Experience in Madrid, Spain by Sara

What is it like to live in Madrid? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I would surely recommend living in Madrid! It's a beautiful city, with a lot of activities and plans to do. There are great different museums, there is party at night in almost all areas, there are beautiful places to go for a walk and also interesting and cultural things and hystorical buildings and places. And not only in the city of Madrid! In the surroundings there are a lot of villages famous for their history.

What is the student lifestyle like in Madrid?

The city is plenty of students! There are a lot of universities, so there are a lot of different students areas. I think the most famous is Ciudad Universitaria, and a lot of students live in Moncloa and it is a very lively zone.

How much does it cost to live in Madrid?

Madrid is not as expensive as other european cities! The media price of the rent is about 400 euros single room, and obviously shared room is cheaper. Food is not expensive at all, and the best supermarket I would recommend to everyone is Mercadona! Good food and great cosmetic and all their products are good and cheap.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Madrid? Is there any advice you can give?

In Madrid there is a lot of offert, but it's true the demand of accommodation is high. My advice is to look for it as soon as possible, in august or beginning of september, early at the beginning of the semester.

Fuente

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is great in all Spain! But the most tipycal dishes in Madrid are el Cocido madrileño, only in winter :), los callos a la madrileña, los bocatas de calamares (in the city centre)...

What places would you recommend visiting in Madrid?

The whole city has a lot of museums to visit The Prado is wonderful, for example, and the city centre of course is obligatory! On the outsides there are fantastic villages, as El Escorial, Alcalá de Henares, Aranjuez...

Is it good to eat out in Madrid? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Well, eating outside is always more expensive than at home, so I just recommend it sometimes. There are tipycal but not economic places in the centre, but as I remember now there is a fantastic place for students, in Moncloa (the students area on the north) that is called El Rey de las Tortillas, and they make a wonderful spanish potato omelet and you can have it with cañas (beer) or red wine.

Is the nightlife good in Madrid? Where is good to go?

The nightlife is grrreeeat! There are a lot of places. The best for me is near the centre, and is called Huertas. There are a lot of bars on the street and you move from one to another, and there are always a lot of people on the street! If you prefer discos I am not specially fan of them, but I've heard one of the best is Capital...

What advice would you give future students headed to Madrid?

Just that Madrid is a fantastic city to live in, with a really good connecting transport, so you can go to every places, no matter where you live, but remember it is a big city, so if the time is important for you choose the right area to live. The most economic ones are Moncloa and some areas in the south, near the main universities.

Come to Madrid! You won't regreat it at all!