72 Hours in Madrid.....
After checking in at the Hotel Vincci Via 66, in the early evening, we found the hotel to be in an excellent location, right on the Gran Via. It has a very contemporary design but quite quirky, the rooms were a good size, with a good size bathroom. Considering the location, and hustle and bustle of the Gran Via we found the hotel to be very quiet with no outside noise being heard. There was a great lounge on the first floor where you could have early evening drinks, or there was a roof top bar where you could sit and watch the magnificent sunsets over Madrid.
On our first evening we had dinner at Lamucca Restaurant, which was full of locals and the food was excellent. They serve great steaks and the drinks were so reasonable!
On our first day we took the Metro to Atocha Renfe station, and caught the train to Toledo which took 30 minutes. What a beautiful city, with little cobbled streets and pavement cafes where you could watch the world pass by. There are plenty of sights also to see from here such as Sephardic Museum, El Greco Museum, Cathedral Treasure Musem, to name but a few. We had dinner here al fresco and then took the late train back to Madrid. A return ticket costs EUR20.00.
On our second day we took the hop on hop off bus tour of Madrid. You can either purchase a one day ticket or two day ticket; we decided on the first option and this cost EUR21.00, but what a great way to see the city and all of its best sights such as the Royal Palace, Bernabeu Stadium and the Paseo del Arte famous for its unique museums. On our third day we thought we would have a relaxing day. So we took the cable car and then walked to Retiro Park. What a beautiful park, we even hired a rowing boat and had 45 minutes just relaxing in the sunshine.
There are so many things to do in Madrid, but three days was the perfect break with great friends. If you are looking for that perfect weekend break away I can definitely recommend Madrid! I will definitely be revisiting...