Things not to do in Madrid

Rating: 9,4/10 (2806 votes)

Madrid

Many tourists are surprised at the difference between the customs of the capitals and other cities of European countries. Madrid is no exception - this city has a centuries-old culture that has developed authentically, sometimes at odds with some of the traditions of the rest of the Spanish lands. The rules of conduct in the Spanish capital will to some extent be similar to other cities, but in some cases you will need to remember about the peculiarities of the mentality of local residents and individual laws of decency.

Count on the punctuality of the Spaniards

If you have an appointment with an indigenous person, you can be at least 15 minutes late. In Spain and Madrid in particular, being late is considered to be reasonable etiquette, since the concept of punctuality is not instilled here from birth. By the way, many anecdotes about Madrid necessarily contain jokes about the love of being late - one of those cases when people skillfully laugh at their own shortcomings.

Reproachfully looking at strangers

Often, on the streets of the Spanish capital, real love and family dramas are played out, which local residents tactfully avoid. Openly looking at a couple quarreling in the middle of the street is considered bad form here. The same can be said about loudly crying children - in no case should you approach someone else's child - here it can be regarded as an attempted abduction. The result of such kind-heartedness is often a conversation with the police.

Go to Toledo in the summer

A small old town Toledo, located 72 kilometers southwest of Madrid, is often on the must-see list of sightseeing tours in the Spanish capital. In fact, visiting this city of craftsmen in the summer is a big mistake. During the tourist boom, when there is literally no overcrowding on the streets, all shops in the city operate in a mode of shameless price hikes. Even the seemingly inexpensive thing will cost exorbitantly here.

Toledo

Entering nightclubs before midnight

The daily routine in Madrid is a vivid illustration of the daily schedule of all of Spain. All nightlife venues start working at 23:00, while the bulk of the audience arrives after midnight. Some Spaniards dine no earlier than 22:00, and only then, leisurely gathering, go to the evening entertainment. One of the colorful details of the Madrid clubs will be the fact that it is customary to go to some of them with families and even with small children, which also should not be very surprising.

Trying to find a working cafe in the morning

Exactly the same situation will await ignorant tourists with cafes. It is customary to have breakfast in Spain not earlier than 11:00, so until that time, only fast food chains that do not differ in the special quality of food will work. Another important drawback of these establishments is that they are located in areas that are significantly remote from the main tourist routes of the Spanish capital.

Cafe

Give out a tourist

This rule, first of all, should be observed in cafes and restaurants, regardless of their prestige and location. The reason for this will be the"double menus" that two of the three Spanish establishments have. For tourists, as a rule, there is an overpriced menu, and in the case of elite restaurants, very overpriced. Spanish laws do not prohibit this, so it is better to play it safe once again and portray a seasoned visitor to Madrid, at least by greeting the staff loudly.

Go for the tricks of young girls

At night, some streets near the hotels in Madrid will be filled with nakedly dressed girls with vulgar make-up. Officially, prostitution in Spain is allowed, but tourists should be as careful as possible - very often, under the guise of available girls offering to buy marijuana, a police officer from the department of morality is hiding, who transfers the tourist to his colleagues from the anti-drug department. Such a meeting can end with administrative arrest.

Choose the cheapest hotels

As in any European city, the cheapest hotels and apartments in Madrid are located in the outskirts. Being here, if not dangerous, then extremely unpleasant. For example, the infamous Chueca quarter is the largest community of same-sex couples in Spain. Not every tourist wants to live next to such neighbors, but here are some of the cheapest hotels, even in the midst of the tourist season.

Chueca Quarter

Cycling without a helmet

Since 2010 years for riding a bicycle without a helmet on territory all Spain is subject to a large fine. As for Madrid itself, cyclists are treated with the utmost rigor. The lines where you can go on this type of transport are strictly marked and marked with appropriate signs. Violation of these rules may result in not only a heavy fine, but also a serious accident on the road.

Parking for bicycles

Breaking the dress code in temples

The rule is familiar to many and for many European cities. Any temple is a sacred place where you can enter only in a special guise. Women should have their arms and shoulders covered, Men are categorically forbidden even to try to enter the temple in shorts - for this they can not only expel from the sacred place with shouts, but also call the police. In the temple itself, you must not interfere with other people moving around during the service.

Making noise in hotels

Recently, the Spanish government passed an amendment to the legislation, equating hotels to private property, which has the right to establish their own rules of conduct. Some hotel rooms are prohibited from listening to music or watching TV at any time of the day, or violating any other policy prescribed by the hotel manager. Most often, guests are introduced to the rules of conduct at the time of check-in.

Forgetting to have your passport with you

For crowded festival days, when the number of tourists in Madrid increases several times, and for most days of the high season, every visitor to the city needs to have a passport, or at least a color copy of it. You need to do this, first of all, for your own safety. On the same days, enhanced law enforcement measures allow police officers patrolling the streets to demand the presentation of documents of any person, including tourist groups.

Passport
You need to do this, first of all, for your own safety. On the same days, enhanced law enforcement measures allow police officers patrolling the streets to demand the presentation of documents of any person, including tourist groups.

Passport
You need to do this, first of all, for your own safety. On the same days, enhanced law enforcement measures allow police patrolling the streets to demand the presentation of documents of any person, including tourist groups.

Passport

We also recommend reading Things not to do in Greece

Topic: Things not to do in Madrid.

Author: Kelly Costine

Things not to do in Madrid (Topic)