Madrid Travel Guide (Madrid, Spain)

There are year-round turismo offices at the following locations: Aeropuerto de Barajas (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-3pm; tel 913 058 656); Estación de Atocha (Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat & Sun 9am-1pm; tel 902 100 007; Estación de Chamartín (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-1pm; tel 913 159 976); Plaza Mayor 3 (Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm; tel 915 881 636); Mercado Puerta de Toledo, Ronda de Toledo 1 (Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9.30am-2.30pm; tel 913 641 876); c/Duque de Medinaceli 2 (Mon-Fri 9am-7pm, Sat 9am-3pm; tel 914 294 951; Métro: Banco de España). The Madrid tourist board has a web page at www.munimadrid.es and the regional authority has one at www.comadrid.es . In the summer , turismo posts operate at popular tourist spots such as the Puerta del Sol and the Prado, and there are staff (in blue and yellow uniforms) on call outside the Palacio Real, ayuntamiento (town hall) and the Prado, and in the Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol. You can phone for information in English on 010 within the city and 915 404 040 from outside. There is also a tourist information line on 901 300 600.

Free maps of Madrid are available from any of the turismos detailed above. However, if you intend to do more than just a day's sightseeing, you would be well advised to invest in the Almax Madrid Centro map (€2), available from just about any kiosk in the city; this is very clear, 1:10,000 in scale, fully street-indexed, and has a colour plan of the metro on the reverse. The area covered on this represents just about everything of interest; if you want more, Almax also produces a rather less clear, 1:12,000-scale Madrid Ciudad (€4.70) that goes right out into the suburbs. Again, it's widely available.