Madrid, Spain

Our first stop on our Spain trip, Madrid is an excellent hub city with many international connections. It has a big city vibe with lots of squares and parks where you can simply sit and relax, and take it all in.

Fast Five Favourites:

• Royal Palace- The palace and surrounding grounds are stunning. We took a tour inside and the extravagance and history were interesting to see.
• Day trip to Toledo- This has to be one of our all-time favorite day trips. The fortified medieval hilltop town is extremely picturesque surrounded by a natural moat. We loved exploring the cobblestoned streets and historic sites.
• Shopping and dining out- Being a big city, the shopping and food outlets are quality.
• The squares and parks- There are a number of public spaces to relax and people watch (which we love to do!).
• Exploring the city by foot- We don't think we used public transport once, it was a great city for walking.

Tips:

• We stayed three nights and it was a good amount of time to explore the city.
• We would recommend basing yourself centrally as you can easily walk around the main area.
• We stayed at Room Mate Laura. We used Room Mate in Granada too.  We like the location and quality/service for a reasonable price.
• Plaza Mayor is a nice area to visit and the food court near the main entrance is amazing. We visited a few times (Mercado San Miguel).
• Visit Toledo early- It can get really busy and also hot in summer. Don't miss the hilltop view, looking back to Toledo. It is spectacular! It is easy to get to Toledo by train.

Baby on Board:

• Lilah wasn't born when we visited Madrid. Room Mate Laura probably wouldn't be the best option for accommodation with a baby. We would take her carrier to Toledo. Madrid would be the perfect city to explore with her because of all of the places to sit and relax. The footpaths are wide and would be easy to navigate with a stroller. As with many places in Europe over summer, we would be mindful of the heat.