Travel to Madrid, the buzzing capital of Spain

Madrid is a bustling, welcoming, pleasant, entertaining, clean and very safe city. It's a cosmopolitan, modern, charming, lively, culturally significant place that deserves all the compliments it gets for being a big city with a soul. However, it also has its fair share of traffic jams, stress, pollution and noise, as with any other capital city. The public transport system in Madrid is wonderful. If you're considering a trip into the centre or a tour of the neighbouring communes, it's best not to take your car. Cycling is quite difficult in Madrid, because of the scarcity of cycling lanes (especially in the centre), and the lack of courtesy from drivers who are not used to sharing the roads with cyclists. They are more accustomed to sharing the roads with motorbikes, although riding a motorbike in this city also seems to be a rather dangerous endeavour. You'll probably be surprised by the opening hours of shops and restaurants in Madrid. The latter generally serve food at any time of the day (in some cases until midnight). Cultural and entertainment possibilities are the city's strong point, with numerous events every year. In fact, every day comes with its share of festivities, and you could have some difficulty making up your mind as to which one to attend. A stay in Madrid would not be complete without a visit to the Community's various surrounding towns, such as Toledo, Segovia, Ávila and Guadalajara. None of these towns are more than one hour's drive away.