Art/Culture Buffs
The city of Madrid is completely immersed in incredible art and long-lived culture and tradition. Each neighborhood has its own distinct history. For example, The Center is made up of many alleys and plazas, and is constantly buzzing with tourists. Head to Ensanche to view one of the most fashionable, boutique shopping areas in Madrid.

Gourmets
Gourmet diners will fall in love with Madrid's sophisticated foods and artistic cuisine. The city offers a huge variety of restaurants, ranging from upscale, intricate establishments to lovely cafes. Those with a taste for the finest cuisine will discover an exquisite assortment of wines everywhere they go, coupled with a rich pork stew, or fabada, savory seafood and roast suckling pig, and that's just the beginning.

Families
As a fabulously fun family destination, Madrid captures every traveler's attention. This city features a zoo and a theme park—the Parque de Atracciones—in Casa de Campo, plus a Warner's Movie World that will leave kids entertained for hours.

Transfers
Transfers from the airport to your hotel are not included in your vacation package, but are available for purchase.

Taxi
Taxis are fairly reasonable in Madrid. Make sure your driver's meter is turned on before you get in the car so you get the best price. To get the best price, always grab a black taxi with horizontal red stripes, or white with diagonal red stripes.

Bus
The Madrid bus system is quick, efficient, and easy to use. It services not only the city, but also the suburbs and towns, and the clear-cut routes make it simple for travelers to figure out.

Train
Train service is excellent in Madrid, and is a good way to take a day trip to areas like Avilla, Segovia, or Toledo, and many others.

Here in the capital city of Madrid, you'll discover many places to experience exceptional, authentic Spanish cuisine. The biggest meal of the day is late lunch, served from 2-4pm, followed by a short siesta, which in turn is followed by tapas, or appetizers such as cheese or sausage, stuffed peppers, salad, and more to go with a glass of wine. Spain specializes is tapas bars, each offering its own unique selection.

Check out a few of these exciting restaurants:

Casa de Valencia
If you're looking for authentic paella from the Valencia coast, you've come to the right place. This top-of-the-line restaurant specializes in this delectable cuisine, as well as other rice dishes, and offers the perfect excuse for well-off Spaniards to get dolled up for lunch or dinner.

Cabo Mayor
This restaurant sets itself apart by incorporating stylish nautical elements into its design. Descend from the elegant open-air staircase and through the door below to view an array of pulleys and ropes, brass portholes, and waves painted on the floor. Choose from a variety of seafood and other specialties for an unforgettable "meal at sea."

Goizeko Kabi
This intimate eatery specializes in its Basque cuisine, with delectable dish bacalao pil-pil vizcaina, or cod in Basque garlic sauce, as well as prawns and more. For dessert, make sure to try the unique orange mousse covered in bitter chocolate, or coffee lovers may want to try the black bread ice cream with coffee sauce.

Lhardy
As one of Madrid's best-known culinary landmarks, Lhardy offers 2 levels of dining. On the first floor is a fabulous snack bar, with row upon row of tasty tapas, sandwiches, and croquettes. Head upstairs to the luxurious restaurant, featuring specialties like cocido, Madrid's signature chickpea soup, fish, veal, and soufflé sorpresa, or baked Alaska, as the specialty dessert.

Sobrino de Botín
Don't miss out on this restaurant's roast suckling pig, made famous by Ernest Hemingway's book, The Sun Also Rises. Once inside, you'll feel like you're stepping back in time to 1725, from the pig roasting in the oven to the pot of soup over the charcoal hearth. Try the roast Segovian lamb or the baked Cantabrian hake, and top it off with some fresh strawberries and cream for dessert.

Zalacaín
Considered one of the best gourmet restaurants in Madrid, this upscale establishment won't disappoint. Enjoy superb Basque and French cuisine, from oysters with caviar and sherry jelly to smoked fish crepes, foie gras, truffles, and veal, with custard for dessert.

Nightlife
Because dinner is eaten much later, ranging from 9:30pm - midnight, most of Madrid's plentiful nightlife doesn't get started until at least 11pm and lasts late into the early morning hours. The city splits into different zones at night, each with a different flavor. For example, in Plaza Mayor, taverns, tapas bars, and "drinking caves" abound, so this is the perfect place for those looking for nonstop action. Gran Vía specializes in entertainment, playing host to many spectacular theatres and performances. Tourists flock to Plaza de Oriente, which features fabulous restaurants and quaint cafes to suit every taste.

You'll find anything and everything in Madrid, from fascinating traditional open-air markets to upscale shopping with big department stores, popular American brands, and the newest and best in fashion design. Most shops will close during lunch hours, so you may want to plan your shopping around that.

On Sundays, you'll want to stroll the bustling and fascinating El Rastro flea market. The Calle de Ribera de Curtidores is closed off to traffic and offers an incredibly diverse selection of items, from paintings and antiques to live animals, pirated CDs, scarves, purses, hats, and much more. Bargaining is expected, but be sure to keep your hands on your wallet (so no one else does).

If you're looking for the best upscale shopping in the city, head to the Gran Vía, where you'll not only discover Madrid's finest outlet malls, bookstores, and fashion stores, but you'll fall in love with its history and well-conceived glamour. You'll find fabulous shopping at The Center, aptly located in the middle of the city, which features a stunning array of shops to choose from.

Salón de Gourmets
March/April. Food lovers will love to walk through the fascinating IFEMA exhibition, where they'll find exquisite food displays, be entertained by the National Ham Carving Contest, wander numerous stalls, and sample a spectacular array of Spanish cuisine.

Bullfights
Sundays, March - October. Bullfighting is ingrained in Spanish history, and, if you want to see one, they happen every Sunday at the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, Madrid's premier bullring.

Fiesta de San Isidro
May. This is Madrid's largest festival. It offers a colorful display of traditional costumes, delicious authentic foods, flamenco dancing, street parties, concerts and music to be heard across the city, and much more as people from all over the country come to Madrid to pay respect to the city's patron saint, San Isidro.

White Night in Madrid
September. Also known as the "Noche en Blanco," this unique annual event happens between sundown and sunrise on the day of September's full moon. Expect a multitude of activities all throughout the day. The city features brilliant light displays on many of its buildings, all its parks and museums stay open all night for tours and activities, and it also offers signature music and entertainment.

El Retiro
You'll love to wander the gardens, monuments, and spectacular picture-perfect scenery of this lovely park. Relax with a drink in hand and people-watch, take a peek at a local's painting-in-progress, explore beautiful walkways, and more.

Teleférico
Take a ride on this cable car strung high above some of Madrid's most beautiful parks for a breathtaking birds-eye view of the city. It carries you above 2 lovely parks and the Manzanares River to a quaint picnic and restaurant area in Casa de Campo—perfect for a unique, picturesque afternoon away from it all.

Museums
Make sure to explore Madrid's art museums, such as El Prado, Reina Sofia, or the Thyssen-Bornemisza. These impressive galleries play host to thousands of legendary paintings featuring a fascinating array of historic and modern expression.

Good to Know