Spot on with the Cops. We missed our flight a couple months back so we decided to walk around and just see what we could find. We walked into what was a random government building and the police officer there was curious as to why we were there. We explained what happened and the guy ended up taking us on a tour after his shift of the surrounding area and explaining basically the history of Madrid. It was awesome
Mark Wolters is the KING of europe tips. Dude, I've traveled lots in the past few years, and you BY FAR have the most comprehensive regarding culture and food.
I lived in Madrid for 6 months. It holds such a special place in my heart. Madrileños are amazing people, the city is safe, peaceful and beautiful. I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting the video to be this good but I agree with almost everything esp. when you mention Londoners’ level of politeness.
I'm spanish, I live in Barcelona but I go to Madrid regulary. Everything Wolter said its absolutely true and if you want my recommendation go to Madrid in autumn like september-october. I think is the best part of the year to visit the city. Absoluly avoid the tourist places (like in any other big city) and you'll enjoy great food. And one quick note about "toreros" and bull fighting, mostly we are very against it (like we would like it to dissapear) so don't espect us to be very enthusiastic about it :)
+EzyZet, I am Basque and I am also against it. I believe that the majority of the country's youth is opposed to bullfighting. In not too many years there will be no more, it is a fact.
+EzyZet, Catalonians are not against it. If fact, there are a lot of popular festivals called "correbous" or "bous al carrer" where regular people torture a bull. You can google it.
I was in Europe during 2019. The most beautiful cityes for me the first one Paris and the second one Madrid. Madrid has a Strange mix of the elegance of Paris (the Salamanca district is great, the boulevards near Retiro park), the urban atmosphere of New York ( gran via or espania plaza) and off course the spanish culture. Incredible city an absolute and total surprise for me.
A little Paella tip at Madrid: every Thursday mostly all restaurants have it on the day menu(although is not on the normal menu every day) Is a tradition in the city because the king of spain usually went out to eat on thursdays and Paella is his favorite food, so the local restaurants normally served it to see if they got lucky and the king visits they're place. Although is not really easy to find a very good one the average is pretty good.Near Plaza mayor and Sol is the old city hood called La Latina and got some nice places. But the most typical dishes here are Cocido Madrileño(superb stew), Calamari sandwich, and Tortilla de patatas. Try to find Top10 charts and you'll do fine
I studied abroad here for 6 weeks and got back a week ago. It makes my heart hurt seeing all these beautiful places again because I fell in love with this city and the people here. This list is true to a tee. I advise the Rostro for souvenirs and exploring around Ópera for some delicious food. Don't just stick to Sol and Gran Vía!!! I think I saw every single thing you posted in this video!
De Madrid al cielo! Muy cierto. Mi ciudad favorita por todo. En navidades tiene una atmósfera increíble, preciosa, frio seco perfectamente soportable con abrigo, en agosto es cuando voy de vacaciones, cierto que hace un calor que quema como un demonio jeje....pero me da igual, me encanta! Ellos se vienen a la costa y nosotros nos vamos allí. Qué nos das, Madrid?
Diego Antolin Garcia Soto hello Im going to visit Madrid! Where do you recommend I begin to look for great nightlife? I would love some help! Thank you 😁
Hi Cynthia! born and raised in Madrid. First of all I advise you to avoid the center of the city. It's all just tourist traps and they leave a wrong impression on the city to every foreigner which makes me really sad. Go to restaurants that are far away from the 'plaza mayor' and 'sol' - avoid at all costs! Go to places where you can't see any signs in English. My favourite streets: Serrano, Castellana, Orense, and you'll have to walk Gran Via even though it's right next to the places I advised you not to go. About nightlife: If you want a more 'classy' club, which will be expensive (15-20 euros a drink) go to Teatro Barcelo or Gabana. If you want a good party you can go to Kapital, which is a huge theater converted to a nightclub, with 6 different floors, each has its own music, and the rooftop is great! All the good conversations and laughs are up there.. It gets a little expensive too though. . Anyway, there's literally like 200 nightclubs in the city so if you don't like one, just hop on a taxi! there's plenty and good, and know that these were the ones I go to, they could be the best, or not, depending on your taste.. If you want something more chill, smalls bars with a lot of life, of very different types like 'hipster' and indie clubs and bars go to the famous streets of Malasaña. All drinks around this places will be around 4 to 10 euros. Remember that club life starts at 2 am, go have a nice late dinner 10pm, and then start drinking right after from 12 am to 2-3-4 am.. You can find 24h McDonalds and plenty of pizzas and kebab for the munchies after all the party. Hope I'm not too late, and this is helpful. Enjoy this great city!!
@saghar14 Paella is not a Madrid dish. It is from Valencia ( a major coastal city on the south east) for the proper good paella you'd have to go there.
Yes, Spanish and Greek people return home at 05:00 on a Saturday/Sunday morning. Yes you can see them drink their coffee at midnight. Yes they do smoke a lot. Yes they do these things. But you know what? They don't return home totally drunk like people from central and north Europe do, they don't piss or throw up on the road, they don't do stupid things and they don't do drugs like the people from central and north Europe do. From my travels i have realized that is safer for example to walk at 04:00 on the streets of Spain and Greece than at 00:00 at the streets of central and northern Europe.
SWE SWE There's a lot more drugs in many places I've travelled to like the USA to name one country and the nightlife doesn't compare to Spain The Spanish are obsessed with being on the streets and nightlife. A lot has to do with the mentality. I mean where else do you see people having dinner at midnight? Only in Spain.
Miguel F Obvio. Y Espana es el mejor pais de mundo, especialmente Madrid. Solo la verdad es hay mucho drogas. No problema a mi, aunque yo nunca tomo drogas. Madrid era siempre mejor del mundo numero Uno porque hay mucho otros cosas que es maravilloso y especial solo en Madrid y Espana.
I am greek and I have been to Madrid. You are correct. regarding the drugs, I think Greece is a tad better, comparing capitals (Athens /Madrid). Anywhere else though no drugs and no worries. I live in Corfu and my favourite part is walking home listening to music with earphones at 4:30 am after a nice night out, having 2-3 beers or glasses of wine in the span of 4-5 hours, not worrying about a thing. and note, I am a woman. This means you kinda have to be extra careful, unfortunately.
I agree with you regarding the paella. Usually if you have a menu in 3 languages or more, I don't eat there. I tend to look for places that have locals and eat the "Plato del Dia." Another thing that surprised me about Madrid was how fresh the fish was. They cook it in so many different ways, that you won't be bored. If you go to a Basque restaurant they'll make it one way, Galician restaurant another way, Valencian place the same or from the coast of Andalusia. Fortunately, I speak Spanish, so that is not a problem for me. But, I do stay away from touristy joints. With respect to how late they eat, it works just fine if you are from Calfornia. I usually eat lunch around 3 pm, which is around 11 pm there, perfect time for dinner. I recommend to try their cafecito with one of their amazing liqueurs after dinner. Amazing! The cafecito is like a cuban coffee or espresso with a shot of your favorite liqueur, i.e. cherry, orange, melon, watermelon, etc... but, don't have it in the same place you had dinner walk to a nearby bar or tapas bar. It's cheaper.
I have never had a cafecito with orange or watermelon here in Spain. First time I heard something like that. We've got 'carajillo', which is espresso with a shot of brandy. Typical macho and grandaddy choice.
Fortunately I speak Spanish so I get a lot of good info from cab drivers, and one of them told me that Spanish police officers are very honest. Although the paella in Madrid may not be the best, the seafood in general is very fresh. I’ve been to Vigo on the west coast which has huge seafood processing facilities, and by about 0300, the seafood is processed and on the road. People say that the best fish is sent to Madrid because they pay the highest prices.
I was there last summer and what shocked me was there were bicycles and scooters for rent everywhere. This is a great way to escape from the center and see other places in the city. On the other hand, and talking about temperatures, Madrid is cold in winter because it is at 660m above sea level but it isn't too cold. It is common to have 5 to 10 Celsius degrees during daytime and drops to 1 or 2 degrees at night. For example, NYC is colder than Madrid being at the same latitude and at sea level. I would recomend May as the best season to visit Madrid. In May is the festival of San Isidro. The city is full of activities and events this week and the visitor would have the opportunity to go to the traditional verbenas, free concerts or food degustations, etc.
Having just come back, what stood out for Madrid was how infectious the local culture is there. I felt that I got shook out of tourist-mode pretty quickly.
Albertobezmiliana we go to Madrid every year and never get paella unless we make it at home.when I went to seaside town's on the east coast it was way better
In Madrid if you want to eat well at a reasonable price always look for a bar/restaurant that seems to be very busy with the locals, you won't go wrong.
Regarding the smoking - that's strange. When we visited Madrid (June 2017), i was shocked how little smoking I've seen compared to basically anywhere in Italy. I hate smoke, so i can easily notice it, but i was very pleased that all throughout our trip around Spain there was little smoking anywhere actually.
smoking inside public places is banned so you wont see people smoking in pubs or restaurants, you also cant smoke near schools and hospitals, like a 15 meters bubble so if you are walking with a cigarette you must stop smoking when you pass near a hospital or you risk a fine
I´m from Spain, and things have changed a lot. It was quite common to smoke some years ago, nowadays, smoking is not that common and the number of smokers is not very different from any other European countries... I remember, when I was 15, seeing lot of people smoking, even my school mates, now I´m 24 and only two of my friends smoke and I can´t see many people smoking... Smoking was banned in public areas and in closed establishments, so many people stopped smoking or reduced the number of cigarettes they used to smoke.
@Philip Hayes-Salazar That's because the majority eat a lot healthier were as the majority of Americans eat a lot of junk because it is a lot more easily accessible.
Spot on !!!!!!! I was in Madrid 2003 I was born there ... every thing you said was almost word for word of what you said especially about the food 🥘 thank you 😊
12 years ago I was in Madrid with a few people, we were being loud in a hotel room and they called the police. 5 police officers who all looked like they were about to do strip for us. We were like, well hello there. Then they got an urgent call and ran downstairs as we promised we would keep it quiet. Yep the cops are HOT
Great tips. I agree with all your observations. We like the cops too. 😉 I did a video of Street Food in Madrid in that indoor market I spotted briefly in your video. Bravo!
the things that really shocked me was the price to eat, soooo cheap taxi's it was cheaper to take a taxi for two people than to catch a bus!! museo del jamon is a place worth visiting, the ham, damn, it's great!!! really nice cheap eats and drinks the energy related to football (soccer) it can be overwhelming with the level of passion, (and fireworks set off in crowds, and pushing and yelling and jumping!)
I haven't really thought about other cultures not having meriendas. THAT'S WHY they feel dinner at 9pm is late; they are hungry at 5 while we're having our meriendas.
+robert111k, there is a great cultural, geographical, landscape, historical and gastronomic difference between the north of Spain and the Atlantic coast when compared to the tourist Mediterranean Spain of sun and beach that is advertised to tourists. It is an unquestionable fact. Not recognizing this is a childish fact, in London or Roma gravity also works and the sky is not yellow either and, nevertheless, it is not the same as Valencia or Andalusia.
Every place is different. Andalucia and Catalonia are also different. I love the variety of food, languages, and cultures from one part of Spain to the next. It's not better or worse, just different.
Clara Maria Garcia My only safety advice is watch your wallet in Sol. If you get pickpocketed anywhere in Madrid 95% chance it's there. Oh! And I've been told the ones at Juana La Loca are the best Spanish omelettes in Madrid. Have fun :D
Don't be shocked that there are no paintings or sculptures at Museo del Jamon. 😀 I never noticed the two pricing system and was always able to find a place at the bar. Wonder which price is used for "para llevar" since I did that a couple of times? Anyway, excellent video as usual. Love Madrid. 👍
Tip for tourists: If you want to try the Paella around Madrid (Paella is a traditional dish from Valencian Community) you must go to local places. I mean, if you see any restaurant/bar with English, French or Italian promo, don't go in. Search for "Menú, plato del día". It doesn't mean that the food is bad in this kind of touristic places, but if you compare it with the local one, daaaaamn!
Hi!! not at all!! we love tourists here; altough I recommend you not to bring that topic too much in conversations, because it could be a very sensitive issue for some people, but usually if you are friendly (learning a couple of words in spanish might help) you will be fine. I you come here I hope you enjoy it, we have many great natural and urban places to see!
Great Mark! I'll be in Madrid tomorrow for my birthday weekend. Quick question, I'm thinking about doing a day trip to Toledo. Do you think it's worth it or stay in Madrid?
I am from Madrid. The paella and sangria are from Valencia ir Mediterranean Coast. We have tapas such as Spanish omelette, Madrid stew, bocadillo de calamares,... 😀🤪
Perdona pero eso de que la sangria es de Valencia solo. como que no. Yo tb soy de Madrid, seguro que mayor que tu y es la primera vez que oigo que la sangría es de Valencia. La Horchata, mistela .... eso si
Nothing to do. Reina Sofía (Queen Sofía) is just the name. They are different institutions. The RS Museum is a national public museum of art that specializes on modern art (from Picasso's birthday onwards) whereas de RS Music School is a private school founded by Ana Botín's (current president of Santander Bank) mother.
Great vid Mark! All these points I can agree with down here in Málaga except the sit down charge.. never heard of that before! Cool to learn something new though 😁. You'll have to come visit one day, it's a beautiful city 😊
This city has the best nightlife in the world Getting back home at 10 am or later on a Wednesday in Madrid is quite normal. Unbelievable nightlife with so much choice.
Cynthia Villegas Hi Cynthia You e got big club's like Kapital and Joy. Then there are many smaller ones. Honkytonk bar. Morroco. Stella. Why not. Cafe la Palma. Moby Dick. Etc..... Then there's a plethora of bars around Huertas. La Latina. Chueca. Lavapies and especially Malasaña which is also full of underground clubs. The trick to get into the club's is to get there pretty early by Spanish standards. Say midnight or 1 am as Spaniards tend to go at about 2 am or later then it's very difficult to get in especially in the very popular clubs.
2:04 Actually Mark if you eat small meals throughout the day that speeds up your metabolism, rather than having spaced out big meals :) that's probably it. And mediterranean diets are full of healthy fats, the use of oil instead of butter makes a huge difference and tons of lean protein and veggies, not just carbs and sugar. Also dunno about madrileños but I have two Spanish housemates here in London and they work out every. single. day. for 45 minutes. No big secret here really, sorry Mark.
The first time I was in Avila was in April, we were surprised by snow in the morning: the couple up from Madrid for the day in shorts didn't last long.
order a paella at Madrid is like order cajun food at Chicago....simply it doesn't works, Spain has very different tipes of cuisine, so where you go, do the things locals do, and reasearch a bit the local food. Try paella at Valencia or Alicante and try cocido or callos or bravas at Madrid... ...and a last tip, spaniards don't drink sangría, is only for tourists, you'll never see a local ordering a sangría...wine, beer, vermut, tinto de verano, clara....that's tipycal
Mark, this video reminded me when I visited Madrid I did recall some pictures in here I already visited. I went there in September so the weather not too hot but not cold either. I had funny story when you mentioned about be careful in the train station because of pick pocket. My friend is living in Spain, she warned me "be careful with your purse and backpack" when we were in the train. Later she found out her camera get stolen.........all my stuff are safe!
Wow, the metro sealings is true, but thats just on the older lines, the new lines are huge and the stations are quite impressing. I encourage you so se some pics of stations such as Colombia, or nuevos ministerios
I fell in love with Spain bc they move the same way I do, I have dinner at 9-10 pm, I am a night owl and very friendly/high energy, I also love the LGBTQ+ community in Madrid!
We will be going to Madrid(February) for the second time and I'm looking up to it. I will like to watch a game in the Bernabeu and look forward to the museums. We will be going outside of Madrid to look at the small town but don't know where to go yet. Any suggestion?
it's warm and hot all day---seems like Spain and Mexico have that stereotype in common and granted my hometown in Mexico only knows hot and rainy and dry----but honestly there are some cold places in Mexico that give Washington a run for its money
I heard this saying about the climate in Madrid - Tres meses de infierno, nueve meses de invierno (I think) Three months of hell, nine months of winter.
It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Weird! It's true there are days in August (not every year) that the temperature reaches 40° C, but the hot in Madrid is quite bearable, since it's a dry one. It's by far better than in more humid cities like Rome, Barcelona or even Moscow, where 30° C can be just unbearable.
Spot on with the Cops. We missed our flight a couple months back so we decided to walk around and just see what we could find. We walked into what was a random government building and the police officer there was curious as to why we were there. We explained what happened and the guy ended up taking us on a tour after his shift of the surrounding area and explaining basically the history of Madrid. It was awesome
random tour officer guide
i would do the same in ghent,
Why random?
My FAVORITE city in the world is, MADRID. Gorgeous Mysterious and Sensual city. Salutations from, USA!
Mark Wolters is the KING of europe tips. Dude, I've traveled lots in the past few years, and you BY FAR have the most comprehensive regarding culture and food.
Mark needs his own travel tv show
I lived in Madrid for 6 months. It holds such a special place in my heart. Madrileños are amazing people, the city is safe, peaceful and beautiful. I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting the video to be this good but I agree with almost everything esp. when you mention Londoners’ level of politeness.
I am from Nicaragua and I fell in love with Spain especially Madrid. The city vibe is amazing and yeah people are very cool. ¡Viva España!
I'm spanish, I live in Barcelona but I go to Madrid regulary. Everything Wolter said its absolutely true and if you want my recommendation go to Madrid in autumn like september-october. I think is the best part of the year to visit the city. Absoluly avoid the tourist places (like in any other big city) and you'll enjoy great food.
And one quick note about "toreros" and bull fighting, mostly we are very against it (like we would like it to dissapear) so don't espect us to be very enthusiastic about it :)
Rafael Martin Van Nostrand I've heard Catalonians are against it, but people from Madrid or other more central cities still like it. Is that true?
+EzyZet, I am Basque and I am also against it. I believe that the majority of the country's youth is opposed to bullfighting. In not too many years there will be no more, it is a fact.
+EzyZet, Catalonians are not against it. If fact, there are a lot of popular festivals called "correbous" or "bous al carrer" where regular people torture a bull. You can google it.
+anna04aquav, has the Catalonian government already banned the "correbous? Congrats!!!
+anna04aquav, it's my understanding that all those activities are already banned in the Canary Islands, am I wrong?
I was in Europe during 2019. The most beautiful cityes for me the first one Paris and the second one Madrid. Madrid has a Strange mix of the elegance of Paris (the Salamanca district is great, the boulevards near Retiro park), the urban atmosphere of New York ( gran via or espania plaza) and off course the spanish culture. Incredible city an absolute and total surprise for me.
Madrid!
I adore Madrid..................beautiful people, food, places, hearts...........see you soon Madrid xxxxx
Ah.... Maravilloso madrid!! It must be one of the best places to live in. Spanish people really know how to enjoy life.
A little Paella tip at Madrid: every Thursday mostly all restaurants have it on the day menu(although is not on the normal menu every day)
Is a tradition in the city because the king of spain usually went out to eat on thursdays and Paella is his favorite food, so the local restaurants normally served it to see if they got lucky and the king visits they're place. Although is not really easy to find a very good one the average is pretty good.Near Plaza mayor and Sol is the old city hood called La Latina and got some nice places.
But the most typical dishes here are Cocido Madrileño(superb stew), Calamari sandwich, and Tortilla de patatas. Try to find Top10 charts and you'll do fine
I studied abroad here for 6 weeks and got back a week ago. It makes my heart hurt seeing all these beautiful places again because I fell in love with this city and the people here. This list is true to a tee. I advise the Rostro for souvenirs and exploring around Ópera for some delicious food. Don't just stick to Sol and Gran Vía!!! I think I saw every single thing you posted in this video!
De Madrid al cielo! Muy cierto. Mi ciudad favorita por todo. En navidades tiene una atmósfera increíble, preciosa, frio seco perfectamente soportable con abrigo, en agosto es cuando voy de vacaciones, cierto que hace un calor que quema como un demonio jeje....pero me da igual, me encanta! Ellos se vienen a la costa y nosotros nos vamos allí.
Qué nos das, Madrid?
All I can say is I've never experienced a city with the nightlife Madrid offers.
So so late and so much variety every day of the year.
I'm so early on this one that it says it's still processing!!!
Me too!
+Tosh T we B awesome ;)
Wolters World Nice video Mark I appreciate it
Do not forget that Madrid is not Spain. Explore a little more and we have "secrets" for you!
Ribeirasacra I know that just most Americans don't know except for Mark Wolters
Jajajja jajaja, I'm from Madrid. And I'm watching this video after coming from a party at 3am because I have exams and do feel like a grandma
Diego Antolin Garcia Soto hello Im going to visit Madrid! Where do you recommend I begin to look for great nightlife? I would love some help! Thank you 😁
Hi Cynthia! born and raised in Madrid.
First of all I advise you to avoid the center of the city. It's all just tourist traps and they leave a wrong impression on the city to every foreigner which makes me really sad. Go to restaurants that are far away from the 'plaza mayor' and 'sol' - avoid at all costs! Go to places where you can't see any signs in English.
My favourite streets: Serrano, Castellana, Orense, and you'll have to walk Gran Via even though it's right next to the places I advised you not to go.
About nightlife:
If you want a more 'classy' club, which will be expensive (15-20 euros a drink) go to Teatro Barcelo or Gabana. If you want a good party you can go to Kapital, which is a huge theater converted to a nightclub, with 6 different floors, each has its own music, and the rooftop is great! All the good conversations and laughs are up there.. It gets a little expensive too though. . Anyway, there's literally like 200 nightclubs in the city so if you don't like one, just hop on a taxi! there's plenty and good, and know that these were the ones I go to, they could be the best, or not, depending on your taste..
If you want something more chill, smalls bars with a lot of life, of very different types like 'hipster' and indie clubs and bars go to the famous streets of Malasaña. All drinks around this places will be around 4 to 10 euros. Remember that club life starts at 2 am, go have a nice late dinner 10pm, and then start drinking right after from 12 am to 2-3-4 am..
You can find 24h McDonalds and plenty of pizzas and kebab for the munchies after all the party.
Hope I'm not too late, and this is helpful. Enjoy this great city!!
heeyyy, don't make fun of abuelita
you are so entartaining to watch but also so informative!!!!!!!! congrats for your style of narration and channel
As a spanish guy myself I would completly drop the paella in Madrid unless you are 100% sure about the place.
@saghar14 Paella is not a Madrid dish. It is from Valencia ( a major coastal city on the south east) for the proper good paella you'd have to go there.
@saghar14 There are not many places... But for paella I would definitely recommend 'Samm', or 'St. James'. Specially Samm.
The
@@jonathansmart1479 thank you, nice recommendation
Yes, Spanish and Greek people return home at 05:00 on a Saturday/Sunday morning. Yes you can see them drink their coffee at midnight. Yes they do smoke a lot. Yes they do these things. But you know what? They don't return home totally drunk like people from central and north Europe do, they don't piss or throw up on the road, they don't do stupid things and they don't do drugs like the people from central and north Europe do. From my travels i have realized that is safer for example to walk at 04:00 on the streets of Spain and Greece than at 00:00 at the streets of central and northern Europe.
Right. But there is one wrong in your text, because The true is that drugs is very popular in Spain. About Greece and drugs i dont know.
SWE SWE
There's a lot more drugs in many places I've travelled to like the USA to name one country and the nightlife doesn't compare to Spain
The Spanish are obsessed with being on the streets and nightlife.
A lot has to do with the mentality.
I mean where else do you see people having dinner at midnight?
Only in Spain.
Miguel F Obvio. Y Espana es el mejor pais de mundo, especialmente Madrid. Solo la verdad es hay mucho drogas. No problema a mi, aunque yo nunca tomo drogas. Madrid era siempre mejor del mundo numero Uno porque hay mucho otros cosas que es maravilloso y especial solo en Madrid y Espana.
Aparte de cuando están aquí con el botellón 🤣
I am greek and I have been to Madrid. You are correct. regarding the drugs, I think Greece is a tad better, comparing capitals (Athens /Madrid). Anywhere else though no drugs and no worries. I live in Corfu and my favourite part is walking home listening to music with earphones at 4:30 am after a nice night out, having 2-3 beers or glasses of wine in the span of 4-5 hours, not worrying about a thing. and note, I am a woman. This means you kinda have to be extra careful, unfortunately.
In winter, Madri is very cold. Take care
I agree with you regarding the paella. Usually if you have a menu in 3 languages or more, I don't eat there. I tend to look for places that have locals and eat the "Plato del Dia." Another thing that surprised me about Madrid was how fresh the fish was. They cook it in so many different ways, that you won't be bored. If you go to a Basque restaurant they'll make it one way, Galician restaurant another way, Valencian place the same or from the coast of Andalusia. Fortunately, I speak Spanish, so that is not a problem for me. But, I do stay away from touristy joints.
With respect to how late they eat, it works just fine if you are from Calfornia. I usually eat lunch around 3 pm, which is around 11 pm there, perfect time for dinner. I recommend to try their cafecito with one of their amazing liqueurs after dinner. Amazing! The cafecito is like a cuban coffee or espresso with a shot of your favorite liqueur, i.e. cherry, orange, melon, watermelon, etc... but, don't have it in the same place you had dinner walk to a nearby bar or tapas bar. It's cheaper.
I have never had a cafecito with orange or watermelon here in Spain. First time I heard something like that. We've got 'carajillo', which is espresso with a shot of brandy. Typical macho and grandaddy choice.
I just came back from Madrid for vacation and pretty much everything in this is true
+-Sammy -good-vibes- thanks Sammy
-Sammy -good-vibes- I just got here
Patrick Dominguez have fun
-Sammy -good-vibes- I will thanks
Patrick Dominguez no problem
I'm 193 cm thanks for tip number 10. 😊
Going to visit our exchange student and family this coming week.
Fortunately I speak Spanish so I get a lot of good info from cab drivers, and one of them told me that Spanish police officers are very honest. Although the paella in Madrid may not be the best, the seafood in general is very fresh. I’ve been to Vigo on the west coast which has huge seafood processing facilities, and by about 0300, the seafood is processed and on the road. People say that the best fish is sent to Madrid because they pay the highest prices.
Paella, like everything in Madrid (I'd dare say in the world) can be very good or just average according the money you're willing to pay.
I was there last summer and what shocked me was there were bicycles and scooters for rent everywhere. This is a great way to escape from the center and see other places in the city.
On the other hand, and talking about temperatures, Madrid is cold in winter because it is at 660m above sea level but it isn't too cold. It is common to have 5 to 10 Celsius degrees during daytime and drops to 1 or 2 degrees at night. For example, NYC is colder than Madrid being at the same latitude and at sea level. I would recomend May as the best season to visit Madrid. In May is the festival of San Isidro. The city is full of activities and events this week and the visitor would have the opportunity to go to the traditional verbenas, free concerts or food degustations, etc.
Having just come back, what stood out for Madrid was how infectious the local culture is there. I felt that I got shook out of tourist-mode pretty quickly.
Wow Madrid sounds like me! I rarely sleep, eat once a day and that's at 9 at night for dinner lol.
Come here I'll show you the good life!!
Great Vlog by the way... on the paella bit I would not recommend getting it in a place where you can't see the sea, but that is me.
Albertobezmiliana we go to Madrid every year and never get paella unless we make it at home.when I went to seaside town's on the east coast it was way better
Definitely THE most accurate vlog about Madrid.
what i love, is that you really know what you are talking about - thank you
I love all your helpful videos! I'm taking a group to Madrid in 2019! Luckily, it will be in the summer so I won't freeze. Thanks!!
I travelled a few times from Germany to Madrid in winter and Madrid was always colder! 😄
I love the city.
Incredibly safe city.
Things do take a while to get goin. You are right about that one.
I love your videos! I'm glad you like it here. I'm a madrileña.
In Madrid if you want to eat well at a reasonable price always look for a bar/restaurant that seems to be very busy with the locals, you won't go wrong.
Regarding the smoking - that's strange. When we visited Madrid (June 2017), i was shocked how little smoking I've seen compared to basically anywhere in Italy. I hate smoke, so i can easily notice it, but i was very pleased that all throughout our trip around Spain there was little smoking anywhere actually.
smoking inside public places is banned so you wont see people smoking in pubs or restaurants, you also cant smoke near schools and hospitals, like a 15 meters bubble so if you are walking with a cigarette you must stop smoking when you pass near a hospital or you risk a fine
Роман Кулиньш I remember Spain by the smoke smell when walking out
I´m from Spain, and things have changed a lot. It was quite common to smoke some years ago, nowadays, smoking is not that common and the number of smokers is not very different from any other European countries... I remember, when I was 15, seeing lot of people smoking, even my school mates, now I´m 24 and only two of my friends smoke and I can´t see many people smoking... Smoking was banned in public areas and in closed establishments, so many people stopped smoking or reduced the number of cigarettes they used to smoke.
Yes. Things have improved quite a lot over the few last years in Spain in general. Good news for us non- smokers.
@Philip Hayes-Salazar That's because the majority eat a lot healthier were as the majority of Americans eat a lot of junk because it is a lot more easily accessible.
Spot on !!!!!!! I was in Madrid 2003 I was born there ... every thing you said was almost word for word of what you said especially about the food 🥘 thank you 😊
I plan my trips now a days from your videos. Thanks for taking out the time and sharing. X
desayuno, almuerzo, comida, merienda y cena..
Y no estamos gordos.
Y a las 12 h..el vermouth
Hi, I live in Madrid and I can assure that police officers are really hot in here.
12 years ago I was in Madrid with a few people, we were being loud in a hotel room and they called the police. 5 police officers who all looked like they were about to do strip for us. We were like, well hello there. Then they got an urgent call and ran downstairs as we promised we would keep it quiet. Yep the cops are HOT
Great tips. I agree with all your observations. We like the cops too. 😉 I did a video of Street Food in Madrid in that indoor market I spotted briefly in your video. Bravo!
the things that really shocked me was the price to eat, soooo cheap
taxi's it was cheaper to take a taxi for two people than to catch a bus!!
museo del jamon is a place worth visiting, the ham, damn, it's great!!! really nice cheap eats and drinks
the energy related to football (soccer) it can be overwhelming with the level of passion, (and fireworks set off in crowds, and pushing and yelling and jumping!)
Love it! The Retiro is my favourite place there, too! Immaculate taste :)
You've said get the lunch before, yes.
Yes, great paella and wine in Spain is great!
I love his energy, the way he makes video is awesome
"Helpful, hot, why not?" I WANT THIS ON MY GRAVESTONE
I haven't really thought about other cultures not having meriendas. THAT'S WHY they feel dinner at 9pm is late; they are hungry at 5 while we're having our meriendas.
You should visit Galicia and the rest of the northern part of Spain. It is completely different than the rest of Spain.
Everytime I see somebody saying something or someone is "different" (meaning better) I feel sick.
robert111k Sorry but I am half Galician. So maybe I am biased. But it is different. And you can't deny it. Lol
¿Is there no gravity in Galicia? ¿Is the sky yellow? ¿Are the people 50 metters tall? Come on.
+robert111k, there is a great cultural, geographical, landscape, historical and gastronomic difference between the north of Spain and the Atlantic coast when compared to the tourist Mediterranean Spain of sun and beach that is advertised to tourists. It is an unquestionable fact. Not recognizing this is a childish fact, in London or Roma gravity also works and the sky is not yellow either and, nevertheless, it is not the same as Valencia or Andalusia.
Every place is different. Andalucia and Catalonia are also different. I love the variety of food, languages, and cultures from one part of Spain to the next. It's not better or worse, just different.
I'm going to Madrid in 2 weeks, loved this video! Thanks for sharing!
Clara Maria Garcia My only safety advice is watch your wallet in Sol. If you get pickpocketed anywhere in Madrid 95% chance it's there. Oh! And I've been told the ones at Juana La Loca are the best Spanish omelettes in Madrid. Have fun :D
Thanks!!! :) Will try them! (Omelettes, not pickpockets LOL)
I live here and you are absolutely correct!!
Awesome. I'm going there with family during Christmas and New Year for 10 days. Gonna explore Madrid and surroundings.
Great video, packed with such useful information!!!
I enjoy watching your videos.
They are really genuine.
I’m headed to Madrid sola next week. Thank you for making these informative videos!
Don't be shocked that there are no paintings or sculptures at Museo del Jamon. 😀 I never noticed the two pricing system and was always able to find a place at the bar. Wonder which price is used for "para llevar" since I did that a couple of times? Anyway, excellent video as usual. Love Madrid. 👍
Tosh T The para llevar price is the same as the price at the bar :)
+Ana Botticelli Haha. Thank you.
Tip for tourists: If you want to try the Paella around Madrid (Paella is a traditional dish from Valencian Community) you must go to local places. I mean, if you see any restaurant/bar with English, French or Italian promo, don't go in. Search for "Menú, plato del día". It doesn't mean that the food is bad in this kind of touristic places, but if you compare it with the local one, daaaaamn!
Please guys come to Argentina!! you are going to have a awesome vacation here!!
Hi!! not at all!! we love tourists here; altough I recommend you not to bring that topic too much in conversations, because it could be a very sensitive issue for some people, but usually if you are friendly (learning a couple of words in spanish might help) you will be fine. I you come here I hope you enjoy it, we have many great natural and urban places to see!
Nicolas Fantin ive been to Buenos Aires. i loved it. i want to go back soon. one of the best places ive been. what part of Argentina are you from?
yes, if you need a psycho analyst, best place in the world
Great Mark! I'll be in Madrid tomorrow for my birthday weekend. Quick question, I'm thinking about doing a day trip to Toledo. Do you think it's worth it or stay in Madrid?
fane babanu thanks! I did and my trip to Madrid & Toledo was awesome.
1pm lunch and 8/9pm dinner? Thats what I do pretty much everyday in the states lol. Time to move to Madrid.
I am from Madrid. The paella and sangria are from Valencia ir Mediterranean Coast.
We have tapas such as Spanish omelette, Madrid stew, bocadillo de calamares,...
😀🤪
Perdona pero eso de que la sangria es de Valencia solo. como que no. Yo tb soy de Madrid, seguro que mayor que tu y es la primera vez que oigo que la sangría es de Valencia. La Horchata, mistela .... eso si
Ask now for it!!!
I got really excited when I saw the Reina Sofia museum because I want to go to Reina Sofia School of Music
Nothing to do. Reina Sofía (Queen Sofía) is just the name. They are different institutions. The RS Museum is a national public museum of art that specializes on modern art (from Picasso's birthday onwards) whereas de RS Music School is a private school founded by Ana Botín's (current president of Santander Bank) mother.
Always enjoy your videos, Mark! The coffee is fantastic in Spain , I found, as are the potatoes for breakfast!
Shelagh Jackson Wait what? Potatoes for breakfast?
Madrid: culture, shopping, animation, delicious food and so much more!
Great vid Mark! All these points I can agree with down here in Málaga except the sit down charge.. never heard of that before! Cool to learn something new though 😁. You'll have to come visit one day, it's a beautiful city 😊
I think the charge he is talking about is the one they charge you when you sit at the "terraza". If you sit inside they won't charge you anything.
Madrid def gets cold in December. I visit every few years to see family and remember walking out of the airport freezing lol
ohh really nice video, very honest and true! thanks a lot. From a madrileño guy
This city has the best nightlife in the world
Getting back home at 10 am or later on a Wednesday in Madrid is quite normal.
Unbelievable nightlife with so much choice.
Miguel F hello!!(: Im going to visit Madrid soon. Which bars or clubs are the ones you recommend? I would love some help!😊 thank you
Cynthia Villegas
Hi Cynthia
You e got big club's like Kapital and Joy.
Then there are many smaller ones.
Honkytonk bar.
Morroco.
Stella.
Why not.
Cafe la Palma.
Moby Dick. Etc.....
Then there's a plethora of bars around Huertas. La Latina.
Chueca. Lavapies and especially Malasaña which is also full of underground clubs.
The trick to get into the club's is to get there pretty early by Spanish standards. Say midnight or 1 am as Spaniards tend to go at about 2 am or later then it's very difficult to get in especially in the very popular clubs.
Cynthia Villegas There's also a humungous club on the outskirts of the city in Getafe called Fabric
2:04 Actually Mark if you eat small meals throughout the day that speeds up your metabolism, rather than having spaced out big meals :) that's probably it. And mediterranean diets are full of healthy fats, the use of oil instead of butter makes a huge difference and tons of lean protein and veggies, not just carbs and sugar.
Also dunno about madrileños but I have two Spanish housemates here in London and they work out every. single. day. for 45 minutes. No big secret here really, sorry Mark.
The first time I was in Avila was in April, we were surprised by snow in the morning: the couple up from Madrid for the day in shorts didn't last long.
I love your videos and keep making this excellent content for us travelling community to explore
thanks so much you help us a lot with this video .we have plane to visit Madrid next year
Not explored Madrid yet but plan to do, so these will be useful tips! 👍🏻🌎
order a paella at Madrid is like order cajun food at Chicago....simply it doesn't works, Spain has very different tipes of cuisine, so where you go, do the things locals do, and reasearch a bit the local food. Try paella at Valencia or Alicante and try cocido or callos or bravas at Madrid...
...and a last tip, spaniards don't drink sangría, is only for tourists, you'll never see a local ordering a sangría...wine, beer, vermut, tinto de verano, clara....that's tipycal
Valencia for sure :)
Great videos! We are planning a trip to Madrid and I knew straight away whose videos to pull up :)
Mark you're a boss. Much love
Everything you say is true I just came back from Madrid and Barcelona I like Barcelona better because the beach ⛱️!
Thanks, Mark. Your videos are so helpful an entertaining to watch. :)
Mark, this video reminded me when I visited Madrid I did recall some pictures in here I already visited. I went there in September so the weather not too hot but not cold either.
I had funny story when you mentioned about be careful in the train station because of pick pocket. My friend is living in Spain, she warned me "be careful with your purse and backpack" when we were in the train.
Later she found out her camera get stolen.........all my stuff are safe!
Wow, the metro sealings is true, but thats just on the older lines, the new lines are huge and the stations are quite impressing. I encourage you so se some pics of stations such as Colombia, or nuevos ministerios
Gracias. Tienes que crear otro muy pronto. Habían muchos cambios a cause de COVID y necessitamos saber como son.
I've watched your films for two days after I had found your canal :) you're amazing!
sorry for my english, still learning ;)
1 in the afternoon?? Lunch?? Damn I live in madrid, 3pm is the norm, some days I even eat at like 5pm
I just moved to madrid :D its great
Awesome!
Wow. Thanks for this. I will get there some day lol.
I fell in love with Spain bc they move the same way I do, I have dinner at 9-10 pm, I am a night owl and very friendly/high energy, I also love the LGBTQ+ community in Madrid!
Love this!
I noticed that Rome can also be very cold in the Winter as well.
We will be going to Madrid(February) for the second time and I'm looking up to it. I will like to watch a game in the Bernabeu and look forward to the museums. We will be going outside of Madrid to look at the small town but don't know where to go yet. Any suggestion?
On the terraces there is a higher price than in the interior of the premises because the municipality charges them for occupying public space.
10:15 - Bonus SHOCK: You can hit the tourist LOL! I'm sure it was just a coincidence, but her reaction is golden!
Great video, as always!
Carlos: They serve a sort of pie/quiche/omelette made with eggs and potatoes, it's really delicious. Can't recall the name of it right now.
Tortilla de patatas. Yes, it´s delicious.
it is tortilla
will go there someday..
it's warm and hot all day---seems like Spain and Mexico have that stereotype in common and granted my hometown in Mexico only knows hot and rainy and dry----but honestly there are some cold places in Mexico that give Washington a run for its money
I heard this saying about the climate in Madrid -
Tres meses de infierno, nueve meses de invierno (I think)
Three months of hell, nine months of winter.
It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Weird! It's true there are days in August (not every year) that the temperature reaches 40° C, but the hot in Madrid is quite bearable, since it's a dry one. It's by far better than in more humid cities like Rome, Barcelona or even Moscow, where 30° C can be just unbearable.
The terraces of the bars are public space, so the town hall charges the bar for occupying it. The bar charges you more there.
Pretty good video, realy nice Speech, easy language.
5 meals a day? I'm eating my 24th meal today