# Madrid in two days > We took advantage of the May public holidays to book a little trip to Spain where we spent five days. Source: https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/madrid-in-two-days/ Published on 10 May 2019 ## Getting to Madrid from Paris We took advantage of the May public holidays to book a little trip to Spain where we spent five days. We had booked our plane tickets _via_ **[Air France](https://www.airfrance.fr/)** for direct flights Paris Charles-de-Gaulle / Madrid Barajas: in total, **390€** return for two people. As we arrived very late in the evening at the airport, we decided to book a taxi with **Cabify** (Uber’s competitor in Madrid) to get to our accommodation: the ride cost us **27€** for about twenty kilometres. Keep your eyes open, there are posters with promo codes all over the airport in the baggage area! ## Our itinerary in Madrid ### Day 1 So we left our room in the morning starting with the **Plaza de Isabel II** which is home to the **Teatro Real**, Madrid’s Opera house. Right behind it is the **Palacio Real** which impresses by its length and its height: the queue put us off visiting the inside of the Palace, but you can still see the courtyard from the **Plaza de la Armeria**. ![Statue on its tall plinth in the middle of a sunlit square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-02-27367258.webp) ![Ceramic plaque of the Plaza de Isabel II on a pale wall](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-03-65ce7de6.webp) ![Lion fountain and equestrian statue in front of the palace](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-04-89c8403f.webp) ![Bronze horseman overlooking a garden planted with trees](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-05-4af9a0bf.webp) ![Vast paved esplanade in front of the facade of the Royal Palace](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-06-816de09f.webp) ![Wrought iron railing with gilded points closing off the courtyard](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-07-d8de9a55.webp) We preferred to go for a visit to the **Catedral de Santa Maria de la Almudena** (**4€** for students): the ticket gives access to the terraces and the roofs, to a small museum and to the cathedral itself. The view from the top is not sensational but it has the merit of showing us the city in 360°. If you do not want to pay, you can still visit the cathedral, which is free to enter. ![White stone facade of the palace shot against the light](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-08-21047c53.webp) ![Twin towers of the cathedral seen from the rooftops](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-09-593dfeed.webp) ![Panoramic walkway at the foot of a stone statue](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-10-a9d55262.webp) ![Palace framed by two columns from a gallery up high](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-11-30725dd6.webp) ![Tree in pink blossom and lawn walkway leading to the palace](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-12-2ca7f817.webp) After visiting the cathedral, we headed towards the **Campo del Moro** which lies below the Palacio Real. There are very few people in these gardens, you will have peace and quiet there. ![Egyptian stone temple re-erected beside a pond](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-13-a8769a30.webp) You can then walk back up towards the Mirador de la Montaña del Principe Pio to discover the viewpoint and above all the **Templo de Debod** which stands out completely in the landscape! We then headed towards the **Malasaña** district, very trendy and hipster with cafés, vegan patisseries and art museums. It is really very cute and lively at the same time, perfect for a drink or lunch on a terrace in the sun! ![Colourful buildings with balconies and a tall brick chimney](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-14-0b4ccda5.webp) ![Terraces and folded parasols on a lively square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-15-6fe9a7e1.webp) ![Corner building painted bright blue seen from below](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-16-2a4bb7cc.webp) ![Red brick church and its slate dome on the square](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-17-596eb81d.webp) ![Monumental concrete sculpture set near a pond](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-18-26c30d5c.webp) You can also go to the **Plaza Colon**, quite unusual, which retraces the story of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in America on big engraved stone blocks. ![Colonnade and pediment of the Museo Arqueológico Nacional](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-19-5fa2d5b9.webp) Near the Plaza Colon is Madrid’s **Archaeological Museum**: in its gardens, there is a small cave where a cave painting is displayed with sound and light. Astonishing! You cannot go to Madrid without going through the famous **Retiro Park**, the city’s real green lung. It is a very well laid out haven of greenery, with many lawns to rest on, a rose garden, palaces like the Palacio de Cristal and ponds: a real gem! ![Stroller leaning on the balustrade of a large pond](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-20-8591609c.webp) ![Fountain jet in front of the glass wall of the Crystal Palace](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-21-78d7f591.webp) ![Glass and steel dome at the edge of the park path](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-22-ca19a3d6.webp) ![Rose pergola opening onto a gravel path](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-23-4b2e888c.webp) ![Path lined with clipped yews in a formal French garden](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-24-387a189e.webp) ![Wrought iron gate of the park, arms raised beneath the arch](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-25-bd770a7a.webp) ![White Cibeles palace at the end of a deserted avenue](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-26-5faf63a7.webp) We finished the day around the magnificent **Plaza de Cibeles** and its Palace and around **Gran Via** where all the ready-to-wear chains are concentrated, perfect if you want a shopping session! ### Day 2 For this second day, we headed towards the typical **La Latina** district which has a big concentration of historic monuments. Our tip: wander and get lost in the lanes, to discover hidden palaces or magnificent squares, like the Plaza de la Villa, which we went back to at the end of the day to have a different light. ![Stone column and terraces at the foot of a corner building](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-27-19f04790.webp) ![Bronze statue in front of a palace of stone and brick](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-28-b939c0dd.webp) ![Shaded square in front of an old facade topped with a dome](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-29-a2a715fe.webp) ![Bright yellow facade next to a baroque church](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-30-68d03b7a.webp) ![Red arcades of the Plaza Mayor and its pale paving](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-31-8f6b56b6.webp) What would a visit to Madrid be without the **Plaza Mayor**? This square, where the red of the bricks stands out against the blue of the sky, really is a must-see! (_be patient to take your photos, there are a lot of people_) ![Illuminated Tio Pepe sign crowning a building](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-32-e6a35e8d.webp) The **Puerta del Sol** is another of Madrid’s symbolic squares not to be missed! We then got lost in the more working-class **Lavapies** district, with its warmer coloured walls. Round a corner, we found ourselves in a jubilant crowd celebrating a religious festival with music and singing, very (a)typical! ![Musicians in costume in front of a flower-decked altar beneath the garlands](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-33-36c1a7f4.webp) ![Colourful bunting strung above a street in festive mood](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-34-b56a017f.webp) ![Green tree spilling over a street with red facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-35-6a292ea6.webp) ![Narrow street with yellow and ochre facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-36-afd170af.webp) ![Tropical garden sheltered beneath a large glass roof](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-37-c1a41e20.webp) **Atocha station** is really worth seeing with its tropical garden which makes it a completely out of the ordinary place to wander in the east of Madrid. If you go along **Gran Via**, we advise you to stop at the **Edificio Telefonica** which houses a café and a museum over several floors with different (_free!_) exhibitions including one on the history of telecommunications, really fascinating (_it will no doubt remind you of the Spanish Netflix series_ Las Chicas del Cable)! ![Sunlit pavement running along tall ornate facades](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-38-28025e10.webp) ![Long lit display cases in a museum room](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-39-4c8ab9e4.webp) ![Objects lined up beneath the light strips of a gallery](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-40-870eb9f0.webp) As the end of the day drew near, we went back to the **Plaza Mayor** and the **Plaza de la Villa**… … then to the banks of the **Manzanares** to discover the **Ermita Virgen del Puerto chapel** and the park that lines the river: very pleasant at the end of the day! … and to the **Sabatini gardens** by the **Palacio Real** to enjoy the magnificent view over the palace. ![Couple posing in front of the equestrian statue of the Plaza Mayor](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-41-a59646ac.webp) ![Bell tower against the light and dazzling sun above the gardens](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-42-5a1f33a6.webp) ![Couple in front of the long pale facade of the Royal Palace](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-43-1844364b.webp) ![Stone statue of a monarch lined up in the palace gardens](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-44-48eab7fc.webp) ![Flower beds in front of an old town hall](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-45-053b5612.webp) ![Brick building with two slate towers in its garden](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-46-e2e9f3f1.webp) ## Our accommodation in Madrid We had booked three nights in an [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.fr/rooms/22318252) a stone’s throw from the Opera square and the Royal Palace, which let us do everything on foot. The room is spacious, with an adjoining lounge and a small balcony: be careful though if you cannot stand cigarettes, the smell is quite present. ## Our favourite places to eat in Madrid - **Juliettas (Mercado de la Corredera)**: delicious patisserie opposite the church of San Antonio de los Alemenas, with a wide choice of cakes you can enjoy on the spot. A favourite for the all-chocolate cake (Valrhona chocolate)! - **[Pontepez](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d3803897-Reviews-Pontepez-Madrid.html)**[ ](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d3803897-Reviews-Pontepez-Madrid.html): typical tapas bar in Malasaña - **[Vi Cool](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d2475639-Reviews-Vi_Cool-Madrid.html)**: very trendy restaurant with a very complete lunch menu that is not expensive at all near the Plaza Santa Ana! 13€ for starter, main and dessert - **[Bresca](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d14029364-Reviews-Bresca-Madrid.html)**[ ](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d14029364-Reviews-Bresca-Madrid.html): very good and cheap Italian restaurant - **[Opera Victoria](https://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187514-d14025287-Reviews-Opera_Victoria_Restaurante-Madrid.html)**: a fine dining but very affordable restaurant opposite the Royal Theatre (Opera metro) which offers excellent dishes and tapas to share. ## What we thought of Madrid For this second trip to the Spanish capital, but the first as a couple, I was just as charmed as the first time! Madrid is a pleasant and very green city, perfect for an off-season getaway, in May or September, when it is not yet too hot. **Madrid remains for us an essential city in Spain from which you can range out to discover its region!** In love with Spain? Read our [article about Toledo](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/en/blog/escape-to-toledo/)! ![Couple on a square lined with buildings of brick and stone](https://voyagesurlacomete.fr/photos/2026/madrid-en-deux-jours-47-8ec189ee.webp)