Madrid is one of the main tourist destinations in Europe, it’s a city rich in culture and art, gastronomy, and entertainment. Moreover, it has more than 20 neighborhoods to visit, so you’ll never be stuck for places to visit.
If you want to find a paradise for your trip, Madrid is your best destination. In this article of ShMadrid, we provide you a complete guide for your trip, so that you can enjoy your stay in this magnificent city to the fullest.
However, if you travel to Madrid as a tourist, it is essential to know the entry requirement of Spain. But don’t worry, you will find all the necessary information in this guide.
Index
Madrid: Entry requirements of Spain
As we mentioned at the beginning, if you want to travel, it is essential to know the entry requirements for tourists and to dispose of all the required documents.
For citizens of any state of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, you only need to present a valid national identity card or passport to enter Spain.
If you come from EU countries, but not from the Schengen area, such as Ireland, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania, you will not need a visa either, but you will have to go through border controls.
If you are not from any of the previous cases, you will be obliged to apply for a short term Schengen visa to be able to stay in Spain for tourism.
You should apply for the tourist visa 3 months before the beginning of your stay, to ensure that it is approved at least fifteen days in advance. For more information about the requirements for a short term visa and the application form, you can consult the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If you want to avoid all this complex application process of applying for a tourist visa, also to save the time of making visa appointments and waiting in line. You can ask help from expert companies of tourist visas, such as Byevisa. You will only need to provide your information to their platform, and they will do everything for you. Moreover, you can check every eVisa’s status in your email box.
Madrid: a perfect city for all kinds of vacations
Madrid is the perfect destination for any type of traveller. Whether you are a passionate lover of art, culture, and architecture, or a nature enthusiast with natural parks.
Meet the art, culture and architecture
Talking about art, culture, and architecture, it is indispensable to visit the Madrid de las Austrias, this area is especially appealing because of its historical and cultural importance.
To begin with, you can visit the Puerta del Sol square. It is the most famous meeting point of the Madrid de las Austrias, it is also the junction of ten other streets where you can go for a walk:
- Calle de Alcalá
- Carrera de San Jerónimo
- Calle Espoz y Mina
- Calle de las Carretas
- Calle del Correo
- Calle Mayor
- Calle del Arenal
- Calle de Preciados
- calle del Carmen
- Calle de la Montera
Afterward, you can also visit Plaza de la Villa, which is one of the main cores of medieval Madrid. It is located in the historic center, near the Puerta del Sol, and has been the headquarters of the City Council of the capital. It is one of the places that you cannot miss on your route through the Madrid de Los Austrias.
In Plaza de la Villa, you will also find the monuments of the Casa y Torre de Los Lujanes, a 16th-century building in the Mudejar Gothic style. Then, the Casa de Cisneros is one of the oldest palatial houses in Madrid and the best plateresque style preserved in the capital. Finally, in the center, you can find the monument to Alvaro de Bazan, who is a Spanish military man and admiral.
Among the other famous squares in the Madrid de las Austrias, there are:
- Plaza Mayor, where you can find stands mainly dedicated to numismatics and philately on Sundays
- Plaza de la Provincia, where the Palacio de Santa Cruz is located
- Plaza de Isabel II, it is also known as the Plaza de Ópera
- Plaza de Oriente, it’s a rectangular square with a curved header, with a monumental character
- Plaza de Ramales, a quiet place to have a brunch on the installed terraces
- Plaza de la Villa, located in the historic center of Madrid, next to the Mayor street
Related article: The Neighbourhood of Los Austrias and its History
Breathe the fresh air in natural parks
For nature park lovers, here is the plan for you!
On one hand, you have El Retiro, which is one of the main parks in Madrid, also one of the most preferred parks for tourists. If you are planning to travel with your children, the park will become their favorite place, you can go for a boat ride, you will find actors disguised as children’s characters wandering around this place, above all, you will find various swings distributed in different areas of the park.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a romantic experience, El Capricho is your best choice. El Capricho park is the unique garden of romanticism that is conserved in Madrid. It is one of the most beautiful parks in the city but is also a great unknown. It is a perfect place for couples.
Lineal del Manzanares is another outstanding park where you can visit, it’s nowadays an archaeological and natural deposit of the Community of Madrid.
The park is divided into three stretches: the stretch 1 is urbanized with leisure and sports facilities, among them, La Caja Mágica stands out. Stretch 2, is not urbanized and is of great historical, ecological, and cultural value. Stretch 3, or the regional stretch, is the mouth of the Manzanares River into the Jarama River.
Madrid: Rest well at nights
In a cosmopolitan city like Madrid, you can find all kinds of accommodations, which surely can fit your needs.
If you want to spread out your stay in different accommodations, you have the option to stay in several hostels and hotels. But we advise you to find a Madrid’s real estate agency that offers all types of accommodation. In this way, from one website, you can find all your ideal accommodation of any length and anywhere in Madrid.
Related article: Tips for a great visit to Madrid
