Having lived in Madrid for almost a year now, and following a recent trip back to England, it reminded me just how valuable public transport is. As anyone who has lived in a big city knows, the hustle and bustle of everyday life almost dictates the need to use alternative forms of transport.
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Having lived in Madrid for almost a year now, and following a recent trip back to England, it reminded me just how valuable public transport is. As anyone who has lived in a big city knows, the hustle and bustle of everyday life almost dictates the need to use alternative forms of transport.
For the past 10 months I have been one of the many millions of daily commuters, who place both their professional and social schedules in the ... ...say they have not let me down. Apart from the required closing of certain parts of several Metro lines (although free buses have been provided) the service has continued to be both effective and reliable in a way that London could only look on in envy. From the well connected Metro, to the new, clean, comfortable buses, and the cheap reliable Cercania (Train) service, Madrid have got things right in every aspect.
Having lived in Madrid for almost a year now, and following a recent trip back to England, it reminded me just how valuable public transport is. As anyone who has lived in a big city knows, the hustle and bustle of everyday life almost dictates the need to use alternative forms of transport.
For the past 10 months I have been one of the many millions of daily commuters, who place both their professional and social schedules in the hands of the Public Transport systems, and I can proudly say they have not let me down. Apart from the required closing of certain parts of several Metro lines (although free buses have been provided) the service has continued to be both effective and reliable in a way that London could only look on in envy. From the well connected Metro, to the new, clean, comfortable buses, and the cheap reliable Cercania (Train) service, Madrid have got things right in every aspect.
What is also fresh is the cost, and hats of to the people in power, they make it cheap enough to encourage people to abandon their cars in return for a more comfortable form of travel, something else commendable. A monthly pass, to use buses, Metros, and Cercanias, can be purchased for under 5000 ptas a month (20 gb pounds), and even less if you pay for a year upfront.
Even visitors are catered for, with ten journeys (10 viajes) costing only 705 ptas (under 3 pounds). While improvements continue, the price remains affordable and tempting, and it would be great to see other cities following the Spanish capitals lead.
Advantages: No long stops or breakdowns Disadvantages: Large areas of the city inaccessible by metro
I visited Madrid in September and found that a two or three of the metro lines were closed for maintenance completely for a significant portion of the line. Apart from this the remainder of the trains worked fine.
I did find that there was a lack of information - it was not clear at the outset of a journey that the lines were closed and the new airport link was open but this was difficult to tell and judging by the low number of tourists using the ...
joeyl 28.10.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Getting around in Madrid
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Advantages: lots to see Disadvantages: public transport difficult to find
the Plaza mayor. This also has an uncountable number of cafes.
-Calle Goya and Calle Castellana for the larger stores
4) Museo del Prado
A great art gallery. A recommended place to see.
The only drawback is that Madrid can be difficult to getaround. I recommended walking although in the heat this can prove tiring. The metro is good and cheap although it can be difficult to find the metro stations. It's important to know exactly where these are located beforehand to avoid wasting time hunting for them!
All in all, Madrid is a wonderful city. You should definitely go! ...
Advantages: Very close to city centre and transport, Cheap. Disadvantages: Can be noisy
a visit to the Templo De Debod. Its an Eygptian temple that has been brought over from Egypt to Madrid as a present for the Spanish helping with a new dam. It has been re-built in the Parque de la Montana and is well worth a visit, its free to enter and look around. Of course another place to visit is the Palacio Real. This is very interesting and well worth a visit. It is still used (although not owned) by the Spanish King. Visitors are allowed to look around 50 of the 2800 rooms. The entrance can be hard to spot, it is on the south side of the palace and indicated by a blue "Entrada" sign. Whilst the Palace is impressive in size we were really amazed by the broad range of styles used to decorate the rooms. No two rooms appear to have been done in the same manner. Entrance costs 7 euros, although concessions can getin for 5.50.
We also ...
Advantages: great bars and restaurants, wonderful for shopping Disadvantages: Some areas are a bit run down, gets unbearably hot at the height of summer
and normally cheap, albeit a little basic. However, if you?re more wary, then there is a booking service for accommodation in the airport, or the bus station, just be prepared to pay more for your room. One thing to point out is that if you are arriving late in the evening on the bus from the airport, the bus station is underground and attacks and robberies on tourists have been known. Just be sensible and aware of your surroundings and you should be fine. The police have become aware of this problem in the last year or so though, and are taking extra measure to ensure this stops.
GettingaroundMadrid is easy, walking is the best way of doing this since the city centre is so compact. If you are feeling particularly lazy or tired then Madrid has a n efficient metro system, although it isn?t that expensive.
The city is awash with restaurants ...
reh106 14.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Madrid (Spain)
