Madrid Local Tips

Don’t miss a Sunday afternoon stroll through Parque del Retiro, when just about every Madrileño emerges for outdoor fun.

Hold on to your valuables on the wander through El Rastro, infamous for its well-versed pickpockets.

While many stores stay open all day on weekdays and Saturday mornings, small independent shops traditionally close for siesta, daily between 2 and 5pm.

Dinner in Spain is served late, with the earliest seating at 9pm. Do as the locals do and have an abundant lunch.

Most tickets are sold out a year in advance, but a small percentage is released a few weeks before each corrida. Get them through www.taquillatoros.com or www.las-ventas.com.

Madrileños are a friendly and outgoing bunch but speaking English is not among their fortes. If in a communication bind, approach the younger crowd who are more likely to know a few English words. Most important, brush up on the basics and pack a phrasebook.

Save a chunk of change on admission fees to Madrid’s three major museums with this discount card, valid for a single entry to each of the trio and available at any of them.