Airlines Many airlines have their offices along the Gran
Vía or on c/Princesa, its continuation beyond the Plaza de España.
Addresses include: British Airways, c/Serrano 60 5° tel 913 054 212
or 912 054 317, Métro: Serrano; Iberia, c/Velázquez 130 tel 915 878
156 or 902 400 500, Métro: Serrano; KLM, Gran Vía 59 tel 912 478
100, Métro: Santo Domingo; and TWA, Plaza de Colón 2 tel 913 103
094, Métro: Colón. Phone numbers for other airlines: Air Europa tel
913 936 732; Air France tel 913 300 440; Aer Lingus tel 915 414
216; and Sabena tel 913 300 460. The Iberojet counter at the
airport sells discounted seats on all scheduled flights, if you're
prepared to queue up and take the risk of not getting on. Tickets
for the Puente Aéreo to Barcelona are available in terminal
two.
Banks and exchange The main Spanish banks are
concentrated on c/Alcalá and Gran Vía. Opening hours are normally
Mon-Fri 9am-2pm, but they're also often open on Sat 9am-1pm from
Oct to May. International banks include: Bank of America, c/Capitán
Haya 1 tel 915 555 000, Métro: Santiago Bernabéu; Barclays, Plaza
de Colón 1 tel 914 102 800, Métro: Colón; Citibank, c/José Ortega y
Gasset 29 tel 914 355 190, Métro: Núñez de Balboa; and Lloyds,
c/Serrano 90 tel 915 767 000, Métro: Núñez de Balboa. In addition
to the banks, branches of El Corte Inglés department store all have
exchange offices with long hours and highly competitive rates; the
most central is on Puerta del Sol. Aeropuerto de Barajas has a
24-hr currency exchange office.
Bicycles Try Bicicletas Chapinal, c/Alcalá 242 tel 914
041 853 (Mon-Fri 10am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm; Métro:
El Carmen); Calmera, c/Atocha 98 tel 915 277 574 (Mon-Sat
9.30am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm; Métro: Antón Martín); and Karacol,
c/Montera 32 tel 915 329 073 (Mon-Fri 10.30am-2pm & 5.30-8pm,
Sat 10.30am-2pm; Métro: Gran Vía/Sol) and at c/Tortosa 8, nr Atocha
tel 915 399 633; Métro: Atocha.
Bullfights Madrid's main Plaza de Toros, the monumental
Las Ventas (c/Alcalá 237; Métro: Ventas), hosts some of the year's
most prestigious events, especially during the May San
Isidro festivities, though the main season runs from March to
October. Tickets are available at the box office at Ventas (tel 917
264 800 or 913 562 200, www.las-ventas.com ; March-Oct
Thurs-Sun 10am-2pm & 5-8pm) or at Localidades de Galicia (see
"Ticket agencies" below); at the latter you pay around fifty
percent more than the printed prices, which are for season tickets
sold en bloc. There is a second bullring in the suburb of
Carabanchel (Avda. Matilde Hernández; tel 914 220 780; Métro: Vista
Alegre), about 4km to the southwest of the centre.
Car rental Major operators have branches at the airport
and train stations. Central offices include: Atesa, c/Infanta
Mercedes 90 tel 915 711 931, Métro: Estrecho; Avis, Gran Vía 60 tel
915 472 048, reservations tel 902 135 531, Métro: Plaza de España;
Europcar, c/San Leonardo 8 tel 917 211 222, Métro: Plaza de España
- also an office in Atocha station; and Hertz, Atocha station tel
914 681 318, Métro: Atocha. Easy-Rent-a-Car, c/Agustín de Foxa 27,
Parking Centro Norte tel 0906 586 0586 (telephone bookings
available from Britain only), Métro: Chamartin; Rent Me, Plaza de
Herradores 6, just off Plaza Mayor tel 915 590 822, Métro: Sol, is
a good-value local company.
Disabled access Madrid is not particularly well geared up
for the disabled ( minusválidos ), although the situation is
gradually improving. The Organizacíon Nacional de Ciegos de España
(ONCE) at c/de Prado 24 (tel 915 894 600 or 915 773 756) provides
the best specialist advice. Wheelchair-adapted taxis can be ordered
from Radio Taxi (tel 915 478 200).
Embassies Australia, Plaza Descubridor Diego Ordás 3 tel
914 416 025, Métro: Ríos Rosas; Britain, c/Fernando el Santo 16 tel
913 192 630, Métro: Alonso Martínez; British Consulate c/Marqués
Ensenada 16 tel 913 085 300; Canada, c/Núñez de Balboa 35 tel 914
314 300 or 914 233 250, Métro: Núñez de Balboa; Ireland, Paseo de
la Castellana 46 tel 913 190 200, Métro: Rubén Darío; New Zealand,
Plaza Lealtad 2 tel 915 230 226, Métro: Sevilla; USA, c/Serrano 75
tel 915 774 000, Métro: Rubén Darío.
Emergencies For an ambulance dial 112, 915 884 500 or 915
222 222 - or get a taxi, which will be quicker if no paramedics are
necessary; 112 is also the number for the police.
Football The big teams are Real Madrid and their rivals,
Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Tickets can be bought in
advance (and usually on the day) at the stadium for most matches,
though derbies between Real and Atlético, or visits to either by
Barcelona, are always sell-outs. Real Madrid : Estadio
Santiago Bernabéu, c/Concha Espina s/n (info tel 902 271 707,
ticket line tel 902 324 324; Métro: Santiago Bernabéu). Ticket
office Mon-Fri 6-9pm; match days 11am-1.30pm. Tickets from €15 go
on sale three days before each match. Atlético Madrid :
Estadio Vicente Calderón, Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto 67 tel 913
664 707; Métro: Pirámides. Ticket office Mon-Fri 5-8pm; two days
before each match also open 11am-2pm. Tickets from €18. Rayo
Vallecano : Estadio de María Teresa Rivero, Avda. Payaso Fofó
s/n tel 914 782 253; Métro: Portazgo. Ticket office Mon-Sat
5.30-8.30pm, and two hours before each match. Tickets from €12. If
you fancy a Sunday afternoon game, the English Five-a-side
League (EFL) sometimes need players if teams are short, with
games usually at the Colegio del Niño Jesús near the Retiro (tel
918 444 525).
Hospitals The most central hospitals are: El Clínico,
Plaza de Cristo Rey tel 913 303 747, Métro: Moncloa; Hospital
Gregorio Marañon, c/Dr Esquerdo 46 tel 915 868 000, Métro:
O'Donnell; and Ciudad Sanitaria La Paz, Paseo de la Castellana 261
tel 913 582 831, Métro: Diego de León. First aid stations are
scattered throughout the city and open 24hr a day: one of the most
central is at c/Navas de Tolosa 10 tel 915 210 025, Métro: Callao.
English-speaking doctors are available at the Anglo-American
Medical Unit, c/Conde de Aranda 1 tel 914 351 823, Métro: Retiro;
Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 10am-3pm.
Internet access Amiweb , c/Mayor 4, 4º,
Oficina 8 (Métro: Sol) & Gran Vía 80 Piso 6 (Métro: Plaza de
España); Aroba 25 , Gran Vía 86 (Métro: Gran Vía); Café
Comercial , Glorieta de Bilbao 7 (
www.intervia.com/comercial ; Métro: Bilbao);
Cybercafé , c/Atocha 117 ( cybermad@mail.com ; Métro:
Atocha);Cybermad, c/Laurel 6 (Métro: Embajadores/Acacias); Easy
Everything , c/Montera 10-12 (
www.easyeverything.com/spain ; Métro: Sol; open 24 hrs);
Vortex , c/Ave María 20, (Métro: Lavapíes/Antón Martín);
Xnet Café , c/San Bernardo 81 (Métro: San Bernardo). Prices
range from €1.75-3.50 per hour, often with a drink included.
Language schools Madrid has numerous language schools,
offering intensive courses in Spanish language (and culture). One
of the most established is International House, c/Zurbano 8 tel 913
101 314, ih-madrid@mad.servicom.es ; Métro: Alonso
Martínez.
Laundry Central lavanderías include: c/del Barco
26 (Métro: Gran Vía); c/de Cervantes 1-3 (Métro: Sol); c/Donoso
Cortés 17 (Métro: Quevedo); c/de Hermosilla 121 (Métro: Goya); and
c/de la Palma 2 (Métro: Tribunal).
Left luggage If you want to leave your bags there are
consignas at the Barajas airport, the Estación Sur, Auto-Res
and Continental Auto bus stations; and lockers at Atocha and
Chamartín train stations.
Pharmacies Farmácias are distinguished by a
green cross; each district has a rota with one staying open through
the night - for details call 098 or check the notice on the door of
your nearest pharmacy or the listings magazines. Madrid also has
quite a number of traditional herbalists, best known of which is
Maurice Mességue, c/Goya 64 (Métro: Goya; Mon-Fri 10am-2pm &
5-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm).
Police If you've had something stolen call 900 100 333
(English spoken).
Post office The main one is the Palacio de Comunicaciones
in the Plaza de las Cibeles (Mon-Sat 8am-midnight, Sun 8am-10pm for
stamps and telegrams; Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-2pm for Lista de
Correos - poste restante). Branch offices, for example on
c/Cruz Verde on the edge of Malasaña, are open Mon-Sat 9am-2pm, but
the easiest places to buy stamps are the estancos ,
recognizable by their brown and yellow signs bearing the word
Tabacos .
Scooter hire If you want to chance the traffic, scooters
are delivered to and collected from your hotel by Alquiler de
Scooter (tel 902 102 020) at a charge of around €14 a day. Also
worth trying is Motoalquiler at c/Conde Duque 13 (tel 915 420 657;
Métro: Noviciado).
Swimming pools and aquaparks The Piscina Canal Isabel II,
Avda. de Filipinas 54 (daily 10am-8.30pm; Métro: Ríos Rosas), is a
large and well-maintained outdoor swimming pool, and the best
central option. Alternatively, try the open-air piscina in
the Casa de Campo (daily 10am-8.30pm; Métro: El Lago). Both these
pools have café-bars attached. Also worth trying are the pools at
Barrio del Pilar, Avda. Monforte de Lemos (Métro: Barrio del
Pilar/Begoña), and La Elipa, Parque de la Elipa, c/O'Donnell s/n
(Métro: Estrella). There are also a number of aquaparks around
Madrid. The closest is Aquamadrid 16km out on the N2 Barcelona road
(Bus Continental Auto #281, #282, #282, or #385 from Avda. de
América). Note that the "swimming season" is from May to September,
so outside these months, most outdoor pools are closed.
Telephones International calls can be made from any phone
box or from any locutorio . The main telefónica
office at Gran Vía 30 (Métro: Gran Vía) has ranks of phones and is
open until midnight. Phone cards cost €6 or €12 and can be bought
at post offices or estancos .
Ticket agencies For theatre and concert tickets try:
Tele-Entradas, a telephone booking service run by BBVA tel 902 150
025, www.bbvaticket.com ; Caja de Cataluña tel 915 383 333;
Caja de Madrid tel 902 488 488; Caixa Catalunya/Tele Entrada tel
902 101 212; El Corte Inglés tel 902 400 222,
www.elcorteingles.es ; FNAC, c/Preciados 28 tel 915 956 100;
Métro: Callao; Madrid Rock, Gran Vía 25 tel 915 210 239; Métro:
Gran Vía; and Servi-Caixa tel 902 332 211. Localidades Galicia,
Plaza del Carmen 1 tel 915 312 732 or 915 319131,
www.eol.es/lgalicia.es ; Métro: Sol, sells tickets for
football games, bullfights, theatres and concerts.
Travel agencies Víajes Zeppelin, Plaza Santo Domingo 2
(tel 915 477 904; Métro: Santo Domingo), are English-speaking, very
efficient and offer some excellent deals on flights and holidays.
Nuevas Fronteras, c/Luisa Fernanda 2 (tel 915 423 990; Métro:
Ventura Rodríguez), and in the Torre de Madrid, Plaza de España
(tel 912 474 200) can be good for flights, or try Top Tours,
c/Capitán Haja 20 (tel 915 550 604; Métro: Cuzco). For student and
youth travel try TIVE, c/Fernando el Católico 88 (tel 915 430 208;
Métro: Moncloa). Many other travel agents are concentrated on and
around the Gran Vía and c/Princesa.
Women's groups The best places to make contact are at
the Centro de La Mujer, c/del Barquillo 44, 1º (tel 913 193 689;
Métro: Chueca), and at Madrid's feminist bookshop, the Librería de
Mujeres, c/San Cristóbal 17, just east of Plaza Mayor (tel 915 217
043; Métro: Sol).