I live in Lisbon, Portugal – and have recently had the urge to explore more of my next-door neighbor. So I planned a long weekend in Madrid, Spain.
Since I’m a food writer and photographer, I try not to skimp on eating and drinking – so to balance costs, I opted to take advantage of non-food-related activities that cost little or nothing, like free museums, open-air markets, tips-only guided tours and the like.
Since I wasn’t in a rush, I decided to take the train. This option isn’t necessarily cheaper than a flight (and involves at least two transfers and a full day of travel) – but it allows some time for reading, listening to podcasts and the chance to see some beautiful Portuguese countryside and a little-visited corner of Spain.
Accommodation was the only frustrating element of my budget. Hotels are relatively expensive in Madrid and I didn’t get around to booking until rather late – so with few options, was I forced to pay a relatively high price for a small albeit centrally located room.
As Madrid’s taxis are also relatively expensive, I bought a metro pass that allowed for 10 trips. Ultimately, I did so much walking – yet another free pleasure in Madrid – that I didn’t even use all the trips.
In the end, I spent more than one would spend on a similar weekend in Lisbon. Still, Madrid didn’t seem prohibitively expensive, and felt like a good value – especially when it came to food and drink.
Pre-trip spending
Train tickets: €77.70 for round-trip tickets from Lisbon
Accommodation: €249 for three nights in a tiny room in the centrally located Chueca neighborhood
Total: €326.70
On the ground
Friday
10:30pm: I arrive at Madrid’s Atocha Train Station, where I buy a 10-ride metro pass (€8.60). After dropping my bags off at my hotel, I head to the century-old vermouth bar Taberna de Ángel Sierra for a Galician-style tuna empanada and a couple glasses of vermouth (€6.50). The spot continues the Spanish tradition of offering some sort of salty snack – olives, chips, a few slices of ham – with every drink order, easing my dining budget a tiny bit.
Total: €34.85
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