Tips to Master Your Trip to Madrid Spain with Kids
Looking for tips to help you plan your trip to Madrid, Spain with kids? My family spent a week in Madrid and we have some tops tips to share with you!
Madrid is a large city with plenty to do so it can be a little overwhelming to come up with a plan, especially when kids are in tow. Below you’ll find recommendations on where to stay in Madrid, things to do in Madrid, how to get around with kids, and more!
Getting to and from Madrid, Spain
Luckily it shouldn’t be too hard to get to Madrid as it has a major international airport and multiple train stations.
Airport
There are multiple ways to get to and from the airport including train, bus, taxi, and ride share. My personal recommendation when traveling with kids is to take the easy route, especially if you are arriving after a long haul flight. Taxis are considered public transit in Madrid, so kids can ride in one without any restrictions. You can bring your own carseat or just buckle them in – whatever works for your child’s age or weight.
If you prefer to take public transit there are You Tube videos that detail out the process. Taking the train would have involved a transfer, and the bus would have included a 1km walk to our specific hotel. I recommended checking out this video from Road Trip Spain and Portugal as a good explanation of the options for you to decide.
Train
The two main stations you might arrive in when you get to Madrid are Atocha or Camartin. You’ll find convenient metro stations close to or within the train station that can get you to all corners of the city.
Where to Stay in Madrid, Spain
Type of Accommodations
I have a specific formula I like to use when I travel to a new country or big city, especially when you are there for many days. First, start your trip at a hotel. It’s easy for taxi drivers to find, they can give you recommendations, have extra amenities and sometimes breakfast. I find settling in to a city at a hotel a good way to start.
Once we have recovered from jet lag and want to stretch out a bit we typically move over to an Airbnb when traveling with our kiddo. Everyone can have their own room, there are kitchen facilities to cut down on costs of eating out, and it’s a more laid-back vibe.
Areas to Stay in Madrid
There are so many areas to choose from! Below are the top central neighborhoods where you’ll find lots to do, walkability, and plenty to eat and drink.
- Gran Via – The grand shopping street in Madrid! With beautiful buildings and plenty of hotel options this is an easy option. You’ll find this area to be pretty busy and touristy, but the buildings are truly grand and beautiful here. We split our trip between 2 areas, this being our first location.
- Lavapies – With a more local vibe, lots of interesting restaurants and great walkability, we really enjoyed Lavapies. This location is just south and still close to the center, but feels separated from the big tourist sites. This was the second area we stayed and liked it the most!
- Sol – This is the true center of Madrid. We didn’t stay here, but if you want immediate access to everything, especially Plaza Mayor and Palacio, this could be a great option.
- Chueca – Located directly north of Gran Via, this lively neighborhood is known as a welcoming area for all travelers. With a more hipster vibe you’ll find small boutiques, up and coming restaurants, and popular markets.
Things To Do in Madrid with Kids
Now to the fun things to do in Madrid, Spain with kids around the city! There are so many options based on your kids ages, interests, and your budget. Below are a few places that we highly recommend based off of what we did with a 5 year old.
- Naval Museum – one of the highlights of our trip! Located close to Retiro Park, this museum has hundreds of model ships from across centuries. It also showcases ship artifacts including glassware, weapons, tools, and giant figureheads. Entry is by donation and only costs about 3 Euros.
- Retiro Park – An expansive park on the East side of town. There is a pond with boats you can rent, plenty of green space, and a beautiful glass building to explore (restrooms on the lower level of this building – free)
- Plaza de Espana – this is a spacious square at the west end of Gran Via. There is an epic enclosed playscape in this square that our kiddo (who doesn’t love playscapes) enjoyed for at least an hour and could have stayed longer.
- Rio Hotel Rooftop – adjacent to Plaza de Espana is a huge hotel with a rooftop, kid-friendly, bar/restaurant. Besides the amazing views, there is a glass floor you can wait in line to take your picture on. My boys were patient and brave enough to do it. The food and drinks are a bit more pricey, which is to be expected for a nice hotel and rooftop.
- Palacio – Worth a visit for the vistas and beautiful buildings. For small kids I would skip the wait and tour of the inside. We enjoyed just wandering around and taking pictures.
- Plaza Mayor – A must see in Madrid for the colorful buildings and wide open space. We were there at the start of the Christmas markets, so the square had decorations and market stalls.
What to Eat with Kids in Madrid, Spain
We found Madrid to be kid-friendly at every restaurant. Kids are welcomed everywhere and treated as a normal part of society (none of the seen and not heard feeling here!) Some places had specific kids menu items, but even if they didn’t we are able to find foods our kiddo enjoyed.
Food Markets/Halls – Food Markets are plentiful in Madrid, Spain. You’ll find them in almost every neighborhood and offer a lot of variety. If the kids are not up for a sit down meal, this is a great choice for not only quick timing, but also plenty of choices.
Menu del dia – This lunch time 3 course meal is not only affordable, but typically comes with several choices. We found it ideal to take advantage of a bigger sit down lunch while our son still had the patience to do so. Traditional restaurants offer this all over the city and it typically consists of an appetizer, main course, and dessert. You’ll often find bread included as well. We asked our hotel staff for a local recommendations they would frequent!
Look for a chalkboard out front of restaurants advertising the menu del dia.
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Churros – Is there anything kids love more than a sweet treat? Churros are a must-have in Madrid. These fried dough sticks are cooked to perfetion and then dipped in a thick hot chocolate like sauce. I highly recommend getting both the churros (skinnier and crispy) and porras (thicker and softer) to try. Just a heads up to those from the Americas – they are not covered in cinnamon and sugar here, which we really enjoyed.
Madrid, Spain Top Travel Tips
Here are some top travel tips for Madrid, Spain with kids to wrap up my thoughts on the city.
Getting around Madrid – This is a very easy city to traverse.
Walkability – The main center is very walkable, and is mainly flat. We found it easy for our son to walk pretty decent distances.
Ride Share – You’ll find taxis, Uber, and Bolt very readily available. If you have not used Bolt, it is the European version of an Uber or Lyft and has a very easy to use app.
Public transit – As a major city in Spain, Madrid has excellent public transit. We found we didn’t need it much as we enjoyed walking even in the November temperatures. We did use it to link to the train station for a day trip to Toledo.
Using Spanish & English in Madrid – I highly recommend learning some basic phrases in Spanish before going to Madrid. I was surprised at how much I really needed to use it here. We did not encounter as many people who spoke English as we have in other major European cities.
I love to learn at least a few phrases in any local language where we travel to as I feel like its a courteous gesture to locals. In this case I needed more than just hello, please, and thank you.
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