family travel guide
In the 10th century, on the Iberian Peninsula, on the banks of the Manzanares River, the fortress of Manjerit appeared. Gradually a city grew up around it, destined to become the capital of Spain. The city has been shaped by monarchs who have built pompous palaces and revolutions that have destroyed them. Today, Madrid is a bustling city with a population of millions, where people worldwide flock.
When planning a family holiday in Spain, many people try to visit the country's main city for the magnificent collection of artwork in the Prado Museum. But the Spanish capital has much more to offer, so spending a holiday with the kids in Madrid is a good idea.
Madrid is the capital of Spain and the centre of the province and autonomous community of Madrid. The city is located in the central part of the country. The distance from Madrid to Barcelona is 625 km, to Valencia — 355 km, to Alicante — 420 km, to Seville — 530 km and to Malaga — 530 km.
Some people are disappointed to see where Madrid is located: far from the sea and the leading Spanish resorts. But that hasn't stopped the kings from making maritime history, nor has it stopped tourists from marvelling at how different Spain can be.
.jpg)
It's a brave decision to come to Madrid with children. There are no sea or water parks here, just museums and art galleries. Still, a family holiday in Madrid is a right decision.
The art galleries are some of the most famous museums in the world, and if you're in the mood for beach fun, head to the Parque de la Renaissance de Madrid. Let your trip be atypical: spend time in the city of kings and get royally rich (we're talking about the experience, of course).
Will children go to museums? Oh yes, especially if there's a quest waiting for them, like at the Prado Gallery, a photo shoot with celebrities, like at the Wax Museum, or an introduction to the tooth fairy, like at the Pérez the mouse museum.
And Madrid is also a fun area for children. The amusement rides in the Casa de Campo park, the zoo, the circus and the fantastic playgrounds appeal to all children regardless of age or preferences. And if you are going on a trip with an infant, the parks in the Spanish capital are a wonderful place to explore.
However, timing is essential for a great holiday with your child in Madrid. The second half of summer is the least suitable, exhaustingly hot, even for adults.
The tourist season in Madrid does not coincide with the holiday season in Spain. Most tourists do not come here in the summer but in spring and autumn. March to May is for the bullfighters, while September and November are the time to experience Madrid's lively festivals.
April-May and September-October are suitable for holidays with children. Clear weather without heat favours walks and excursions.
Still, there is a bit of an understatement in this advice. You must consider the weather, especially if you're going to Madrid with an infant. But how can you not consider the colourful festivals at different times of the year?
"The Three Kings Procession" on January 6th, Carnival in February, City Day (celebrated on May 2nd), San Antonio de la Florida in June, the start of the football season in August, Spain's National Day (October 12th), the magical Christmas Markets in December — it is difficult to decide when to go to Madrid.
Choose the warmer months if you want to go out often and spend time in the parks and attractions with the kids. Even the cooler months will do for visiting famous art galleries and museums. It is also advisable to keep your family holiday in mind when deciding on your travel dates.
Madrid is one of the few tourist cities in Spain where the sea does not affect the climate. The weather is similar to central Europe's, with hot summers, mild springs and autumns, and harsher winters than on the Mediterranean coast. But the best indication of the climate in Madrid is given by the name of the main square, Puerta del Sol, or Sun Square. Clear days prevail throughout the year, with cloudy skies a rarity in the summer.
Spring in Spain's capital is a time of greenery and freshness. In March and April, the temperature is around +16-17°C, but by May, it rises to +22°C. When planning a spring holiday in Madrid, pack clothes if it rains and gets cold: spring is rainy in the city, and night temperatures drop to +6-8°C even in May.
Summer in Madrid is three months of heat. When the humidity is low, the heat doesn't feel so bad, but when the thermometer reads +40°C, you don't want to walk around the city.
The 40-degree heat, of course, doesn't last the whole time: in June, the average temperature is +29°C. In July and August, it's +33°C. Rainfall is rare and feels like a gift.
Evenings are a pleasant time for walks, as temperatures drop to around +18-20°C. If you want to visit the Spanish capital while at sea, we recommend wearing hats, drinking and having a siesta. Autumn marks a farewell to the tiresome heat. It doesn't usually get colder until November, and the warm summer months of September and October linger on. Temperatures in September are around +27-29°C, with nighttime temperatures dropping to 14-17°C.
Perhaps September is the best month for holidays in Madrid with children: neither the heat nor the rain bothers travellers.
The air is still very warm in October, around +21°C, but the rains increasingly interfere with tourists' plans. By November, it cools to +15°C, with nighttime temperatures dropping to +4°C. During winter, Madrid rarely falls prey to frosty temperatures, usually never dropping below 0°C, with daytime temperatures hovering around +10-12°C. The city occasionally experiences snowfall, but more often it rains.
The hotel's food concept is unlikely to influence where to eat with children. Hotels in Madrid usually only offer breakfast, rightly believing that tourists will be interested in visiting restaurants serving national cuisine.
You don't have to look for a children's cafe in Madrid — almost all catering establishments have a children's menu, high chairs for toddlers and ludoteca (playrooms). You can bring your baby food into the café, which can be heated if needed.
Overwhelmed by the excursion, children are eager to embrace the culinary traditions of Spain. When they return home, they'll be expecting a jamón sandwich and crispy churros with a cup of hot chocolate for breakfast. If you're in Madrid in December and January, try the turron, crumbly polvoron biscuits and sweet Roscón de Reyes, painted or adorned with candied fruit.
.jpg)
Wherever you are and wherever you are going, Madrid's public transport system will help you get where you want to go in comfort. You can use the lift to get to the metro with a pram. There are separate seats for passengers with babies, up to and including child seats with seat belts.
Madrid's transport system includes the metro, trams (light rail), trains and buses.
The metro is the most convenient, as high street traffic does not affect it. Buses, too, have a regular timetable (all bus stops have one), despite the street traffic. A single trip on the underground or by bus costs 1.5-2 euros. The Abono Turistico travel cards are available for tourists to save money on travel. The passes are valid for 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 days.
The Abono Turistico, valid in Zone A (centre of Madrid), will cost between €8.40 and €35.40, depending on the length of validity. A ticket covering zone T (Madrid and its suburbs) costs between €17 and €70.80. Children up to 11 years of age enjoy half the price. Toddlers under four years of age ridecan use the Spanish capital's public transport system for free.
Madrid's metro station is a must-see — you can't miss it either. The Estación de Chamberí is a museum station which has preserved its appearance since the opening of the underground in Madrid.
There is no need to call a taxi in Madrid, get in a free car in the car park. The fare consists of the cost of boarding (on average €3) and the cost per kilometre (from €1.15).
Sightseeing and museum visits are the plans of adult tourists. What would the children have planned if they had been assigned the task of putting together a family holiday in Madrid? Their list would go something like this.
A few more parks should be added to the excellent list of attractions: when holidaying with a child in Madrid, you might want to spend some time outdoors. Besides the Retiro and Casa de Campo parks, the people of Madrid love to spend time in the Campo del Moro gardens next to the Royal Palace and the Royal Botanical Gardens. And the Quartel de la Montaña Park is not just for a walk with the child but also to see the restored ancient Egyptian temple of Debod.
The Enchanted Garden Park is another lovely (literally) place to stroll. There are living plant sculptures, a green maze, a bonsai exhibit, and flowerbeds begging to be photographed.
There are also leisure centres for children close to Madrid. Villanueva de la Cañada (36 km from the capital) and San Fernando de Henares (23 km) are home to Aquopolis water parks. All attractions are outdoors and, therefore, only operate in summer.
With plenty of time to spare, spend time with the children at Warner Brothers Park, 35 km from Madrid. Meet cartoon characters, amusing shows, rides and water playgrounds in the water park. A 60 km drive from the centre of Spain will take you to the African Savannah, with exotic African animals roaming freely at Safari Madrid.
Before deciding what to see with children in Madrid, you must look closer at the city. A tour in a red Madrid City Tour bus will help you get a complete impression of the city. It's amazing to see Baroque buildings replaced by examples of modern architecture. Children always turn their attention to the leaning towers of the Puerta de Europa and the Cuatro Torres skyscrapers in the business centre.
We recommend climbing one of the observation decks on your sightseeing bus ride. The best places to get a bird's eye view of Madrid are the CentroCentro Cultural Centre in Palacio Cibeles and the Circulo de Bellas Artes.
Free public transport in Zone A is one of the benefits of the Madrid City Card. With it, you get free entry to the Prado Museum 2 hours before closing time and other bonuses for visiting museums and attractions.
Such a card will only be valid for the period you choose: 1 day or 2, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days. Please note that the travel card is valid for calendar days, not 24 hours. If you activate it at 11:59 p.m., you've already used up an entire day. The Madrid Tourist Card costs between €8.40 (1 day) and €26.80 (5 days). For children under 11 years old, there is a 50% discount on this ticket.
If you open any guidebook to Madrid, three world-famous art collections open its list of attractions: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia Art Centre and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
.jpg)
Together they make up the so-called Golden Triangle of the Arts and don't expect children to be bored in the museum halls. Here are some arguments why it's a must-see during your holiday in Madrid with children:
Another must-see in Madrid is, of course, the Royal Palace. Its interiors are decorated with frescoes by Goya and Velazquez, and the halls are filled with paintings by renowned painters and sculptures by Renaissance masters. There is also a collection of armour and weapons, antique furniture, porcelain and musical instruments. The official residence of the royal family is also a museum.
The choice of things to see in Madrid is vast, even without considering the leading art galleries. Where should be the first place to go with your child? A brief description of the museums in the Spanish capital will help you answer the question.
There are plenty of hotels in the Spanish capital, from posh to modest. However, when choosing where to stay in Madrid with children, you should focus not so much on the hotel category but on the duration and the primary purpose of the visit to the Spanish capital.
If you have 1-2 days at your disposal and want to see more, the best places to stay are in central Madrid: Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España, Plaza Mayor, Prado Alley, Atocha Train Station, Salamanca District. Then the Golden Triangle museums and the best parks are nearby.
The disadvantages of hotels in the tourist centre are the street noise and the high cost. Where to stay in Madrid if you have enough time for leisurely excursions? Look out for hotels near the Chamartín train station. The centre is reachable by metro in 20 minutes, but the streets are not overcrowded with tourists.
A good option for an independent holiday in Madrid with children is to rent an apartment. The Retiro or Casa de Campo areas are perfect for renting an apartment.
You can also consider accommodation close to Madrid, such as Leganes, Getafe or Parla. Hotels in these towns can be more spacious than in the capital and have other benefits (such as their swimming pool). From the outskirts of Madrid, the capital is easily accessible by train. If quietness is essential, avoid the Gran Vía area, the nightlife centre of the Spanish capital.
Aeropuerto Madrid-Barajas International Airport is located 12 kilometres from Madrid. International flights are served by terminal T1.
How to get to Madrid from the airport:
Madrid has six bus terminals where buses from European countries and cities in Spain arrive. The central bus station, Estación sur de autobuses, is mainly an international bus station. The timetable can be found on the bus station website: https://estacionsurmadrid.avanzagrupo.com/
Atocha and Chamartín railway stations have trains from other Spanish cities throughout Europe, including high-speed trains from Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Paris. You can learn about timetables and buy tickets on the website of RENFE, the Spanish railway company: https://www.renfe.com.
Car rentals are typical throughout Spain. There are offices of car rental companies, particularly at the airport. Renting a car before you arrive via the Internet is also possible. Parking plans are available on Madrid's official website.
The way to get to Madrid
useful articles about rest and not only
