Madrid

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport is about 12 km from the centre. The cheapest option is the metro (line 8 from the terminals to Nuevos Ministerios, around 15-20 minutes; note a small airport surcharge). The Cercanías train C-1 runs from Terminal 4 to Atocha and Chamartín. The Exprés Aeropuerto bus (€5) runs 24 hours to Puerta de Atocha and Cibeles. A taxi has a fixed rate of €33 from and to the centre.

The Prado is free Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 20:00, and on Sundays and public holidays from 17:00 to 19:00. The Reina Sofía (with Guernica) is free from 19:00 and on Sunday afternoons: but note that on Tuesdays this museum is closed all day. The Thyssen is free on Monday afternoons. These hours are busy and you have less time for the highlights: for a calm visit book a time slot in advance (Prado €15, Reina Sofía €12). With the combined Abono Paseo del Arte pass you visit all three museums more cheaply.

For a first visit, the Barrio de las Letras (around Plaza de Santa Ana): quiet, authentic, and within walking distance of all three major museums. La Latina is the choice if you want to eat and taste, with the Cava Baja and El Rastro on Sundays. Malasaña is young and bohemian (and loud: ask for a room overlooking the courtyard). Salamanca is the luxury option. Sol and Centro are maximally accessible but busy and touristy: stay there at most two nights.

Madrid is considered one of Europe's safer major cities, and quieter than Barcelona when it comes to pickpocketing. Still, that remains the main risk in crowded areas: around the Puerta del Sol, the Gran Vía, the metro and at El Rastro. Carry your bag in front of you in busy spaces, don't keep your phone in your back pocket, and stay alert to anyone approaching you on the street. Violence against tourists is rare.

Much later than you're used to. Lunch, often the main meal with the menú del día, runs around 14:00-15:30. Many kitchens close afterwards and reopen from around eight; dinner rarely starts before 21:00. In between comes the vermut: the ritual glass of vermouth before lunch, often with a tapa. Plan your meal times around this, and you'll eat where the locals do instead of in an empty tourist trap.

May and September. Daytime temperatures are 18-25°C, the terraces are pleasant and the museums less crowded. Skip July and August: Madrid lies inland at 667 metres elevation, and the heat regularly climbs above 35°C with peak days above 40°C; besides, many local businesses shut for the holidays. Winter is cold and clear, occasionally frosty; perfect for museums and a quiet city.