Beitel travel advice

Visiting Madrid can be somewhat expensive, especially if you live in the United States or other far off locations.  You have to pay for airfare, for your hotel, and then for incidentals like food and any souvenirs you purchase.  However, if you’re in Madrid to see some of its famous museums and other top attractions, there is a way you can save some money: purchase a Madrid Card.

The Madrid Card gives you free entrance to a number of tourist attractions and discounts at others.  You can also get discounts at some restaurants.  There are 40 different museums that offer free admission to Madrid Card holders.  They include many of the most famous museums in Madrid, including the Reina Sofia, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Prado.  Some of these museums and attractions can cost three or four Euros each.

Another service that takes the Madrid Card is the Madrid Vision tourist bus.  This bus circles the city and stops at all major tourist attractions, some shopping centres, and some Madrid hotels.  There are three different routes that run throughout the city, and if you don’t want to spend most of your day walking, you’ll want to take the bus. If you have your Madrid Card, it’s completely free.  Otherwise, you will pay 16 Euros per person for a day pass.  You also get access to the Discover Madrid walking tours.

In addition to these discounts, the Madrid Card comes with two guide books that highlight some of the best sights of the city and list all of the attractions that honour the card.  They also list the restaurants and clubs that provide discounts (generally 10 percent) to Madrid Card holders.

The Madrid Card can be purchased for one day (45 Euros), two days (58 Euros), or three days (72 Euros).  One of the nice features of the Madrid Card is that your “day” countdown doesn’t begin until you use the card, not from the moment you purchase it.  If you plan to see a lot of museums, take the bus, and eat out a lot, you will easily save money using the card.