How to Enjoy Madrid on Less Than €50 Daily

Are you visiting Madrid on a very tight budget? In this article I'll show you how you can comfortably eat, drink and sleep in the Spanish capital on a budget of no more than €50 a day.

Madrid is the capital of Spain. It is Spain's largest city, with a population of approximately 3 millions. Madrid is best known for its great cultural and artistic heritage, a good example of which is the El Prado museum. Madrid also boasts some of the liveliest nightlife in the world. It is no surprise that the city attracts plenty of tourists.

Madrid is located a little north east from the geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula, in the middle of the Spanish central Castillian plateau. Nearly all of the most famous tourist areas are located in the historical center of Madrid, middle south of the city: Puerta del Sol in the middle, Plaza Mayor a bit to the south, Palacio Real to the west, and Plaza de Colón to the north-east.

If you have visited Madrid before, you may have experienced quite expensive prices on food, drinks and accommodation. As a major touristic hotspot in Europe there is no surprise that a few days in Madrid can become very expensive. But, if you have a tight budget and want to visit the Spanish capital, there is smart ways to navigate. Below I've listed a few tips on value for money activites in Madrid.

If you want to party on the cheap. Take the metro and get off at Metro Moncloa and follow the crowds up to an unsuspecting interior patio. Now take in the view: hundreds of party people drinking in the patio and running in and out of the dozens of bars that run together and are completely interchangeable. Drink specials abound, music blares, and early in the morning vomit adorns the floors, but here your five euro will take you far. Full of locals so get to talking and make friends with Spanish students.

A very cheap and enjoyable place to fill your stomach is El Tigre (Calle Infantas 30). This is by far one of the best places in the city to get some bang for your buck. Small beers, otherwise known as cañas, are served with heaping plates of snacks, or tapas, such as fried potatoes with spicy sauce, Spanish omelet, and pinchos (small slices of bread topped with cheese, ham and everything in between). Space is a hot commodity at this bar, so push your way to inside and eat and drink yourself into oblivion for just a few euro. Nearest metro is Banco de España.

If you need a cheap place to sleep for the night. The Cat's Hostel is an inexpensive alternative. Cat's is located in the city centre and offers everything you ever wanted in a hostel, and more. It's got a chill-out zone, a cave bar which hosts djs, a big screen, and the cheapest beer in town. Beds from 17 euro. It's located in Calle Cañizares 6. Nearest metro is Anton Martín.

With these tips in mind I hope you can enjoy a budget vacation in Madrid. By following the advice above you should be able to eat, sleep and drink comfortably in Madrid on a daily budget of no more than €50.