“Nobody goes to bed until they have killed the night”

Hemingway has a point…

Madrid’s all about excess - too much food, too much vino and too much fun to even consider going to bed before 8am.

Sounds sweet... But how much of that can you do on a twenty?

Chill. With a few inside tips up your sleeve, you’ll have enough cash left for that all important 3rd jug of sangria...

Free Shiz

Madrid’s got some of Europe’s best art galleries. Annoyingly they’re a tenner to visit, unless you’re in the know 😉

To go to the Prado Museum (Home of Velazquez's ‘Las Meninas’) totally free, visit Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm to 8pm, or Sundays from 5pm to 8pm. Or for a free visit to the Reina Sofia Museum, go Monday to Friday from 7pm to 9pm, Saturday from 2.30pm to 9pm, or Sunday from 10am to 2.30pm.

For atmosphere and (potential) shopping El Rastro flea market’s yer one. Every Sunday morning people flock to Madrid’s largest open-air market to buy bargain antiques and vintage clothes.

Retiro park is Madrid’s lifeline. It’s where locals go to chill after a weekend on the batter. There’s music and street performers, row boats to rent on the duck-filled lake and weird bubble trees to find.

Under a Fiver

The best way to see the city is to fly. Cable car the Teleférico de Madrid (£5) to get a bird’s eye view of famous sights like the ancient Temple of Debod and the rose gardens of Casa de Campo park.

All that sightseeing will have you reaching for a snack. Try a fried squid sandwich at La Ideal (£2.50) or buy a drink in (almost any) pub for a free tapas (£4ish).

To get a 2-in-1 (view and drink) head to San Anton Roof Bar. Most of Madrid’s rooftop bars are for cocktail-slugging suits but San Anton does a glass of wine for €2.75. Grab a sofa and watch the sunset with a big smug smile on your face.

Under a tenner

For a bar-crawl to end all bar crawls head to the Malasaña district...

La Vía Láctea, Tupperware and El Penta bars are where filmmaker Almodovar used to go drinking. This district is all retro pin-ups, smoky rooms, gay action figures and rockabilly soundtracks. And it’s way cheaper than the swanky bars in the center.

Splashing Out

You could splash out on Madrid’s tip top restaurants and eat your way through twenties. And that’s not a bad idea - it’s some of Spain’s very best grub - that HAM 🐷

But for a full meal that won’t leave you out of pocket, try La Hummuseria one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Madrid. The menu focuses on hummus and other Middle Eastern market goodies.