How to Time Your Trip to Madrid

Madrid was a Moorish fortress in the 10th century; in 1561 the towns in the area were united to create the capital of Spain. Today many residents still call their city of over 3 million La Villa, the village, and do their best to keep the traditions of the founding villages alive.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Travel Clothes
• Foreign Language Phrase Books
• Maps
• Travel Guides To Madrid
• Airline Tickets
• Travel Services
• Cameras
• Film

General Considerations

1. Keep in mind that Madrid is the highest capital in Europe. This altitude means that the seasons in Madrid are more extreme than they are in the rest of the country. Mid-April through June and September through early November are the nicest times to visit. The average December low is 34 degrees F and the average July high is 89 degrees F.
2. Check out what festivals, attractions and live performances are happening (see "Attractions and Seasonal Events" below).
3. Contact Spain's Ministry of Tourism to request its booklet listing and depicting the 3,000 festivals (fiestas) and feasts held there each year. Call (91) 343-3500 or fax [phone] or write Direccion General de Turespaña, Jose Lázaro Galdiano 6, 28036 Madrid, Spain.
4. Take care of your flight, transportation and accommodations (see Related eHows).
5. Check the weather forecast for Madrid shortly before leaving.

Attractions and Seasonal Events

6. Bring in the New Year in style. In Madrid, midnight marks the beginning - not the end - of the party, which attracts hordes of people.
7. Join in Madrid's most important fiesta of the year, the Fiesta de San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint. On this day in the middle of May, you'll find a wide range of public performances, including concerts, dances and bullfighting.
8. Dance and carouse in the city streets during Carnival, the biggest countrywide celebration of the year. This night of revelry falls in the second half of February or early March (March 7, 2000).
9. Spend a week enjoying celebrations of Semana Santa (Holy Week), leading up to Easter Sunday. There are plenty of nonreligious festivities during this extraordinary week.
10. Visit during fall for pleasant weather and superb events. In September the concert houses and theaters are at their peak, while both the International Jazz Festival and traditional Fiestas de la Almudena occur in November.
11. Wander around the two most pedestrian-friendly parts of this huge city, Campo del Moro and Parque del Buen Retiro. Walk down the vibrant Gran Vía, set your bearings at Plaza Mayor, and see the center of town where 10 roads meet, the Puerta del Sol.
12. Don't miss the Museo del Prado, one of the world's top art museums. It focuses on Spanish, Italian and Flemish art from the 15th to 19th centuries, with excellent collections of Goya and Velázquez. Museum aficionados should also visit the Casón del Buen Retiro, the Museo de la Escultura Abstracta and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.
13. Revel in the lap of luxury at the stunning Palacio Real (the Royal Palace), which is studded with incredible artifacts, including clocks, armor, tapestries and paintings.