Our grand finale. World-class art, the largest royal palace in Europe, legendary bars, and two of Spain's most extraordinary day trips. We're based at Costanilla de Santiago, a quiet street tucked just behind the Royal Palace — in the heart of the Opera/Palacio neighbourhood. The Royal Palace is a 4-minute walk, Teatro Real 3 minutes, and Ópera metro 3 minutes. Cooler weather, layering time.
Day 1 — Sunday, October 25
Arrive from Barcelona ~6:17pm · Plaza Oriente evening
High-speed train from Barcelona (~3hr). Check in to Hostal Met Madrid — Costanilla de Santiago 2, just behind the Royal Palace in the Opera/Palacio neighbourhood. Royal Palace is a 4-minute walk, Teatro Real 3 minutes. Pre-dinner sherry at La Venencia, then dinner at Bodega de los Secretos (12th-century underground cellar).
Note: El Rastro flea market is Sunday mornings only (~9am–3pm), and we arrive Sunday evening — so we'll miss it this trip.
Day 2 — Monday, October 26
Day trip to Segovia
Train booked: Avant 08109 from Chamartín at 10:15 — leave the hotel about 8:45am (directions in the Segovia “Getting to Segovia” box below), arriving Guiomar at 10:42 (27 min). Guiomar is about 5 km outside the old town and the Alcázar is a fixed timed entry, so take a taxi straight from Guiomar to the Alcázar (roughly 12–15 min, should land around 11:00–11:10; Bus #11 is too tight, see the timing warning in the Segovia box). 11:30: Alcázar de Segovia (booked — standard visit with smartphone audioguide, locator 109887489; collect the audioguide at the Information Point after entering, and bring earphones and a charged phone). The ticket reads “Palace and Museum” and does not list the tower, so check at the entrance whether the tower is included in your ticket (it is optional, 152 steps). 1:30pm: Lunch at Restaurante José María, Plaza Mayor (booked — share broad beans and suckling pig). 3:30pm: Cathedral (not booked yet; includes tower, allow ~1.5hrs). Return train is Avant 08178 from Guiomar at 18:27 (arrives Chamartín 18:55), so allow time to get back to Guiomar. Evening: quiet Madrid night — Taberna La Concha for manzanilla.
Day 3 — Tuesday, October 27
Morning: Palacio Real · Afternoon: Prado (booked 3:30pm) · Evening: Cocktails
Royal Palace first thing (it's enormous — allow 2 hours). Walk through the Royal Gardens. Lunch near Plaza Mayor. Prado at 3:30pm (booked — allow 2–3hrs for Velázquez and Goya). Evening: Salmon Guru for cocktails, then Casa Lucio for huevos rotos.
Day 4 — Wednesday, October 28
Day trip to Toledo · Evening: Final dinner
33-min train from Atocha — easy, no station changes. Full day in the walled medieval "City of Three Cultures" — Cathedral, Alcázar, synagogues, El Greco paintings everywhere. Lunch at a local restaurant in the old town. Return mid-afternoon. Final Madrid evening: Angelita wine bar, then a farewell dinner at Sobrino de Botín (oldest restaurant in the world — book ahead; a normal 9:00pm sitting works). Tomorrow's flight isn't until 12:35pm, so there's no need for an early night.
Day 5 — Thursday, October 29
Departure: Flight MAD → MIA · Leave hotel around 8:30am
Flight day, with a relaxed morning. IB 333 departs Madrid Barajas at 12:35pm and lands in Miami at 5:50pm (nonstop, Economy, Airbus A330, 10h15). The e-ticket receipts don't state a terminal, so confirm it in the Iberia app or on the airport boards (Iberia normally uses T4). Leave Costanilla de Santiago around 8:30–8:45am (taxi €33 flat airport fare, ~20 min) to be at the airport about 3 hours ahead, around 9:30am, for bag drop and Schengen exit passport control. Checkout is noon, so just drop the key as normal. Have breakfast nearby before you go, or airside.
Your Iberia tickets include one checked bag each. Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure.
Booking Status
| Item | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Barcelona → Madrid train | Booked | Oct 25 · AVE 03152 dep 15:00 · arrives 18:17 |
| ✅ Hostal Met Madrid | Booked | Oct 25–29 · Check-in 6:30pm · Superior Double Room · Costanilla de Santiago 2 |
| ✅ Segovia day trip trains | Booked | Oct 26 · Out: Avant 08109 Chamartín 10:15 → Guiomar 10:42 (coach 2, seats 67 / 68) · Back: Avant 08178 Guiomar 18:27 → Chamartín 18:55 (coach 8, seats 200 / 199) · Turista · Renfe locator CWLXKB · €41.80 total (€10.45 pp each way, Tarjeta Dorada fare) · then Bus #11 or taxi into centre |
| ✅ Alcázar de Segovia | Booked | Oct 26 · 11:30 timed entry (ticket gives you 30 min from the stated time to get in) · Standard visit + smartphone audioguide · 2 × over-65 · €17.00 total (€8.50 each) · Locator 109887489 · Ticket reads “Palace and Museum” and does not list the tower: check at the entrance whether the tower is included · Take a taxi from Guiomar straight to the Alcázar (Bus #11 is too tight; see the Segovia box) · Collect the audioguide at the Information Point after entering; bring earphones and a charged phone · Visitor guide (castle map + route) |
| ✅ Restaurante José María (lunch) | Booked | Oct 26 · 1:30pm |
| ⬜ Segovia Cathedral | Not booked | Oct 26 · 3:30pm target · Includes tower · Book on arrival in Spain |
| ✅ Royal Palace of Madrid | Booked | Oct 27 · 10:00am · self-guided + audioguide (one mobile-app audioguide — download the app and enter the code from the confirmation email before you go) |
| ✅ Museo del Prado | Booked | Oct 27 · 3:30pm |
| ⬜ Teatro Real tickets | Not booked | Oct 27 · Check program |
| ⬜ Toledo day trip trains | Not booked | Oct 28 · Atocha → Toledo · Book via Renfe |
| ⬜ Sobrino de Botín dinner | Not booked | Any evening · Book ahead — always full |
| ✅ Return flight | Booked | Oct 29 · IB 333 MAD→MIA dep 12:35pm arr 5:50pm · nonstop · Economy · 1 checked bag each · Iberia ref 8T6FF8 |
| ✅ Rental car MIA → PIE | Booked | National Car Rental · pickup MIA Oct 29 6:00pm (Emerald Aisle, Midsize Corolla or similar, automatic, unlimited mileage) → return PIE (St. Pete-Clearwater) Oct 30 6:00pm · $42 day covered by Emerald reward, est. $8.72 at counter ⏱️ The 6:00pm pickup time is optimistic: you land at 5:50pm and still need US immigration, customs and bags, so expect to reach the Emerald Aisle around 7:00–7:30pm. Check National's late-arrival / hold policy (the confirmation doesn't state one); the MIA counter is open until 11:59pm. 🚗 Drive MIA → Indian Rocks Beach is about 4.5 hours (~270–280 miles): leave MIA around 7:30–8:00pm, home around midnight–1am. Keep the car overnight. 🔁 Return it to St. Petersburg–Clearwater airport (PIE, about 12–15 min from home, not Tampa airport) by 6:00pm Fri Oct 30. PIE is closed 1:00–6:00am, so don't return it in those hours. You'll need a ride back from PIE (an Uber is about 15 min) or a second driver in another car. 🛣️ No one-way fee shown in the quote. Some toll plazas are electronic-only, so consider the optional TollPass or SunPass / toll-by-plate. Minor: traffic near MIA can be heavy on Miami FC game days (4–11pm). Phones: MIA (844) 887-8399, PIE (844) 806-3351. |
🔒 Unlock Tickets
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Museo Reina Sofia
📍 ★★★★★ 4.6 (48,000)Home of Picasso's Guernica — the 20th century's most powerful anti-war painting. Also Dalí, Miró, and excellent contemporary exhibitions.
Tickets: Viator · TripAdvisor
Retiro Park & Crystal Palace
📍 ★★★★★ 4.8 (145,000)Madrid's grand park — lake, rose garden, and the Crystal Palace (a glass pavilion over water that hosts free art exhibitions). Beautiful for a slow afternoon walk.
Toledo Day Trip
📍 ★★★★★ 4.7 (25,000)Walled medieval city on a hill — "City of Three Cultures" (Christian, Muslim, Jewish). Cathedral, Alcázar, synagogues, El Greco paintings, and extraordinary views.
Book: Viator · TripAdvisor
Segovia Day Trip
📍 ★★★★★ 4.8 (32,000)2000-year-old Roman aqueduct (no mortar!), fairy-tale Alcázar (inspiration for Disney's castle), Gothic cathedral. Plus the famous cochinillo (roast suckling pig).
Book: Viator · TripAdvisor
✅ Avant tickets booked (locator CWLXKB): out Avant 08109 Chamartín 10:15 → Guiomar 10:42; back Avant 08178 Guiomar 18:27 → Chamartín 18:55. Guiomar is ~5 km outside the old town. Lunch is 13:30 and the return train is 18:27, so allow time to get back to Guiomar.
⚠ Timing warning: Alcázar entry is 11:30 (booked, locator 109887489). The train reaches Guiomar at 10:42, which leaves under 50 minutes. With Bus #11 that is tight: the wait for a bus is unknown, the ride is ~15 min, and then you still have to walk from the old town to the Alcázar at the far west tip. Safer plan: take a taxi from the Guiomar rank straight to the Alcázar — roughly €8–12 to the Alcázar, about 12–15 min (exact fare not verified), which should put you at the gate around 11:00–11:10. Use Bus #11 only as the slower option if a bus is already waiting when you step out. Your ticket gives you 30 minutes from the stated time to get in, but do not rely on that.
Option A (the plan, booked): Avant train (27 min) — fastest, but station is outside the city centre
Madrid Chamartín → Segovia Guiomar · 27 min · €10.45pp each way (booked).
⚠️ Guiomar station is 5km from the old town — you cannot walk in. On arrival, take:
- Taxi (recommended for the 11:30 Alcázar entry) — rank at station exit · ~€7–9 into the centre, roughly €8–12 to the Alcázar (exact fare not verified) · about 12–15 min. Ask for “el Alcázar”.
- Bus #11 — departs from just outside the station exit · €1.65pp · ~15 min to Plaza Mayor / aqueduct, then a walk to the Alcázar. Runs every 15–30 min. Slower option: only if a bus is waiting.
Option A (recommended): walk to Sol, then Cercanías C-3 or C-4 direct to Chamartín
Walk ~8–10 min to Puerta del Sol (about 450–550 m, east of the hotel) and go down to the Cercanías platforms at Sol. Take any C-3 (toward Colmenar Viejo) or C-4 (toward Alcobendas) train: both stop at Chamartín, direct via Nuevos Ministerios. Trains run roughly every 10 min, ride ~11–12 min. The Sol–Nuevos Ministerios–Chamartín tunnel has been running again since Dec 2024, and Renfe said the summer 2026 works at Atocha finished by early September. ⚠️ Check the Renfe Cercanías app or the Sol departures board that morning to confirm service.
Option B (backup, all Metro, ~30–35 min door to door): walk 3 min to Ópera → Metro L2 one stop to Sol (direction Las Rosas) → change to Line 1 toward Pinar de Chamartín and ride 12 stops (Gran Vía, Tribunal, Bilbao, Iglesia, Ríos Rosas, Cuatro Caminos, Alvarado, Estrecho, Tetuán, Valdeacederas, Plaza de Castilla, Chamartín). Chamartín has its own Metro stop on L1 and L10.
⚠️ Do not take Metro Line 10 from Plaza de España. L10 has been closed between Nuevos Ministerios and Plaza de Castilla since Jul 4 2026 (Santiago Bernabéu / Cuzco works), planned through at least the end of 2026, so there is no direct L10 ride to Chamartín.
Taxi: ~20 min, allow 25–30 in Monday 9am traffic · ~€15–18 · Cabify or Free Now also work.
🕐 Suggested timing: leave the hotel about 8:45am, be inside Chamartín about 9:15–9:25, and be near the Avant platform area around 9:40–9:45. The platform usually appears on the departures board 15–20 min before departure. Chamartín is under long-running reconstruction, so platform access may follow temporary signed paths: allow extra minutes.
Return (arrive Chamartín 18:55): Cercanías C-3/C-4 Chamartín → Sol (~11 min) then ~8 min walk, or taxi ~€15–18 (~20 min).
Option B (backup only): ALSA Bus (1h15–1h30) — slower, but drops you in the city centre
Madrid Príncipe Pío (Intercambiador) → Segovia bus station (Paseo de Ezequiel González) · ~1h15–1h30 · ~€7–9pp each way · departs every 30–60 min.
The bus station is a flat 10-min walk from the aqueduct — no transfer needed on arrival.
Get to Príncipe Pío: Metro L6/R from Ópera → Príncipe Pío (1 stop, ~3 min).
Book at ALSA → (or buy on the day — usually seats available).
💡 Plan: Avant train both ways (booked), with a taxi from Guiomar straight to the Alcázar for the 11:30 entry, and Bus #11 or a taxi back to Guiomar for the 18:27 return. The ALSA bus is only a fallback if the train plan falls through.
Hotels
✅ Hostal Met Madrid BOOKED
📍 ★★★★★Costanilla de Santiago 2, 2º, Madrid 28013 — Superior Double Room. Check-in: 6:30pm · Check-out: Oct 29 12:00pm — your flight is at 12:35pm, so you leave around 8:30–8:45am; checkout is noon, so just a normal key drop. Located on the 2nd floor of a historic building — no large signs outside.
One street behind the Royal Palace in the Opera/Palacio neighbourhood — essentially the same area as Plaza de Oriente. Royal Palace is 4 min walk, Teatro Real 3 min, Ópera metro (L2/L5) 3 min. From Ópera: Prado (L5 → Banco de España), Retiro (L2 → Retiro), Atocha (L5, for Toledo trains), Chamartín (Cercanías C-3/C-4 from Sol, or Metro L2 to Sol then L1, for Segovia trains). Plaza Mayor 6 min walk, Puerta del Sol 10 min.
Restaurants
🍽️ What to order in Madrid: Madrid's signature dishes are defiantly simple and deeply satisfying. Cocido madrileño (a slow-cooked chickpea stew with meat, served in stages) is the Sunday-lunch classic. Huevos rotos (fried eggs broken over hand-cut chips, often with jamón or chorizo) is a Madrid institution. For roast meat, cochinillo asado (suckling pig, also eaten at Botín) and callos a la madrileña (tripe stew — not for everyone, but deeply traditional) define the old-school tabernas. Finish with churros con chocolate at San Ginés — thick, cold chocolate for dipping.
Bodega de los Secretos
📍 ★★★★★ 4.5 (4,800)Wine and dinner in a 12th-century underground cellar. Vaulted brick arches, candlelight, excellent food. One of the most atmospheric restaurants in Madrid.
📍 ★★★★★ 4.0 (5,200)The huevos rotos institution — broken eggs over hand-cut chips. Simple, perfect, legendary. Where Madrid goes for a proper meal.
Sobrino de Botín
📍 ★★★★★ 4.0 (14,000)Oldest restaurant in the world (1725, Guinness-certified). Wood-fired oven since day one. Roast suckling pig and lamb. Book ahead — small, famous, always full.
Chocolatería San Ginés
Churros and thick hot chocolate since 1894. Not really a "restaurant" — more a ritual. Open 24 hours.
Mesón de Cándido (Segovia day trip)
📍 ★★★★★ 4.0 (3,989)If you do the Segovia day trip — this is the place for cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig). Since 1786, next to the aqueduct. They carve the pig with the edge of a plate.
Opera & Events
🎶 Teatro Real
Madrid's opera house, directly facing the Royal Palace. Check their calendar for concerts or recitals Oct 26–28 — by late October the 26–27 season should be well underway. The building is magnificent even without a performance (tours available).
Book: Official tickets · TripAdvisor
Wine & Cocktail Bars
🥂 Try locally: Vermut (vermouth) is Madrid's pre-lunch ritual — red, slightly bitter, served over ice with an olive and a slice of orange. Sunday vermuteo (the act of drinking vermut) is practically sacred. Also try manzanilla and fino sherry at old-school tabernas like La Venencia — Madrid's sherry bar culture rivals Seville's. For wine, the Sierra de Gredos region (Garnacha from high-altitude vineyards) is the sommelier's obsession right now.
Small Shops & Museums
🎨 Museo Sorolla
📍 ★★★★★ 4.7 (12,000)Painter Joaquín Sorolla's home and studio, preserved as a museum. Beautiful garden courtyard, luminous Mediterranean paintings. One of Madrid's hidden gems — quiet and intimate.
🏪 San Miguel Market
📍 ★★★★★ 4.3 (38,000)Gourmet glass-walled market near Plaza Mayor. Oysters, croquetas, Ibérico ham, wine by the glass. Free to enter — dangerous for the wallet.
🍫 Chocolatería San Ginés
Since 1894, open 24 hours. Thick hot chocolate with fresh churros — a Madrid ritual. Go late at night or early morning for the full experience.
🛍️ El Rastro (Sunday Only — Oct 26!)
📍 ★★★★★ 4.3 (22,000)Madrid's famous flea market in La Latina. Antiques, art, vintage clothes, curiosities. Hundreds of stalls. Great for browsing even if you buy nothing.
🏃 Running Routes
Retiro Park
Madrid's most popular running spot — 125 hectares of tree-lined paths, lakes, and gardens right in the centre. Multiple loop options from 3-8km. Flat to gently rolling. Beautiful morning light through the trees. ~15 min run from the hotel (2.5km).
📏 3-8km (various loops) 🛤️ Paved + gravel paths, mostly flat 🏃 ~15 min run to park entrance (2.5km) 📐 Total door-to-door: 8–13km
Casa de Campo
Madrid's largest park (1,700 hectares) — feels like countryside but is just west of the Royal Palace. Dirt trails through rolling hills and pine forest. Popular with serious runners. More remote/quiet than Retiro.
📏 5-12km+ (many trail options) 🛤️ Dirt trails, rolling hills 🏃 ~11 min run to park entrance (1.8km west through Parque del Moro) 📐 Total door-to-door: 8.6–15.6km+
Madrid Río (Manzanares River)
A newer riverside park running along the Manzanares. Quiet promenades and modern parkland for miles. One of Madrid's best-kept running secrets — less crowded than Retiro.
📏 5-10km (out-and-back along river) 🛤️ Paved paths, flat 🏃 ~9 min run to riverside (1.5km south) 📐 Total door-to-door: 8–13km
Maps: GreatRuns
📚 Further Reading
Rick Steves — Madrid Guide — Practical tips, Prado museum tour guide, tapas crawl routes, and day trip advice for Toledo and Segovia.
Rick Steves Audio Tours (Spain) — Free self-guided audio walking tours. Download the Audio Europe app.
Seat61 — Train Travel in Spain — Best independent guide to Spanish trains.
Transport
🚕 Getting Around
Atocha/Chamartín → Hotel: Taxi €10–12 (from Atocha) · €15–18 (from Chamartín)
Toledo day trip: 33 min from Atocha · €13pp each way · Metro L5 from Ópera → Atocha Renfe (~10 min). Walk from Toledo station uphill ~20 min — take taxi or bus into the old town (~€5–7).
Segovia day trip: Two options — Train (Avant, booked): 27 min from Chamartín (from the hotel: walk to Sol, Cercanías C-3/C-4 ~12 min; see the Segovia box) to Guiomar · out 10:15, back 18:27 · €10.45pp each way · then a taxi (~€8 into centre; roughly €8–12 straight to the Alcázar for the 11:30 entry) or Bus #11 (€1.65, ~15 min, slower). Guiomar is 5km from town — transfer required. Bus (ALSA): ~1h15 from Príncipe Pío (Metro L6/R, 1 stop) · ~€7–9pp · drops directly at Segovia bus station, 10 min walk from the aqueduct. No city-centre transfer needed.
Hotel → Airport (departure Oct 29): Taxi €33 flat rate to the airport, ~20 min. Leave around 8:30–8:45am for the 12:35pm Iberia flight (be there ~3 hours ahead).
Hotel is on Costanilla de Santiago — Royal Palace is 4 min walk, Teatro Real 3 min. Nearest metro: Ópera (L2/L5), 3 min walk. Prado and Reina Sofia: take L5 to Banco de España or Atocha Renfe. Retiro: L2 to Retiro. Day trips depart from Atocha (Toledo) and Chamartín (Segovia).
🗺️ Madrid → Toledo on Rome2Rio → (compare train, bus options)
🗺️ Madrid → Segovia on Rome2Rio → (compare train, bus options)
🚄 Train Bookings
| Route | Date | Train | Depart | Arrive | Class | Seats | Tickets / Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona Sants → Madrid Puerta de Atocha | Sat Oct 25 | AVE 03152 | 15:00 | 18:17 | Confort (Coach 1) | 10A / 9A | |
| Madrid Chamartín → Segovia Guiomar | Mon Oct 26 | Avant 08109 | 10:15 | 10:42 | Turista (Coach 2) | 67 / 68 | 📄 Tickets🪪 Railcard — David🪪 Railcard — Judith |
| Segovia Guiomar → Madrid Chamartín | Mon Oct 26 | Avant 08178 | 18:27 | 18:55 | Turista (Coach 8) | 200 / 199 | 📄 Tickets🪪 Railcard — David🪪 Railcard — Judith |
| Madrid Puerta de Atocha → Toledo | Wed Oct 28 | — | ~9:30am | ~10:03am | — | — | Renfe → |
| Toledo → Madrid Puerta de Atocha | Wed Oct 28 | — | ~5:30pm | ~6:03pm | — | — | Renfe → |
✅ Barcelona→Madrid booked. ✅ Segovia day trip trains (Oct 26) booked: Renfe locator CWLXKB, €41.80 total. ✅ Alcázar de Segovia (Oct 26, 11:30) booked: locator 109887489, €17.00 total. Segovia Cathedral (Oct 26) not booked yet. Toledo day trip (Oct 28) not booked yet: book closer to travel date.