Harvard Student Agencies - Lets Go Budget Madrid: The Student Travel Guide

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Welcome to Madrid, where the day starts later, the night ends later, and the locals look like Javier Bardem. Sound good? Well theres more. Much more. Madrid is home to some of the biggest and baddest sights in the world, from museums filled with iconic art to discotheques packed with Spains most beautiful. From Goyas The Naked Maya by day to the (almost) naked madrileos at night, Madrid insists that you stay on the movein only the most laid-back style, of course. When its time to recuperate, slow down, savor some of the best in Spanish cuisine, and lounge at one of the citys immaculate parks or gardens under the warm Spanish sun. Life is good.

Madrids plazas, gardens, and monuments tell of the citys rich history. After Philip II made the city the capital of his empire in 1561, Madrid enjoyed centuries of being on top. (Sorry, we couldnt resist.) It served as Spains artistic hub during the Golden Age, becoming a seat of wealth, culture, and imperial glory, whose legacy can still be felt in literary neighborhoods like Huertas, in the sumptuous interiors of royal estates like the Palacio Real, and in the bad-ass collections of the museums along the Avenida del Arte. So get some rest on the plane, because from here on out its all dinners at midnight, parties at three, marathon treks through museums the size of small countries by day, and chasing down Javier Bardem at high noon.

Picture menus and premade tapas will tempt you, brave traveler, around every corner. But do not surrender. Follow our recommendations and youll be sinking your teeth into the freshest, most budget-friendly calamares, gambas (shrimp, prepared grilled or fried), patatas bravas (fried potatoes with romesco sauce), queso (cheese; usually manchego), and tortillas espaola (Spanish omelette) in no time.

: The tapas at this mostly-local joint in Las Huertas cant be beat.

: The delicious zapatillas (3) have made this cafe a local institution.

: Feast on gluttonous tapas like the huevos rotos in a pleasant setting off the main drag in La Latina.

: Madrids answer to Whole Foods has the prices to match, but has enough free samples to make a meal for hungry backpackers.

: The main feature at this novelty bar and restaurant is greasy, crispy Chilean sandwiches like the hamburguesavoladora that start at just 5.50.

: Thousands of priceless works of art at your finger tips for free almost any night of the week.

: This is the place to enjoy live funk, soul, rock, and hip hop without paying a cover charge.

: Malasaas biggest party honors the memory of madrileos who were killed in the fight to free Spain from Joseph Napoleon. This means free museum entry, live music, and dancing on May 2.

: The oldest permanent art institute in Madrid, with a massive collection that includes works by Goya, Ribera, and Rubens, is free on Wednesday nights.

The key to finding cheap accommodations in Madrid is to book in advance. Your best options will likely be hostels, hostales, or pensines (more like budget hotels). Start your search in bustling , which has the biggest variety of accommodations of any neighborhood in Madrid, including plenty of dirtcheap backpackers hostels.

: This government-run hostel has four-star hotel amenitiespool table, exercise room, computer lab, complimentary breakfastand spacious rooms at rockbottom prices.

: This affordable and social hostel has an excellent rooftop terrace and a bar that often hosts parties and live music.

: This popular backpackers hostel offers clean, comfortable beds and goes the extra mile with free tapas tours and pub crawls for guests.

: This HI hostel is bare-bones, but the cheap beds only a 15min. Metro ride to El Centro make it a steal.

: Los Amigos in El Centro offers an inexpensive stay, with breakfast, lockers, linens, and Wi-Fi all included in the regular rates.

Face time with priceless works of art need not break the bank, as many of Madrids art museums open their doors for free on certain days of the week.

: This contemporary art, design, and architecture museum is 100% free! Be sure to check out the incredible hortisculpture on the exterior wall before you leave.

PARK IT: Tired of looking at art? Stayed out til 8am this morning? Luckily, Madrids parks offer locals and tourists respitefor free! Check out the .

ATONE FOR YOUR SINS: When you tire of Madrids sinful discos, repentfor freeat one of its many religious sites. Check out in Chueca.

THEY CANT CHARGE FOR THE VIEW: The Don Quixote statues in are all yours for the takingand they dont cost a thing.

Madrid caters to the young and the young at heart. The party doesnt get started til well after midnight, and the clubs stay open until dawn (or later) when buzzed locals begin the day with chocolate con churros, and recover later during siesta. So grab a book, a cigarette, and a cortado, and get ready to discuss Buuel at , a music festival that brings big names like Janelle Mone every June.

If you thought the weekends in Madrid were crazytry the festivals. Though some are technically religious, theres no shortage of debauchery. Madrids festivals can be a great opportunity to get a taste of local culture and to meet young