Madrid

[Bob]

I've just booked flights and a hostel in Madrid for 5 nights in feb.

 

My mates band are playing (supporting millencolin across Europe) and I haven't left the country in 4 years, so I decided to fuck it, book a ticket and just go.

 

Was gonna do thurs - sat but so much cheaper to fly home on Tuesday I decided I'd rather spend the same amount of money and be in Madrid than be in Leeds.

 

Athletico are at home to Villarreal on the Sunday, so gonna try to get to that - what's the best way to sort tickets?

 

After that, what should I be looking to do on my own in Madrid?

[Scott_M]

Walk round the park at Banco Espania - get some knock offed Real or Athletico shirts from the Lucky Lucky Men there.

 

There are some museums round there as well if that's your thing.

 

A walk round the Palace is decent.

 

Tour the Bernabau. 

 

Tour the Caulderon.

 

Hit up Spanish lasses on Tinder / POF.

[njackets]

I was there in October for a weekend, I can only offer advice on going on the piss (which I had to do on my own 1 night due to lightweight mates) if thats your thing?

[Jairzinho]

Avoid the main square.

 

It's full of obnoxious American teenagers on their first holiday, wine the colour of olive oil, and a man making squawking noise all day.

[Bob]

I was there in October for a weekend, I can only offer advice on going on the piss (which I had to do on my own 1 night due to lightweight mates) if thats your thing?

I'll take that advice, please sir

[njackets]

I'll take that advice, please sir

We used to start off in O'Neils there's 3 decent ish bar/clubs on the same road you can get in for free one oppsite and two down the road towards the square next door to each other 1 for youngish -30 year olds one like a Spanish Flairs.

 

If you wonder off around there its prety much bar central there's an Irish type bar around the corner from there which gets packed with a good atmosphere and is full of birds (I found it easier to pull in Madrid than I have anywhere else for a long time) think you hit the square at the bottom of O'Neils and do a right down one of them roads.

 

If you need help keeping you going in the night don't buy round the streets as its mostly shite i'm told. Take advantage of the bar/club promoters offers as you can get you free entry and a couple of cheap drinks.

 

I found this afterhours club called Las Horas which opens at 06:00 in the morning if thats your thing quite messy and lets you smoke in there, The Metro is 24hours a day and quite easy to find and use.

 

My weekend is quite hazy thats the best I can do for you mate, hope it helps.

[Bob]

O'neills and flares!

 

Wicked!

[njackets]

O'neills and flares!

 

Wicked!

Its not a Flairs but they play a lot of 80's/70's and the place is full of 30+ birds, get friendly with the Romanian bird who does the promotion outside by insisting she does a shot with you (She loves Scousers) and she'll sort you some extra drinks the next day.

[Bob]

Its not a Flairs but they play a lot of 80's/70's and the place is full of 30+ birds, get friendly with the Romanian bird who does the promotion outside by insisting she does a shot with you (She loves Scousers) and she'll sort you some extra drinks the next day.

Any idea how she feels about brummies?

[Bjornebye]

Got here earlier. Staying at her Dads in Alcorcon. Here till Monday. He has got us tickets for Atletico v Bilbao on Saturday. 

 

What should we avoid doing at all costs ?  

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Just now, Bjornebye said:

Got here earlier. Staying at her Dads in Alcorcon. Here till Monday. He has got us tickets for Atletico v Bilbao on Saturday. 

 

What should we avoid doing at all costs ?  

 

Dogging. 

[aRdja]

25 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Got here earlier. Staying at her Dads in Alcorcon. Here till Monday. He has got us tickets for Atletico v Bilbao on Saturday. 

 

What should we avoid doing at all costs ?  

Fly the Catalan flag?

[Bjornebye]

2 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

Fly the Catalan flag?

Thats happening. 

[aRdja]

4 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Thats happening. 

The malasaña area is very hip. Plenty of nice venues to drink vermut.

[lifetime fan]

37 minutes ago, Pistonbroke said:

 

Dogging. 

That’s always on the agenda. 

[Bjornebye]

17 minutes ago, viRdjil said:

The malasaña area is very hip. Plenty of nice venues to drink vermut.

Had a look at some backpacker website with tips on cheap and cheerful places. El Palentino in malasaña was number one so will give that area a go. Also just found out that the Madrid branch LFC supporters bar is the Triskel Tavern in the same sort of area so will head there for sundays game much to my bird and her dads delight (both blues). 

 

They are exhuming Francos body this week because his grave has turned into a shrine for Spanish facists so I might go and piss on his new plot. 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

Go and see Guernica and have a meander through El Retiro park. 

[Bjornebye]

Got the metro up to the Bernabau yesterday. Didn't do the trip just walked around it. Loads of building work going on at both ends. Probably some fan-zone stuff that I am sure will be better than the back of the annie road. 

 

Found a boss little bar on a side street in what we now know to be the gay area. Put a euro tip in the jar as he was pouring our beers and he gave us two huge plates of tapas. A big plate of paella and a big plate of just loads of stuff. 10 euros plus the 1 euro tip he absolutely loved (apparently tipping is rare over here so they appreciate it). Don't even need to buy food here with the tapas they give you. Brilliant. 

 

 

 

[Tony Moanero]

59 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Got the metro up to the Bernabau yesterday. Didn't do the trip just walked around it. Loads of building work going on at both ends. Probably some fan-zone stuff that I am sure will be better than the back of the annie road. 

 

Found a boss little bar on a side street in what we now know to be the gay area. Put a euro tip in the jar as he was pouring our beers and he gave us two huge plates of tapas. A big plate of paella and a big plate of just loads of stuff. 10 euros plus the 1 euro tip he absolutely loved (apparently tipping is rare over here so they appreciate it). Don't even need to buy food here with the tapas they give you. Brilliant. 

 

 

 

I hope it is yesterday’s food and you get the wild shites.

[Harry Squatter]

I went in 2007 with my footy team to watch Real Madrid and play a couple of games against local teams. 

 

We stayed in a hotel by Puerto Del Sol which isn't that far from Plaza Mayor. Our hotel was right next to Sevilla Metro station. The main squares can be very pricey and expect to pay 6 Euros for a pint of run of the mill Spanish lager. 

 

If you venture away from the main areas and Irish bars the prices will go down significantly. A woman on my team in work went 3 weeks ago and sat out in Plaza Mayor and she said the drinks she bought were really expensive. 

 

There's more bars per square mile in Madrid than any other city in Europe apparently so go off all the side streets between Sol and Plaza Mayor. They stay open all night as well. Probably better to wander off the beaten track so you don't bump into the fountain pusher and all the gegs.

 

Beware of pickpockets in Madrid, it's not as bad as Barcelona but I got my watch robbed off my wrist and my mate got his wallet robbed. All whilst we were sitting outside. 

 

Retiro Park is a beautiful place to go to in the sunny weather and there's normally loads of scantily clad women sunbathing. The lake and the Palm house there are impressive. Even if you get a crate of ale and sit off in the park it's a great way to spend an afternoon or a full day if you aren't a lightweight. It's the next metro stop up from Sevilla station and Banco D'Espana.

 

I went to a few bars around by the Vicente Calderón  (Piramides Metro) and everything was quite cheap. No tourists there at all and the locals were friendly. Probably not much reason to go there now as the stadium is no longer in use. 

 

Did the Bernabeu stadium tour, it's defo worth doing as you get a ticket for the museum as well. The stadium is easy to get to as it has a metro station literally outside the ground. 

 

The palace is also worth a visit even if you just wander round outside then visit a nearby bar for a drink.

 

If you are there for a couple of days it's worth getting a train to Toledo. It's an old medieval town where a lot of the swords for films and TV shows are made. Has a few rooftop bars that overlook the countryside. 

[Harry Squatter]

You should be ok for tickets for the Villareal game. They aren't on sale at the moment but you can sign up on their website and get a notification of when they will go on general sale. 

 

At the moment they have ones for the champions league tie against Lokomotiv Moscow for 30 Euros. The most you'll probably need to pay is 40 euros. 

 

If you dont want to sign up or order them on the internet they have a club shop on the Gran Via between Callao metro station and Santo Domingo on the opposite side is the Teatro Real. 

 

Unless they are playing Real Madrid or Barca you should be able to buy tickets on the day or day before.