Tips for parents before traveling to Madrid

Madrid is an ideal city to travel with children. Despite its size, in the center you will find many monuments, green areas and visits for children very entertaining and varied. The first thing is to start planning the trip. Before traveling to Madrid Before traveling with children we have to plan we

Before traveling to Madrid

Before traveling with children we have to plan well everything we need to carry in our suitcase, for that we must know what climate we are going to find, the necessary documentation to travel or when there are holidays.

- Climate of Madrid

The climate of Madrid is called continental Mediterranean. The characteristics are the cold winters, with snow and habitual frosts, although it does not usually reach temperatures below 0ºC.

The summers, on the other hand, are very hot, with an average of 25ºC but which easily reaches 35ºC in the central hours of the day, rainfall is scarce and in the form of a storm.

In spring and autumn the temperature is usually more pleasant and less extreme, but the rains are quite frequent and may appear unexpectedly.

In the center of the city, temperatures tend to be more moderate, in winter due to the accumulation of tourists and in the summer thanks to the large awnings that are placed in the most important shopping streets.

- What to bring in the suitcase if you go to Madrid

Preparing the children's suitcase can be a headache, because there are many factors to consider if we organize a family trip.

Given the climate of Madrid, if we choose to travel in winter it will be important to take warm clothes, gloves, scarf etc. but with thin shirts if we are going to enter restaurants or stores, where it is usually have strong heating.

On the contrary, in summer we will need light clothes, caps and sunglasses to protect us from the heat, with something more warm for the night.

In spring and autumn the most important thing is to always wear a raincoat and umbrella, so that the rains do not catch by surprise.

- Commercial hours in Madrid

The pace of life in Madrid is quite adapted to European schedules, due to the large number of tourists, although due to their situation and the hours of sun they may extend a little more than usual.

Stores usually open from 9:00 h. at 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. In the downtown area many shops, especially the big chains, open at noon and close later, around 9.30pm.

You can eat in the restaurants after 1:00 p.m. and until 3:30 p.m., and dinner from 9 p.m. at 23:00 h. The supermarkets have continuous hours and 10:00 h. at 9:00 p.m., usually.

Banks and other offices open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., some have afternoon hours.

- What currency is used in Madrid

Since the introduction of the euro (€) as a European currency, this is the official currency of the country.

The coins are: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 euro and 2 euros.

Tickets: 5 euros, 10 euros, 20 euros, 50 euros, 100 euros, 200 euros, 500 euros.

Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard ...) are accepted at most establishments.

Normally foreign currencies can be exchanged in establishments of the main European countries, as well as in banks in the city. However, it is cheaper to do it before traveling, since commissions are usually established around 5%.

- Plugs and electricity in Madrid

The electric current is 220 volts and the plugs have two parallel cylindrical plugs, check the voltage of the devices to connect them and, if necessary, order an adapter.

Medical Assistance and Police in Madrid

Travelers coming from other areas of Spain or European countries have complete and free health care in all hospitals.

Emergency coverage also covers any citizen who suffers a serious medical problem, but it is safest to consult the possibility of hiring travel insurance.

The emergency telephone is 112, the National Police is 091 and the Local 092.

Documentation and visas to travel to Madrid

To travel from European Union countries no special documentation is required, with the card of identity or passport is enough, both for adults and for children.

In addition, there are countries where there are agreements with which only a passport is required: Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and others. In case of doubt, it is best to consult the consulate of Spain to inform us of the necessary visas and if you have to do the papers also to the children.