p Oh, how we waited for this... When you picture a vacation with your girlfriends, don't you picture who's Carrie, who's Samantha, and who on earth is going to carry all those shopping bags?? That's exactly what I pictured, and we got that perfection and more. Minus Big. But there was a different big. Big fun. More practical than Mr. Big :)
p So why enjoy alone?
p You can see all this and more in our stories. Why enjoy alone
p (Come enjoy London, Greece, the Black Forest, the Seychelles or even a desert inn in the south with me too.)
p We flew in January! We were really scared of the weather, but it was great. Not one drop of rain, and it was only cold in the mornings and at night.
p Before the flight, I built us a "skeleton" plan suited to friends who just want to have fun.
p I recommend checking whether there are great concerts in Madrid and booking your flight around them. In London, for example, I saw Queen and it was hysterical. When I searched online for Madrid, there were so many recommendations for great restaurants, attractions and shopping. So many that on one hand it's encouraging, because it seems wherever you go will be fun. But on the other hand, you can get lost in all that abundance. Here's a link to a Madrid WhatsApp group that helped me a lot.
p So in this post you'll find: a route plan for 4.5 days, including locations and tips. What not to miss. What you can skip, with photos. Because we were 4 girls, we wanted an apartment, so we rented an apartment hotel called Home Club Canaan Santo Domingo Hotel. The location is perfect, right on the Gran Vía. We walked a lot. There was one critical problem at the hotel: after two of us showered, we ran out of hot water. I don't know if it was just our apartment or if the boiler there is small. Worth checking, because apart from that it was great. (Two of us showered in the morning and two in the evening. They weren't up for showering in pairs 🤷♀️) Apart from that, we did everything on foot. Everything is very close and accessible. We all had internet, which was very convenient. When we got lazy, we ordered an Uber.
p :) Uber is life itself
p The most fun was feeling like "Sex and the City", even though the gap wasn't small.
p I've gathered everything we did, and also what we didn't get to, so I don't enjoy all this "livin' la vida loca" alone.
p So here's what we did:
p Day 1: Arrival, a taxi ride with lovely Carlos, who waited for us with a sign and a smile. I warmly recommend him! On the way there we rode with him because we managed to fit a carry-on inside our empty suitcase, but we already sensed there might be a problem at the end of the trip, so Carlos arranged a van for us.
p We headed straight for Callao metro station; down in the station they sell SIM cards really cheap. Something like 5 euros for 3 GB. Don't hold me to it. There's a photo of the woman who sells them in the pictures. Full disclosure: we didn't find her; we found a different SIM on the street for the same price.
p From there we went on a walking tour of Madrid (Hadar Regunis Tours): we saw Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Botín restaurant, the San Miguel market, Plaza de la Ópera, Plaza de Oriente, the San Ginés chocolatería and the Royal Palace (from outside). We got educated :) Recommended.
p We ate at the great Juana La Loca: a tapas restaurant that looks simple at first glance, but simple is the last thing it is. Don't skip the foie gras!
p Day 2: Breakfast, and off we go to Primark. Get there at 9:30. There are lots of floors, and when you're done there's a long line at the checkout. So start on the top floor (the kids' floor), work your way down and pay at the checkout by the entrance. You're welcome :)
p Bring an empty suitcase from your room, because their bags are rubbish and tear (I bought a huge sturdy bag there, like in Thailand). We put our shopping in the room, rested, gave each other a fashion show (what, it's important!) and moved on to the Malasaña and Salamanca neighborhoods. Those are the pricey neighborhoods. Very beautiful buildings, wide streets. We found a few nice things on the way, but we'd had enough pretty quickly. It's like Kikar HaMedina in Tel Aviv. There's a highly recommended place to eat, but it was closed: Platea Madrid. We found another restaurant with great Italian food, totally by chance: La Mafia restaurant. In the evening we went to the much-talked-about Ten Con Ten. By the way, it's only talked about in Hebrew. Everyone there is Israeli. Everyone. Chances are you'll even know them, because everyone there is Israeli. We booked a table ahead, but sat at the bar, because as I said, we were feeling very Carrie Bradshaw, and Carrie sits at the bar. (You can't book the bar, so we waited.)
p By the way, there's an even better place by the same owners, and it's well worth checking out. It's called Amazónico. We didn't get to go. Day 3: Welcome to the most fun day of the trip! We started with a fun walk along the Gran Vía toward the Chueca neighborhood, to the San Antón market. To us, much better than the San Miguel market. We went completely overboard with the food there. Everything was fire. We wandered the cool streets of this super lively neighborhood toward a hidden organic market called El Huerto de Lucas (address: Calle San Lucas, 13), through the streets Hortaleza, Barquillo, Alfonso and Prim, and it was magical.
p We ate at the famous Frida Cafe and really, really (really!) enjoyed it. We ordered brownies we'll remember for the rest of our lives. From there we went on to Retiro Park. Wow! What a gorgeous park. The idea was to rent bikes and pedal around the park. In practice we got tangled up with the rental, and when we finally managed, the bikes were too tall, so two of us rented bikes and two took a tuk-tuk. Each choice has its pros and cons. The park is huge, and you need a good few hours to enjoy it. But it's so worth it, and I swear I saw Elsa's house there. Birds, lakes, a palace, plants, fresh air. What more do you need?
p We passed through the Puerta de Alcalá and walked on to the Prado Museum. We spent two hours there with the audio guide. A great museum! Because that's who we are. Deep and cultured. From there we took an Uber to the restaurant. THE restaurant: Sala de Despiece. An out-of-this-world meat restaurant. I don't know where to start. So worth it. You can't book, and there's a long line, but in life, as in life, some things are worth waiting for :) After we'd waited, they offered us the private room and we went with it, but I think it's really fun and more of an experience to be in the regular, packed restaurant. It was recommended in Haaretz.
p Day 4: We started the morning at Cafe Federal. Oh my! What amazing food. Sourdough bread, Eggs Benedict and the best coffee you'll taste in Madrid (tested!).
p From there we wanted to spend half the day shopping, and after some research (not the Weizmann Institute kind), we were told to go to Xanadú mall, a little outside the city. We flew to Madrid at the height of the sales, so there wasn't really anything there that you can't get on the Gran Vía at a price you can't get on the Gran Vía (except great costumes!). If you're going to go there, only do it on a rainy day or when there are no sales in Madrid. By the way, we took an Uber. It cost us 33 euros each way and took 25 minutes. Better than walking to the bus station and riding for half an hour. We came back earlier than expected and carried on wandering the Gran Vía and the pretty side streets near it. We planned to get to the beautiful graffiti neighborhood, Embajadores, or have a taste of the Sofía museum (Museo Reina Sofía), but you have to save something for next time! What we did do was go to the rooftop at El Corte Inglés, 7th floor. We bought cheese and wine and raised a glass to life (and a very good one).
p Evening: we'd booked an intimate flamenco show ahead. A little local culture :) At first my friends teased me that the seats I'd chosen weren't great. Very quickly they realized they were the best seats. A photo to show you:
p We finished the evening at Casa Lucio, where we'd booked a table ahead. A lot has been said about this restaurant. True, it's local. And true, Bill Clinton and the like have eaten there. But it doesn't suit four friends (in my opinion); it's more for couples. If at all... There was nothing interesting there. A potato with an egg on top? Okay. And? It was nice. We went back to the hardest task of all: packing in a way that wouldn't make us pay for "excess weight", and the bets began on whose bag was heaviest :) The winner gets churros as a gift.
p Day 5: The last day! Or rather, the last half day. We started the day with THE most recommended churros in Madrid: the San Ginés chocolatería. Yes, you could say there are tastier things, but the experience was so much fun. The fact that they only serve churros, the way the waiters carry a million cups at once in one hand, what it's like to be in a place that's a legend. I loved it. Don't be put off by the long line, and don't forget to order the hot chocolate for dipping the churros.
p From there we went to the flea market, which is only open on Sundays. We came with no expectations and already a bit out of steam, and we were blown away! There were lots of great items, like leather jackets for ten euros, fine scarves, knick-knacks for the kids, tights, gloves, jewelry and more. Bring cash!
p From there we hurried back to the hotel, got organized, and it was time to go home :) By the way, if you're staying in Madrid on Sunday, after the market all the Madrileños go to Cava Baja street to eat tapas in all the bars there.
p So a lot has been said here, but I'll sum up what you mustn't miss: Retiro Park. Restaurants: Juana La Loca, Sala de Despiece, Cafe Federal. Food markets: the San Antón market and the Chueca neighborhood in general got the most points from me, for quality, food and atmosphere. Shopping: a lot has been said about that too. I'll just add that the gifts I brought the kids were special and fun, and got a lot of excitement, from Ale-Hop and Tiger. For myself, I bought mostly on the Gran Vía and its magical side streets. Don't forget to ask for Tax Free before they ring you up. Make sure you get everything you need, including stamps and the amount that will go back into your account. Fill in the missing details in the store: addresses, email and phone (it'll just save you time the night before the flight). I also took photos and made myself a tidy folder on my phone (just in case). It's quite a lot of money you get back. At the airport, after you check your suitcases but before immigration, you go and get the forms stamped at Customs, where clerks sort your receipts for the two companies (Tax Free and Global Blue). They also sort the receipts so only what's relevant for the refund is left. After security and everything, you go past the duty-free shops, and then on the left you'll see two long lines for those two companies. You've arrived. Keep in mind it takes a looong time. Get to the airport early. I heard there's a place near the Gran Vía that does it all for you for a token fee. Worth checking. We didn't get organized in time for it. You can skip: Casa Lucio and Xanadú mall. If you have time, add a rooftop: 1. Rooftop Skynight 2. Azotea del Círculo
p 3. In La Latina. Small, with a beautiful view. Best toward sunset: El Viajero
p That's it. That's really just the high level 📷 :)
p Enjoy, amigos! Shirly
q “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list”
p And come visit my new Instagram and my Facebook group, where you can share your own good times too, because why should you enjoy alone?