Travel Tips - Help!

[MDefarge]

It just hit me - 2 weeks from today I'm going to be in Madrid, Spain with my family and I have *no idea* what the "don't miss" sights of Madrid are.  I know we should see the Prado, but besides that I'm clueless.  Have any of you been, what do you recommend? We will be getting in at 9 am on Dec 27 and leaving the morning of Dec 31.  We were also thinking about taking a day trip out to Toledo but didn't know if it was better to take a tour or go ourselves on the bus/train.
The people going on the trip/ages are
myself (26)
cousin and her husband(25)
brother(24)
sister and other female cousin (22)
grandma (82)

Everyone is in decent shape, actually Grandma is probably the most active of all of us (6+ miles of hiking a week) and we would like to do both the "touristy" things as well as some not so well known sights.

Thanks for all the help - I'm hoping this topic expands to other peoples travel questions.  I've been to London, Dublin, Rome, San Juan Puerto Rico, Nassau The Bahamas, all up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. (Maine down to D.C.) and to San Francisco, so if anyone needs help with planning for these places let me know!

[girlmusic]

I lived there for a month 14 years ago, so a lot has changed.

Definitely go to la Plaza Puerta de Sol, Plaza del Espana and Plaza Mayor. Try to see the palace. If you are into clubs, go to Joy - there is a churros place right next door that is amazing (Spanish churros are different than Mexican churros - they are hollow tubes of cooked dough that you dip into hot chocolate sauce).

See a bullfight - it sounds gross but is actually very interesting.

If you are interested in observing cultural differences, go into El Corte Ingles, the largest department store. It is very different than what we have in the US.

Take a side trip to Toledo and see the aqueducts and the museum dedicated to El Greco.

[Wordgeek]

http://wikitravel.org/en/Madrid

This is a great site.  I've used it for other trips, and it has good suggestions.

[graceh9]

It just hit me - 2 weeks from today I'm going to be in Madrid, Spain with my family and I have *no idea* what the "don't miss" sights of Madrid are.  I know we should see the Prado, but besides that I'm clueless.  Have any of you been, what do you recommend? We will be getting in at 9 am on Dec 27 and leaving the morning of Dec 31.  We were also thinking about taking a day trip out to Toledo but didn't know if it was better to take a tour or go ourselves on the bus/train.
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First read the Madrid chapter of a guide book, then go over to tripadvisor.com and search in the Madrid discussion group around things you wonder about -- and then ask questions like this one.  you can get really good ideas in short time there.  I have often gotten excellent recs for restaurants, sites to visit etc.

[Clearbrite]

Aww,sounds like you've nearly everywhere apart from Australia!! You should visit here one day too! Alot to see and do.
NZ as well,i'ld love to see that beautiful country one day myself too!

Have fun on your holiday though..your very lucky to be able to travel so much!Excellant!!!
 






Clare
Sydney Aust.
:0)

[ShadesOfGrey]

definitely see a bullfight, it's part of the 'spain' experience.  When I was in spain with a group of friends (various cities), we would find a 'plaza' (it was literlly a wide open cobblestone square area) that was lined with shops/cafes/apartments around the outside and sit at the cafes for HOURS and drink coffee and take in the people floating through the area (tourists, locals, performers, demonstrators, etc).  Also, if I remember correctly, their nightlife didnt start until at least midnight, sometimes 1 or 2 am (believe me, I got to like drinking their mucn-stronger-coffee around 11pm) .  One could be out to breakfast on a saturday morning at 7 and still hear the club music going...