the city

Madrid (pronounced /ma’ðrið/ in Spanish, and /mʌˈdɹɪd/ in English) is the capital and largest city of Spain.

Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial center of the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies. It’s the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political center of Spain.

Madrid is a city of great cultural and political importance. While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; the Teatro Real (Royal theatre) with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro park, founded in 1631; the imposing 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain’s historical archives; an archaeological museum of international reputation; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which hosts one of the finest art collections in the world, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace

The city’s population is roughly 3.2 million (December 2005), while the estimated urban area population is 5.1 million. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.84 million. The city spans a total of 607 km² (234 sq mi).

Administrative divisions

Madrid is divided into different “barrios” (districts) which have their own distinct and unique features.

The natural starting point is the “Puerta del Sol” with its famous km cero – the curious thing about the km cero is the fact that all roads in Spain lead to this point. Madrid’s km cero is a busy square with street vendors, some tourist shops, the central shopping area which stretches out between Sol and Gran Via. Km cero is the popular meeting point.

The most appealing “barrios” of Madrid are all situated around Puerta de Sol: Sol, Huertas, La Latina, Chueca, Malasaña, a little more to the south the colourful Lavapiés and to the north the students´ quarter Moncloa / Argüelles.

Madrid is administratively divided into 21 districts, which are further subdivided into 128 wards (barrios)

1. Centro: Palacio, Embajadores, Cortes, Justicia, Universidad, Sol.
2. Arganzuela: Paseo Imperial, Acacias, Chopera, Legazpi, Delicias, Palos de la Frontera, Atocha.
3. Retiro: Pacífico, Adelfas, Estrella, Ibiza, Jerónimos, Niño Jesús.
4. Salamanca: Recoletos, Goya, Fuente del Berro, Guindalera, Lista, Castellana.
5. Chamartín El Viso, Prosperidad, Ciudad Jardín, Hispanoamérica, Nueva España, Pza. Castilla.
6. Tetuán: Bellas Vistas, Cuatro Caminos, Castillejos, Almenara, Valdeacederas, Berruguete.
7. Chamberi Gaztambide, Arapiles, Trafalgar, Almagro, Vallehermoso, Ríos Rosas.
8. Fuencarral-El Pardo: El Pardo, Fuentelarreina, Peñagrande, Barrio del Pilar, La Paz, Valverde, Mirasierra, El Goloso.
9. Moncloa-Aravaca: Casa de Campo, Argüelles, Ciudad Universitaria, Valdezarza, Valdemarín, El Plantío, Aravaca.
10. Latina: Los Cármenes, Puerta del Ángel, Lucero, Aluche, Las Águilas, Campamento, Cuatro Vientos.
11. Carabanchel: Comillas, Opañel, San Isidro, Vista Alegre, Puerta Bonita, Buenavista, Abrantes.
12. Usera: Orcasitas, Orcasur, San Fermín, Almendrales, Moscardó, Zofio, Pradolongo.
13. Puente de Vallecas: Entrevías, San Diego, Palomeras Bajas, Palomeras Sureste, Portazgo, Numancia.
14. Moratalaz: Pavones, Horcajo, Marroquina, Media Legua, Fontarrón, Vinateros.
15. Ciudad Lineal: Ventas, Pueblo Nuevo, Quintana, La Concepción, San Pascual, San Juan Bautista, Colina, Atalaya, Costillares.
16. Hortaleza: Palomas, Valdefuentes, Canillas, Pinar del Rey, Apóstol Santiago, Piovera.
17. Villaverde: San Andrés, San Cristóbal, Butarque, Los Rosales, Los Ángeles (Villaverde).
18. Villa de Vallecas: Casco Histórico de Vallecas, Santa Eugenia.
19. Vicálvaro: Casco Histórico de Vicálvaro, Ambroz.
20. San Blas: Simancas, Hellín, Amposta, Arcos, Rosas, Rejas, Canillejas, Salvador.
21. Barajas: Alameda de Osuna, Aeropuerto, Casco Histórico de Barajas, Timón, Corralejos.

Largest cities in the metropolitan area are: Mostóles, Leganés, Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada, Getafe, Alcobendas, Tres Cantos., Alcalá de Henares, Aranjuez..

The population of Madrid has been generally increasing ever since the city became the national capital several hundred years ago.

From around 1970 until the mid 1990s, the city’s population dropped . This phenomenon, which also affected Barcelona and other European cities, was caused in part by the growth of satellite suburbs at the expense of the downtown. Another reason might have been the slowdown in the rate of growth of the European economy.

The demographic boom accelerated in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to international immigration, in response to a strong pick-up in Spanish economic growth. For example, according to census data, the population of the city grew by 271,856 between 2001 and 2005.

As the capital city of Spain, the city has attracted many immigrants from around the world. While less than 85% of the inhabitants are Spaniards of different backgrounds and ethnicities, there are many recent immigrants who come from Latin America, Europe, Asia, North Africa and West Africa.

The largest immigrant groups include: Ecuadorian , Romanian:, Moroccan, Chinese, Colombian and Peruvian. There are also important communities of Guinean, Bolivian and Filipino people.

Madrid Weather

Madrid has a continental climate with temperatures that range from 32º F (0º Celsius), or slightly lower in the winter, to up to 104º F (40º C) in the summertime. Yet, the temperatures in the northern mountainous area of the region are much colder than those mentioned above in the winter and milder in the summer.

The average annual temperature is 57.2 º F (14º C), ranging from 41º F (5º C) in the colder months to 77ºF (25º C) in the hotter. In May, it’s 66.1º F (19º C).

The amount of rain varies, though it is mainly scarce in the large continental area of the region.

Car and parking facilities

Just like in any other big city, it is not advisable to drive in Madrid. It is always more convenient to use public transport. In any case, several public and private parking areas are available in the city, where you pay for the time your car is parked. Parking in the streets is limited during certain hours in Madrid’´s innermost districts by the Servicio de Estacionamiento Regulado (SER) (Controlled Parking Facilities). There are parking meters, know as parquímetros, in all the limited parking zones, from where you can purchase your ticket that you must place in a visible area in your car’s dashboard. You can pay in coins.

For cars parked in the blue area, you will get tickets from the blue parquímetros, and for those parked in the green areas the corresponding tickets are available in the green parquímetros.

Types of parking lots

Blue parking lots: allotted preferably to visitors, with a maximum parking time limit of two hours.

Green parking lots: allotted preferably to residents who have paid the relevant annual rates, and who will be subjected to time restrictions. Visitors may park here for a maximum of one hour.

Timetables

Monday to Friday: from 9 am to 8 pm

Saturday: from 9 am to 3 pm

August: Monday to Saturday: from 9 am to 3 pm Sábados: de 09:00 a 15:00 horas.

Parking rates

Blue parking lots:
Up to 20 minutes (minimum rate): 0.25€
Maximum 120 minutes: 2.55€

Green parking lots:
Up to 20 minutes (minimum rate): 0.50€

Maximum 60 minutes: 1.80€

Public Transport

Madrid is served by Barajas International Airport. It consequently serves as the main gateway to the Iberian peninsula from Europe, America and the rest of the world. Current passenger volumes range upwards of 40 million passengers per year, putting it in the top 20 busiest airports in the world. Access by bus: taking line number 101, Canillejas-Airport-Barajas or taking line number 200, Avenida de América- Airport (EMT red buses).

The subway’s line number 8, Nuevos Ministerios-Barajas T4, directly links the center of Madrid to the airport. In the Nuevos Ministerios station you can check-in to the flights belonging to the following airlines: Air Europa (except the flight to Buenos Aires), Iberia (except the flights from Madrid to Barcelona), Spanair, Alitalia and Pluna.

Spain’s railway system, the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles (Renfe) operates the vast majority of Spain’s railways. In Madrid, the main rail terminals are Atocha in the south and Chamartín in the north. The city of Madrid is connected to eleven Spanish cities by means of RENFE’S star product: high speed (AVE). There are six lines that are in service today.

The Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid came into existence in 1986 to combine the efforts of public and private institutions related to Public Transport for the purpose of coordinating services: Metro Cercanías Renfe, Bus, and suburban bus.

Serving the city’s population of some six million, the Madrid Metro is one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world With the addition of a loop serving suburbs to Madrid’s south-west “Metrosur”, it is now the second largest metro system in Western Europe, second only to London’s Underground. In May 2007, By January 1, 2007, the Metro System had in operation twelve lines (plus the Ópera-Príncipe Pío Branch Line).

The first line of the Madrid metro opened on 17 October 1919 under the direction of the Compañía de Metro Alfonso XIII, with 8 stations and 3.5 km. The Metro network has 316 stations on 12 lines plus one branch line, totalling 282 km, of which approximately 92% is underground. Additionally, some 30 km of Metro Ligero (light rail) lines serve the various regions of the metropolitan area which have been deemed not populated enough to justify the extraordinary spending of new Metro lines. Most of the ML track length is on surface, usually running on platforms separated from normal road traffic. However, ML1 line has some underground stretches and stations. Traditionally, the Madrid metro was restricted to the city proper, but today nearly one third of its track length runs outside the border of the Madrid municipality

The province of Madrid is also served by an extensive commuter rail network called Cercanías. Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe. The system is infamous for being the target of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings. The attacks triggered a small reduction in the ridership of the system but it is still the most used and most profitable (by 2004) of the commuter rail services in Spain. The total length spans 339.1 km..

Rather strange for a so night-living city as Madrid, trains don’t operate late at night, mostly for union and safety reasons. The first train to operate in weekdays in the lines start to operate around 5 a.m.The frequency of the trains depends on the size of the towns served and the traffic on the line. The central section of the network (from Atocha to Chamartín, through Recoletos and Nuevos Ministerios has trains each 3-4 minutes (of various lines) on weekdays peak hours; the farther branches of the C-8 line have trains each two hours on weekends.All lines (except C-9) finish their operations around midnight.

Therea re also urban bus, operated by EMT. By January 1, 2007, EMT was operating 209 lines. The habitual transport tickets are valid in the whole network, like: single ticket, 10-trip Metro/Bus Pass and the Travel Card.

This thickness of the network can be subdivided as well in 169 lines that compose the Integrated Diurnal Network (IDN), 38 nocturnal lines and 2 special services. It is necessary to add the new network of nocturnal lines, the Metrobuhos, that reproduces in surface the Metro network, and that is composed by 83 vehicles.

The interurban bus system in the Madrid Region consisted of 326 lines that operate completely within the region of Madrid. These lines are operated by 33 private companies under 44 government franchises. There are also 7 municipal franchises, and 2 public municipal companies. There are a main bus station , Mendez Alvaro, and more bus station (Avenida de America, Conde de Casal), all served by Metro.

(you can see the links PUBLIC TRANSPORT in the blogroll)

Fares

The Regional Transportation Consortium sells monthly and yearly passes worth unlimited trips within the zone covered on every transportation method adscribed to it

The Madrid Metro network is split into the six “functional” zones . Each one has a “single” ticket (Billete Sencillo), valid for one trip within the zone, and a 10-trip ticket for a comparatively lower price. When crossing zone boundaries, one has to buy a new ticket for the zone being entered. There is also a “combined” ticked, which provides for a single trip between any two points of the network except the Airport stations, which have an additional supplement of 1€. All in all, it is possible to go from the airport to any other point of the network for 2.75 €.

Also, the Consorcio Regional de Transportes has a division of its own, with geographic zones named A through C2. This body sells monthly and annual passes for unlimited trips within their zone of validity, and also a range of Tourist Passes for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. All of them are accepted at the Metro stations within their zones, and passengers using a CRT pass do not have to pay the airport supplement.

You can buy a ticket valid for 10 journeys, the “MetroBus” (valid for Metro and bus EMT) but you can buy it only from Metro stations or “Estancos” (Tobacco shops), not from buses. It is then perfectly legal to pass the ticket around between 2 or more people using the same train

The fares from January 1st. of 2009 are as follows:

METRO / EMT

FARES
SINGLE TICKET	Euros
EMT ticket	1,00
Metro and ML ticket
Combined Metro ticket (between Metro, TFM or Metrosur)	2,00
10 TRIP TICKET	Euros
Metrobus and ML1 ticket	7,40
MetroSur – MetroNorte – MetroEste – TFM ticket
ML2 and ML3 ticket
TICKETS FROM/TO THE AIRPORT	Euros
Single Ticket Metro+Extra charche	2,00
Combined Metro Ticket+Extra charche	3,00
Airport Surcharge Ticket	1,00

RENFE SUBURBAN TRAIN FARES
ZONES	MONDAY TO FRIDAY	WEEKENDS & HOLIDAYS (1)	10-JOURNEY TRAIN TICKET	MONTHLY TICKET
One/two zones	1,20	1,20	6,80	24,35
Three zones	1,35	1,35	10,40	30,85
Four zones	1,95	1,95	15,75	49,75

TOURIST TRAVEL PASS

The Tourist Travel Pass is a personalized transport pass, which entitles the holder to make an unlimited number of trips, using the public transport system operating within a chosen zone, with the indicated exceptions.. The Tourist Travel Pass may be purchased at:

• All Metro stations
• Metro Passenger Information Office, in Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 metro station
• Municipal Tourist Offices (Plaza Mayor, 27)…

The fares from January 1st. of 2008 are as follows:

Zonas	1 día	2 días	3 días	5 dias	7 días
A	5,20 €	8,80 €	11,60 €	17,60 €	23,60 €
T	10,40 €	17,60 €	23,20 €	35,20 €	47,20 €

Children under 11 years have a 50% discount in the purchase of the Tourist Travel Pass.

Zone A passes have the same limits as the regular fare zone A and correspond almost entirely with the Madrid city limits.

Zone T covers the entire area where Travel Passes are valid.

Transport from/ to airport

At hours whitout public transport from / to airport there’s a service: Aerocity. It ’s a rental service offering chauffeur-driven automobiles with drivers specialized in the door-to-door transport of passengers between the Madrid metropolitan area and the Madrid airport Barajas. AeroCITY operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays and weekends. See the rates here (download PDF)

Links

Transport of Madrid.

map of Metro, Renfe and Tranvia.

Bus station – Estacion Sur de autobuses