Madrid
Madrid is the capital of Spain, and as such every day there are tourists arriving at the Madrid airport via Air Madrid, Lufthansa, Iberia, or any other national or international airline. The city is a study in culture, laid back lifestyle, and unsurpassed beauty. Your Madrid protocol will need to have a lot of room to include the many different sites to visit and attractions to take in. Those who hope to “do” Madrid in one day will be sorely disappointed and quite possibly experience one of the most dissatisfying excursions during their vacation. After all, Madrid is not only a global city within its own right, but there is so much tangible history available that not even a full week of doing nothing but sightseeing would do Madrid justice.

A map of Madrid, Spain, will probably give you some clues as to where the major tourist locations are located. It would be foolish to disregard the national treasures the city of Madrid so proudly displays in its city limits. Yet while you are enjoying the hot weather in Madrid, also take the time to enjoy the route you are taking to the next attraction. The odds are good that the road that gets you there will be lined with monuments, sightseeing opportunities, and even little markets that carry some amazing crafts and artwork of local artisans.

If you are visiting Spain to learn Spanish in Madrid, your best bet is to visit the hotels in Madrid which cater to the locals as well as the restaurants in Madrid that do the same. Concierges will be more patient and willing to help you with your language studies than the globally oriented Ritz Hotel in Madrid - Spain considers it polite to speak to visitors in their own language and the Ritz will undoubtedly seek to enforce this show of good manners instead of taking on the manners of the smaller Madrid hotels that will make allowances for the learner.

Madrid nightlife takes place right around eight in the evening and will last until well past two in the morning. Clubs and dives, taverns, and bars will eagerly await your business, and the kitchens are always open to feed that late night appetite. So go ahead and visit the Retiro gardens which are world famous for their well manicured hedges and lawns, the Royal Palace, the Escorial, the opera house, and of course the Prado art museum. The latter is a must on any itinerary and it should be given ample time to truly explore the various exhibits that make up a most valuable collection.