🇪🇸 Top 5 Must-Visit Places in Madrid (With Free Entry Tips)

👉 Royal Palace of Madrid The largest royal palace in Europe — worth the ticket for its grandeur. (Student discounts available, even for UK students). Photography is allowed (no flash). 🆓 Free entry Mon-Thu between 4-5 PM. Staff start reminding visitors to leave around 5:45 PM. I spent 1.5 hours there — enough for a highlights tour. Although some say it’s only for EU residents, the staff confirmed it’s open to everyone (may depend on their mood 😅). The queue was long (wrapped around the square), but I got in within 23 minutes. 👉 Almudena Cathedral 🆓 Free all day. Located next to the palace — beautiful and peaceful. I sat quietly inside for over an hour 😂 👉 Vintage Street Madrid’s vintage stores are incredibly affordable! A thick leather jacket costs only €10-20. Sadly, I had no luggage allowance 🥲 🔍 Search “vintage” on Google Maps — shops are clustered together. Walk or take a bus (comes every 2-3 mins). 👉 Mercado de San Miguel One of the oldest covered markets. Fancy tapas (only €1.5 each) — try the foie gras! ⚠️ Prices here are high. For fresh oysters/seafood, go to Mercado de Tirso de Molina (locals’ favorite). You can get cheap red prawns and have them opened for you. This market closes at 2 PM and reopens at 5:30 PM, but many stalls close early — go in the morning! 👉 Mesón del Champiñón A cave-style restaurant serving traditional dishes like grilled lamb, stewed beef, and butter mushrooms. Not extraordinary, but the vibe is great with live music. Very affordable — and the restroom is surprisingly fun! 🧂 Note: Ask for less salt — Spanish food tends to be salty. 👉 Chocolatería San Ginés Open 24/7. Delicious but guilt-inducing — heavy on oil and sugar! 👉 Prado Museum Madrid’s most important art museum. 🆓 Free for students under 25 or art students (any age). Bring your student ID and passport/BRP — they checked mine carefully. #MadridTravel #BudgetTravel #FreeMadrid #SpainDiaries