PART ONESorry but the post is getting huge lol I am posting the first part. Facts, Transportation, The Madrid Card service, and Big green areas (big parks) I will continue with the rest of things
Hope is useful for somebody
Facts about UsWe DO NOT speak english: Do not expect to find too many people as me beeing fluent in English as the English we study in the school is very basic, so would be helpful to learn some "survival spanish", anyway remember that tagalog has 6000 spanish words and visaya about 8000 just different spelling so you already know a lot
, anyway people will try to help in any way even in signs lol. and you can find people fluent sometimes so language shouldn´t be a mayor problem, anyway if need help I am available.
Please DO NOT stare: CAUTION!! To stare anybody, here is considered rude and can cause you problems as is a common reason for people to start a fight against you because you are "looking me bad" please be careful not to do it at least at night in discos or nightclubs so you will have almost all the chances of have troubles with drunk people or even other foreign tourist very drunk (English mainly).
We do not dress as bullfighters or sevillanas LOL I found some tourist asking about that. LOL
We never burp while eating, LOL I have a pinay friend that onces was burping all the time during a dinner then I asked her while laughing what was going on. She said her cousin that lives in Germany told her we do that, hahahaha well we do not do it at least in purpose hehehe.
We are not stricts at all LOL
Do not get scared cause we do not smile so much often as you do
if you see somebody usually you will see him serious if going alone but if is willing to help you if you ask something he will change the face quickly
usually we seem very serious from outside.
Even if you do not know spanish if you speaking with somebody or in a restaurant and other things and you are trying to say at least some words in spanish, usually people will be more helpful
after that cause feels you are doing an effort to adapt
, in the opposite side if you enter in english language and you look friendly they will do as much as they can to help in any way possible in english or spanish or other way lol, but if you approach somebody with an agressive way demanding to be spoken in english even if the person know english people will answer you "sorry I do not speak english" remember this we do not use english at all
In Rome do as romans do.
In case of an emergencyThe number for all kind of emergencies is 112 usually the number is for free even if you do not have signal from your phone operator
As well police are everywhere, in case of an emergency just scream Ayuda! or Policia! if you see a patrol car close.
TransportationMetroPrices for a single travel are just 1 € per ride. And 2 € for the areas of extra charge (Metro Sur, Airport, Tranvia and B1, B2, B3 areas (out of Madrid city).
The are tourits speacial tickets unlimited times per days but ask the prices and see if it worth or not for you
Advices:
- Never buy a ticket to somebody, always buy them at the official selling places (usually inside the stations)
- If you land at Barajas airport, DO NOT buy a 10 travels ticket there cause that station has a 1€ extra charge so the 10 travels ticket would be almost 20 € instead 9,70 € get the 10 travels ticket after you arrive to the city, anyway at the city you will save only 30 cents if you buy 10 instead 1 by one so it´s up to you
- Machines selling tickets are in the most common languages just push the British flag and you will gget the info in a more common language for you, if you have any doubts there are metro workers close to the machines that will help you to the proccess of buying it without any problem
- In busy lines and overall the ones going to airport and the connections watch your pockets and luggage, there are foreign pick pocketers acting in some lines stealing the tourist, anyway if a local sees that we usually tell the people that somebody is trying to stealth something from his/her bag/luggage. BEWARE as they do not look bad they even dress with suits and ties. Anyway not frecuent as they are all know by the security guards and kick them out the metro.
- Keep your ticket until you leave the metro as can be a ticket control anywhere by surprise and the fine is big.
Here I leave you the metro map in english in PDF format, you can get a FREE! subway map in any station. Remember they are free do not pay for them just ask for it in the stations.
http://www.metromadrid.es/export/sites/metro/comun/documentos/planos/Planoingsep2010.pdf
Curiosities:
At Islas Filipinas station there is a Rizal´s statue which is a copy of the one in Manila donated by the goberment of philippines.
Railway systemPrices can change depend on how long the trip is, just buy them in the machines or with the ticket seller on the stations.
The advices here....well just be smart as in the metro but is barely common to have troubles.
Always keep the ticket here!!
Here is the map
http://www.ctm-madrid.es/pdf/cercanias.pdf
High speed trainsIf somebody is gonna go around spain not just in madrid an interesting option apart from the planes are the AVE train which are high speed trains that can arrive From Madrid to Sevilla for example in just 2 hours!! so is another option, not just the planes.
Remark that if the AVE gets late more than 5 minutes to a destination you get your money back
BusesUrban services
There are plenty of lines. not common with them as I do not use Urban buses. Prices for the city I think it was as well cheap, just 1 €.
Advices:
- Before get a bus make sure it goes where you want to go, never get a bus you do not know where will end cause you can end far from the center and lost in bad area.
- Buses are tracked by GPS and now lot of stops have a LED panel saying how far is each bus from that station so you can calculate if is ok to wait for the bus or going into the subway.
- Buses are slower than Railway and metro as they go inside the city with traffic and many bus stops amd traffic lights I recomend to use the metro as the 1st option.
- City buses have free wifi internet at the bus
- Usually buses do not allow more than one or two big suitcases, even zero. It´s a goberment law so please do not blame the driver, he is not racist or doing that cause you are a foreigner is the same for us, he is just following the laws
This is a map of the lines going thought the center with pictures of the spots for tourists
http://www.emtmadrid.es/web_emt_babel/files/63/63346912-ac22-42ef-98a9-aaf4fbbea147.pdfInter-urban buses
Usually they are green and the city ones red or blue. They go to other cities around Madrid and towns.
The prices usually are 2,05 € per travel for the nearest cities.
Beeing a tourist 
There is a card that allows you to enjoy almost all the atracttions for free after paying that card this is the info.
Madrid Card, the Madrid tourist card.
When you visit Madrid, don’t forget to buy the Madrid Card for tourists.
It will help you discover the city and enjoy your stay and save money.
You will be able to benefit from:
· Access to the entire cultural offer in and around Madrid. Free entry to more than 40 of the major museums.
· As many journeys as you wish on the Madrid Visión tour bus.
· All visits which are part of the Discover Madrid programme.
· Madrid Fun Fair, Madrid Zoo and Aquarium, Cable Railway, Faunia, Imax...
· Take a casual stroll wherever you want in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, thanks to the new Bernabéu Tour.
Besides you will be able to enjoy considerable discounts in shops, restaurants, shows and leisure centres for adults and children.
With the Madrid Card you will also obtain a guide with information on the museums and establishments associated with the programme, as well as a city map.
The ideal compliment to the Madrid Card is the Tourist Travel Pass (not included in the price of the card). Make the most of the Madrid public transport system, with unlimited use of the underground, bus and the Cercanias lines (suburban train network).
All the needed info is here:
http://www.madridcard.com/en/Inicio.aspxBy the way Madrid Fun fair......is the city´s theme park lol I do not know how they translated it XD
For the parks lovers, there are some royal gardens you can visit around madrid but there are as well two huge green areas. Casa de Campo and Retiro Park. The cable railway goes from the center of madrid to Casa de Campo, there is a lake and huge space for walk, inside the city you have Retiro park where you can find a some leisure activities as well and even rent a boat in the lake.
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