Things to do in Madrid

Hot summers and mild shoulder seasons make Madrid a year-round city break — the Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza triangle is walkable from Sol in 15 minutes. Sol and Gran Vía are central but noisy; Salamanca (upmarket shopping, quieter streets) and Chamberí (local tapas bars, fewer tour groups) offer cleaner bases with Metro links to every major site in under 20 minutes. May and October are the sweet-spot months — warm enough for Retiro Park, cool enough for full-day museum hopping. Real Madrid and Atlético match days push hotel pricing up sharply around Santiago Bernabéu and Wanda Metropolitano; check the fixture list before booking. Barajas Airport connects to Nuevos Ministerios in 20 minutes on Metro line 8; the airport express bus to Atocha is slower but runs 24 hours.