I'm going to the Champions League final June 1. It's been 12 years since I've been to Europe. Few questions:

1. Do I get Euros before I fly to Europe or upon landing?
2. Will my phone work? (Verizon iPhone paid for by my company)
3. Any places you recommend to eat or see in the area?
4. Am I supposed to sleep on the flight there to avoid jet lag? Any tips?

NWE said:

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I'm going to the Champions League final June 1. It's been 12 years since I've been to Europe. Few questions:

1. Do I get Euros before I fly to Europe or upon landing?
2. Will my phone work? (Verizon iPhone paid for by my company)
3. Any places you recommend to eat or see in the area?
4. Am I supposed to sleep on the flight there to avoid jet lag? Any tips?

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1. You should be fine just getting euros once you're there.
2.depends on your plan. Does it give you international data. T-Mobil is usually they best for this I think.
3. To eat honestly I don't know. I was there 5 years ago but don't remember where I ate. I'll say this, the Spanish will charge you for EVERYTHING. Water, utensils, bread, etc. So if you don't want bread don't accept it because it's not free like here in the USA.
To see there is lots of cool things. The palace and the museums were very cool. Lots of good night life and bars that don't ever close.
4. Just have to try to line up your sleep schedule as best as you can so it's not to far off when you get there.

Yes, get yourself 500 before you go. Airport is far from el centro. Plaza del Sol is a great weekend lace to hangout. They will seat you in the back of restaurants if u don't speak Spanish. Cell phone should work.

Go Spurs!

1. Your bank/financial institution should give you the best deal. Wells Fargo always gives me up to date currency exchange for no charge.
2. Need international plan for no interruptions. Some carriers either do a flat fee for the month or charge you per day. AT&T had a $40/month or $10/day so if you are there more than 4 days just pay for the month.
3. Madrid is one of the more cosmopolitan cities I have been in Europe so not a ton of historical sites to see. Besides the obvious plazas, I thought the Royal Palace tour and Templo de Debod were worth checking out, and of course El Retiro Park. Check out the Cloister Nun's shortbread cookies. Google it. It was a cool experience. Do a tapas pub crawl down Plaza/Calle de Jesus one night. Super fun hoping from one bar to the next with the same group of locals over a few hours. We did Casa Labra for HH every night we were there. It was close to our hotel and the vibe was always fantastic. For being a block or so off of Puerta del Sol it had a cool local feel despite being busy.
4. Assuming you are taking the overnight flight so I would definitely recommend sleeping as you will land early the next morning. Train from airport to Atocha station is 20/30 mins from what I remember.

Btw, you better be pulling for Liverpool at the match or you are not welcome to the advise. Have fun and be safe.

How did you get tickets?

My company is a sponsor.

Awesome. Mine is definitely not a sponsor. I tried, but room & ticket alone would be $5,000.

3. Mercado San Miguel

YNWA

Jamon 55 on Gran Via is a great place to stop in and get some tapas. get some cerveza con shampoo while you're there.




apparently one of the restaurants we liked a lot Le Cabrera closed in the last year.

All terrific suggestions; thank you!

1. COYS. I've been supporting since 2012. This will be my first match to see in person. Typically I'm waking up at 628am to catch those early matches on NBCSN. Figured this is once in a lifetime and my boss' boss pulled strings to get me on the list in place of a business partner who backed out. Very grateful and likely forever indebted to the guy who made this happen for me. I had to pay for my flight but it was $700 roundtrip from JFK which isn't bad at all.

2. Mostly anxious about transportation. I have the directions from the airport to the hotel on my phone but figuring out how to get a train ticket, etc. will be my biggest concern. It seems fairly straightforward but I assume train would be much cheaper and quicker than taxi, correct?

just go to an atm when you land.

NWE said:

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I'm going to the Champions League final June 1. It's been 12 years since I've been to Europe. Few questions:

1. Do I get Euros before I fly to Europe or upon landing?
2. Will my phone work? (Verizon iPhone paid for by my company)
3. Any places you recommend to eat or see in the area?
4. Am I supposed to sleep on the flight there to avoid jet lag? Any tips?

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4. sleep on the plane if you can. no great way to 'avoid' jet lag, but for me, the quickest way to get over it on the way to europe is to be out and about, like on a walking tour. if you fall asleep in your hotel room at 1pm the day you get there you'll regret it. once you land, try to stay awake til at least 6 or 7pm.

1. Do I get Euros before I fly to Europe or upon landing?
2. Will my phone work? (Verizon iPhone paid for by my company)
3. Any places you recommend to eat or see in the area?
4. Am I supposed to sleep on the flight there to avoid jet lag? Any tips?

We just went to Madrid for Spring Break and LOVED it!

1. Check with your bank before you leave. Both my bank and my husband's bank (Wells Fargo and Chase) would have exchanged for euros with no fees *if* we had given them enough time to do so. It's definitely cheaper than exchanging over there and you don't have to worry about what that particular vendor's markup is.
2. I have Sprint and was able to get text messages for free. I could call without having to switch my plan but it was something like $.25/minute. Helpful for the rare occasion when we needed to talk to someone. There's also plenty of free wifi if you're worried about internet service.
3. Eat churros con chocolate at Los Artesanos 1902 Chocolate (don't worry about going to San Gines). If you have a morning free, take the Devor tour that goes through the Huertas neighborhood. You'll have plenty of food, see a local market, and go to a great tapas bar (which I can't remember the name of now). We plotted out where we wanted to eat beforehand, but we were never in the right place at the right time so we just saw a menu that we liked and stopped in. Definitely go for the prix fixe lunch menu, it'll be all inclusive of appetizer, lunch, bread and beverage. I did not find that we were charged for everything. We always got bread for free, and once we learned to ask for "agua del grifo," we got water for free as well.
4. I agree with ag07. Just nap as you can on the plane but DON'T stop when you get to Madrid. Hop off the plane and go about the day as if it were a normal "day," then you'll be able to crash hard when it is their nighttime.

I've never been able to avoid a nap when arrive in Europe. I'm just dog tired. But I set an alarm and make myself get up and stay up until a normal bedtime.

Just went to Chase and their rate was 1.20

But I see the current exchange rate should be 1.11-1.12

Not familiar with this.... should I look around or how does this work?

Just arrived. A few items so far.
1 - immigration didn't ask any questions
2 - should have got Euros before I left home
3 - couldn't find where to get picked up by Uber so just took a taxi
Now, to try to stay awake well into the evening.

Awesome. Please keep me updated on items you think would be helpful to know for my trip.

Are you in Madrid or another part of Europe?

I'm in Madrid until Friday night.

Had a great meal last night and loads of cheap beer (compared to what I normally pay in Sydney, or the Bay Area). Then I met a Swiss colleague for even more cheap beers.

Had a chorizo sandwich and pesto salad for lunch. About to go to dinner with the Swiss guy.

After a day of work, my Spanish is improving.

Best way to get Euros is to withdraw them from an ATM in Spain. You'll pay a fee for using the ATM but the exchange rate is so much better that it's worth it.

Also, do not miss the Prado museum. Best art museum in the world in my opinion.

Dinner last night at an Argentinean Steak House where my Swiss colleague drank me under the table.
Lunch today was a tapas place where I had lasagne, veal fillet + potatoes, a Cheesecake and declined the after dinner coffee for a whopping 11.5 Euro.
Spanish customer gave me a dinner recommendation for an "American" burger place called Goiko. Only problem is that like most places, it doesn't open for dinner until 8pm. I can only have so many drinks in the Lobby Bar before dinner. I've still got 1:45 until "supper".

NWE said:

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All terrific suggestions; thank you!

1. COYS. I've been supporting since 2012. This will be my first match to see in person. Typically I'm waking up at 628am to catch those early matches on NBCSN. Figured this is once in a lifetime and my boss' boss pulled strings to get me on the list in place of a business partner who backed out. Very grateful and likely forever indebted to the guy who made this happen for me. I had to pay for my flight but it was $700 roundtrip from JFK which isn't bad at all.

2. Mostly anxious about transportation. I have the directions from the airport to the hotel on my phone but figuring out how to get a train ticket, etc. will be my biggest concern. It seems fairly straightforward but I assume train would be much cheaper and quicker than taxi, correct?

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Get a taxi at the airport. I believe it's a flat fee from the airport to the center of town (30 euros, IIRC). The Metro is fine (if your destination is near a line--coverage is not as good as in Paris or London), but coming off a flight, with some luggage, a taxi is much easier, IMO. You'll want to take the Metro to the stadium for the game (I went to an Atletico game last October--easy trip), but to and from the airport, I'd go by taxi.

You'll get a better rate on Euros by waiting until you arrive and using an ATM, but I always like to take a small amount (say, 100 euros) with me just so that I don't have to get cash at the airport, like so many others are trying to do.

Taxi rate is about right. On Sunday, the meter was at 20 Euro when I got in the taxi and it cost about 25 Euro for a fifteen minute taxi ride to my hotel.

I've got about 48 hours left until I fly out to Dubai. As of today, the bloody Brits have begun invading my hotel. As if I didn't get enough of these guys back home in Sydney.

The food in Madrid continues to be excellent.

Edit: if you're already wearing your UEFA lanyard around your neck in the hotel on a Wednesday night, you're a major wanker.

Edit 2: if you're a 70 y/o Spaniard with a glammed out 50 y/o lady of the evening, you're a major baller.

Not to hijack the thread but which of these hotels is in a better location? My wife and I are going in September. Primarily interested in the culture - eating and drinking - but would want to hit the can't miss sites / tourist stops as well.

Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid Gran Via 31, Madrid, Spain, 28013

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/spain/hyatt-centric-gran-via-madrid/madct


TTEM Madrid Hermosilla 23, Madrid, Spain, 28001

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/spain/slh-totem-madrid/madyt

If you have time go see the Prado Art Museum and the Royal Palace, probably the 2 biggest must sees for me.

Train from Airport into the city was easy. Just go down to the station entrance and go to the booth with actual attendants. They will help you buy the train tickets you need. Suggest to get a several day pass, depending on how long you are there.

Eat as many Tapas as you can.

Plaza Mayor and Mercado De San Miguel are worth hanging around and eating in at night.

Take Dramamine and sleep as long on the plane as you can. When you arrive, do not go to sleep until that night.

DonaldFDraper said:

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Not to hijack the thread but which of these hotels is in a better location? My wife and I are going in September. Primarily interested in the culture - eating and drinking - but would want to hit the can't miss sites / tourist stops as well.

Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid Gran Via 31, Madrid, Spain, 28013

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/spain/hyatt-centric-gran-via-madrid/madct


TTEM Madrid Hermosilla 23, Madrid, Spain, 28001

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/spain/slh-totem-madrid/madyt

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Personally I would do the Hyatt. Better access to the subway and closer to Plaza Mayor. Subway is awesome for getting all over the city.

Also, highly recommend getting out to smaller towns if you have time. At least to Toledo and Segovia. Trains and buses make it easy to travel pretty much anywhere.

Thanks! We're there a week and plan to split time between Barcelona and Madrid

Just got to Madrid. I'm so sleepy.

Drink lots of cafe con leche.

And eat as much Iberia Jamon as you can.

NWE said:

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Just got to Madrid. I'm so sleepy.

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Sorry i missed you, I'm just about to head to the airport. But, the customer wants me to come back in two weeks so... Looks like this won't be my only trip.

What a terrific city. Tonight is my final night in Madrid. While I'm anxious to get home to my family, Spain has really impressed me. Madrid is walkable, the people are friendly, the food is decent.

I toured the bullfighting arena in Las Ventas, toured the Prado museum (probably saw 25% of it. Was massive. Beautiful paintings)

I got photos from the top of the Centro Centro building. I walked and scootered around for hours just exploring.

All this in addition to attending the UCL final. Unfortunately Spurs were flat. Met a couple Spurs fans and went to a dance club Saturday night. Didn't get back to the hotel until 6am.

Now I fly to NY tomorrow at 10:30am. I'm aiming to arrive at MAD 2 hours early. Is this ok? Leave the hotel by 7am.

I think timing for the airport is fine

My flight leaves for Barcelona next Tuesday... and after hanging there for a few days I'll be headed to Madrid. Super stoked!

Awesome. Have fun!

How does this compare to the other two?

Hesperia Madrid Hotel

Paseo de la Castellana, 57, Madrid, Spain, 28046

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/spain/hyatt-regency-hesperia-madrid/madrm

Debrief from your trip. Any can't miss places? If you were to do it again, how many days would split between the two assuming you have 7 days flying in/out Madrid?