich? we are really open for a couple weeks....what do you recommend? after Paris in march? been to Italy Prague already.
Madrid is beautiful. To me it seemed more polished posh clean city versus Paris which was more historic magical romantic vibe to it. Both were great but I don’t think you can’t go wrong with either. The flamenco 💃🏽 & sangria in Madrid top notch!
@@adrilyst5 Went to spain. From san sebastian to barcelona, segovia...allover....beautiful. did france basque n pyrenees....and portugal. Ill take Portugal over spain ....of all our travels I think we tend to like exotic countries a lot more....europe maybe overexposed...I dnt know....Laos, Guatemala.....magical. a feeling I just dont get from europe...doesnt mean I wont return to other european countries
@@adrilyst5 By the way, yes the sangria everyday
@@steveleal1770 ohhhh laos, Guatemala tell me more I’m intrigued!
@@adrilyst5 Tikal Guatemala....The natural beauty. Classical Maya site. Sitting atop the sun temple above the jungle canopy,seeing for miles, Howler monkeys howling all around you. Just cant explain how beautiful the feeling. They keep the park pristine. Couple commercial shops open, that was it, at least when I went. Area closes at 5 pm to protect wildlife, including Jaguars. Its like the Grand Canyon, take as many pictures as you want..never will you capture the beauty. Of course , one of my desires has always been to see major Maya sites. To have an exotic miniature toucan fly next to you...and im not talking cuz hes in an enclosed setting , but your literally in pristine jungle......no fences...I could go on and on...Flores lake Island was quaint ...everyone is different....I like feeling like im in an ancient time....and culture.
Paella is a dish from Valencia. You should only ever eat it there. And I agree re the pickpockets, don't skimp on the taxi back to the airport by using the Metro instead (speaking from experience here). And if you're a soccer/football fan the Estadio Bernabéu is awesome (take a well-stocked wallet !).
Can it be more absurd? So you only have to eat paella in Valencia? What do you eat at home, only family dishes? ridiculous
@Marco Ceca I'm saying that the real deal is in Valencia. Everywhere else paella is a pale copy sold to unsuspecting tourists who don't know any better.
@@WDH59510dude paella is not that difficult. You can get great paella using the same ingredients (none of them are particularly exotic even saffron is easy to find) with the same dish with the same process in many parts of the world never mind Spain. I can even cook a very good one myself.
With the socarrat or fond at the bottom.
@@jonathanbowen3640 saying that the real thing is made and consumed in Valencia.
@@WDH59510 tell me one unique paeala ingredient or process that happens only in Valencia.
Exactly.
Trains are supergood! Iryo!
Tap water in Madrid is excellent. No need to buy bottled water.
Don't eat the Paella in Madrid, go to Valencia, good ones take a long to to come after ordering.
Don't underestimate how big it is
LUNCH is the BIGGEST meal in Spain historicly. The other meals are smaller and social eating also but smaller in portion. /Spaniard
❤
We prefer Madrid over Barcelona.
Beware of pick pockets in those big public squares. !!!!
Not gonna lie, I ain't sharing...
JAJA Sangría is something that we the locals never drink. Its just for tourists.
👍👍👍🌹👍👍👍
Sangria and paella are things for tourists who don't know anything. We don't drink sangria and we don't usually eat paella outside the home. By the way, sangria is disgusting.
I’m convinced part of the selection process for Spanish cops, male and female, is good looks!
Last time I was in madrid I drank tap water about 5 times, got diarrea inmediately after the 5 times :D
Don't be ridiculous.
Madrid’s tap water is excellent
That's impossibile
Eso no puede ser verdad, precisamente el agua de Madrid es una de las mejores de España y los madrileños se sienten muy orgullosos de su excelente agua que se puede beber sin ningún problema y es de las mejores.
Guardia Civil, not guarda Seville, sorry...
Thou art such a pro ho, ha. Happy Trails...
Ничего не поняя , но интересно! О кей?
Use Google translate!
Spain, UK, some parts of France never in my travel list. Dangerous
Spain, the UK & France are not dangerous. What you been reading. I’ve been to all 3 many times. Never had any trouble. There are dodgy areas every major city on earth
I've been living here for one and half year and I agree, especially with that English thing, they do not speak English here at all.
¿Porqué tendrían que hablar inglés?
Es ESPAÑA, no Reinó Unido. 👀😶🤷♂️
@@eqschuster porque ingles es mais important lingua e todos personas quienes terminan la escuela secundaria deberían poder hablar inglés B1 al menos, en mi país ahora también es un estándar, las personas mayores están bien, pero si tienes menos de 40 años y, por ejemplo, tienes un título universitario y no hablas inglés, eres un simplón. para mí.
@@eqschuster y Madrid es capital, no lo espero en algún pueblo pero capital sí, en Praga o Brno no te pasará que tengas problemas con el inglés en restaurantes y etc.
The video is all about food, not useful of otherwise.
what video is this ?? super non specific ….