Off to Madrid for a long weekend on Saturday as my gf is talking at a conference. what do you recommend for me to pass the time?

Go to the Prado (think that’s the name) museum, see Picasso’s Guernica. Drink that red wine/coke stuff till 5am, remembering not to go out for tea till well after midnight…

Prado Picasso stuff was rubbish IMHO (I dont get it , but I liked Dali’s pictures).

Have a look around Plaza Mayor and Plaza Santa Ana, but don’t eat or drink there, for eats, drinks and a bit of nightlife head up to Plaza Dos de Mayo.
Other touristy things and the three main Art Galleries, don’t forget to pop into Atocha Station, across the road from Reina Sofia, to see what they’ve done with the old station and also spend five minutes in the memorial to 11-M, from Atocha you could have a wander through El Buen Retiro.
Madrid is quite small so it’s easy to get around but also the metro is excellent and cheap, get yourself a 10 trip ticket that allows you to travel on buses and metro, it’s about 10 or 11,00€ or even one of these.
These’s a ciclocross race up in San Sebastian de los Reyes on 5th in the morning, go and see the best of Madrid (It’s near the Polideportivo).
A lot depends on what you’re into.
In the area around Calle Cava Baja and Calle de la Cava Alta is supposed to be quite funky and you might find a Flamenco bar or two.
The area around Chueca is very lively with lots of bars and clubs, Chueca is generally considered the gay area but I don’t think it’s contageous so you’ll be ok…
Santiago Bernabeau museum.
Get on a 191 bus and spend a couple of hours in Buitrago de Lozoya and enjoy the scenery of the Sierra Norte de Madrid.
Lots of theatres and or the opera, which reminds me of another eating zone on the Plaza Oriente in front of the Palacio Real. If you’re in that neck of the woods at lunchtime early afternoon pop along to Paseo de Pintor Rosales and enjoy the views of Casa de Campo before catching a late afternoon cable car into said Casa de Campo. as you wander back into town you could pop into Principe Pio Station to have a quick look, not a spectacular as Atocha.
If you’re into the culture stuff get a train to El Escorial or Toledo or Aranjuez.
Or you could just go on the piss for 48 hours. 😀

EDIT: Guernica’s in Reina Sofia, no?

Santiago Bernabau stadium

And hot Spanish girls.

My wife lived there for 6 months nr the Retiro Park in Madrid. That’s worth a walk around, as are the places don simon mentions. Heartily recommend the Bernabau stadium too.

One word of advice, be careful around Soll…..loads of pick pockets!!!

don simon’s pretty much wrapped it up, but what do you like doing?

One word of advice, be careful around Soll…..loads of pick pockets!!!

Pick pockets in all the touristy areas, Sol, Plaza Mayor, Preciados and Gran Via. I managed to catch a little shit, quite literally mate, with his hand in my pocket on Gran Via many moons ago.

I forgot… A trip to the Rastro on Sunday morning could be a pleasant way of walking off a hangover, but I imagine it’s lost a lot of its charm recently and again watch out for our light fingered friends.

Also enjoy a pint of san miguel and some tapas at Canas Y Tapas which is a small chain that can be found dotted around Madrid. Cheap and nice Tapas.

I’ve searched google and I can’t find many strip bars in Madrid 😕

Not looking hard enough, hora.
Do not go to Cañas and Tapas, find a more authentic bar for tapas. *shudders*

Lol I went to both authentic and canas and I thought it was good, but then I’m easily pleased!

Obviously… 😀
There’s cornish pasties and there’s Greggs.
There’s acouple of proper Spanish bars that I used to frequent around Calle Serrano, Claudio Coello and Lagasca, and that’s just reminded me of a seriously cool Cuban bar somewhere around there that was on the first floor, I’ll be back in a minute.

La Negra Tomasa – that the one you mean? 🙂

I’ve searched google and I can’t find many strip bars in Madrid

Looking out of my office window I can see three, you’ve not tried hard. Plaza Cuzco, 5 min walk north up the Castellana from the Bernabeu.

A trip to the Rastro on Sunday morning could be a pleasant way of walking off a hangover, but I imagine it’s lost a lot of its charm recently and again watch out for our light fingered friends.

Went there two weeks ago, first time in about 10 years… What a nightmare, heaving, packed full of crappy stalls selling punk t-shirts and ethnic jewellery. Still, wandered up to Mercado San Miguel (behind the Plaza Mayor) for a drink, sat in the sun for a while, then wandered up to Chueca for lunch… lovely day.

Found it. 😀

.. lovely day.

not jealous. 😈

Cheers all – did a fair amount of this stuff here by chance, but ended up spending most of my time in La Latina wandering in and out of slightly grubby tapas bars.

Happy times!

I’ll be there at the weekend. Unfortunately will have the kids in tow or I would have hit the tit bar with you.
Like mogrim says, Mercado San Miguel is good on Sunday. Weather forecast looks decent and should be less tourists around now. Retiro park is nice. So is the zoo.

Edit – a week late.