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Airlines Many airlines have their offices along the Gran Vía or on
c/Princesa, its continuation beyond the Plaza de España. Addresses
include: British Airways, c/Serrano 60 5° tel 913 054 212 or 912 054
317, Métro: Serrano; Iberia, c/Velázquez 130 tel 915 878 156 or 902 400
500, Métro: Serrano; KLM, Gran Vía 59 tel 912 478 100, Métro: Santo
Domingo; and TWA, Plaza de Colón 2 tel 913 103 094, Métro: Colón. Phone
numbers for other airlines: Air Europa tel 913 936 732; Air France tel
913 300 440; Aer Lingus tel 915 414 216; and Sabena tel 913 300 460. The
Iberojet counter at the airport sells discounted seats on all scheduled
flights, if you're prepared to queue up and take the risk of not getting
on. Tickets for the Puente Aéreo to Barcelona are available in terminal
two.
Banks and exchange The main Spanish banks are concentrated on c/Alcalá
and Gran Vía. Opening hours are normally Mon-Fri 9am-2pm, but they're
also often open on Sat 9am-1pm from Oct to May. International banks
include: Bank of America, c/Capitán Haya 1 tel 915 555 000, Métro:
Santiago Bernabéu; Barclays, Plaza de Colón 1 tel 914 102 800, Métro:
Colón; Citibank, c/José Ortega y Gasset 29 tel 914 355 190, Métro: Núñez
de Balboa; and Lloyds, c/Serrano 90 tel 915 767 000, Métro: Núñez de
Balboa. In addition to the banks, branches of El Corte Inglés department
store all have exchange offices with long hours and highly competitive
rates; the most central is on Puerta del Sol. Aeropuerto de Barajas has
a 24-hr currency exchange office.
Bicycles Try Bicicletas Chapinal, c/Alcalá 242 tel 914 041 853 (Mon-Fri
10am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm; Métro: El Carmen); Calmera,
c/Atocha 98 tel 915 277 574 (Mon-Sat 9.30am-1.30pm & 4.30-8pm; Métro:
Antón Martín); and Karacol, c/Montera 32 tel 915 329 073 (Mon-Fri
10.30am-2pm & 5.30-8pm, Sat 10.30am-2pm; Métro: Gran Vía/Sol) and at
c/Tortosa 8, nr Atocha tel 915 399 633; Métro: Atocha.
Bullfights Madrid's main Plaza de Toros, the monumental Las Ventas
(c/Alcalá 237; Métro: Ventas), hosts some of the year's most prestigious
events, especially during the May San Isidro festivities, though the
main season runs from March to October. Tickets are available at the box
office at Ventas (tel 917 264 800 or 913 562 200, www.las-ventas.com ;
March-Oct Thurs-Sun 10am-2pm & 5-8pm) or at Localidades de Galicia (see
"Ticket agencies" below); at the latter you pay around fifty percent
more than the printed prices, which are for season tickets sold en bloc.
There is a second bullring in the suburb of Carabanchel (Avda. Matilde
Hernández; tel 914 220 780; Métro: Vista Alegre), about 4km to the
southwest of the centre.
Car rental Major operators have branches at the airport and train
stations. Central offices include: Atesa, c/Infanta Mercedes 90 tel 915
711 931, Métro: Estrecho; Avis, Gran Vía 60 tel 915 472 048,
reservations tel 902 135 531, Métro: Plaza de España; Europcar, c/San
Leonardo 8 tel 917 211 222, Métro: Plaza de España - also an office in
Atocha station; and Hertz, Atocha station tel 914 681 318, Métro:
Atocha. Easy-Rent-a-Car, c/Agustín de Foxa 27, Parking Centro Norte tel
0906 586 0586 (telephone bookings available from Britain only), Métro:
Chamartin; Rent Me, Plaza de Herradores 6, just off Plaza Mayor tel 915
590 822, Métro: Sol, is a good-value local company.
Disabled access Madrid is not particularly well geared up for the
disabled ( minusválidos ), although the situation is gradually
improving. The Organizacíon Nacional de Ciegos de España (ONCE) at c/de
Prado 24 (tel 915 894 600 or 915 773 756) provides the best specialist
advice. Wheelchair-adapted taxis can be ordered from Radio Taxi (tel 915
478 200).
Embassies Australia, Plaza Descubridor Diego Ordás 3 tel 914 416 025,
Métro: Ríos Rosas; Britain, c/Fernando el Santo 16 tel 913 192 630,
Métro: Alonso Martínez; British Consulate c/Marqués Ensenada 16 tel 913
085 300; Canada, c/Núñez de Balboa 35 tel 914 314 300 or 914 233 250,
Métro: Núñez de Balboa; Ireland, Paseo de la Castellana 46 tel 913 190
200, Métro: Rubén Darío; New Zealand, Plaza Lealtad 2 tel 915 230 226,
Métro: Sevilla; USA, c/Serrano 75 tel 915 774 000, Métro: Rubén Darío.
Emergencies For an ambulance dial 112, 915 884 500 or 915 222 222 - or
get a taxi, which will be quicker if no paramedics are necessary; 112 is
also the number for the police.
Football The big teams are Real Madrid and their rivals, Atlético Madrid
and Rayo Vallecano. Tickets can be bought in advance (and usually on the
day) at the stadium for most matches, though derbies between Real and
Atlético, or visits to either by Barcelona, are always sell-outs. Real
Madrid : Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, c/Concha Espina s/n (info tel 902
271 707, ticket line tel 902 324 324; Métro: Santiago Bernabéu). Ticket
office Mon-Fri 6-9pm; match days 11am-1.30pm. Tickets from ¬15 go on
sale three days before each match. Atlético Madrid : Estadio Vicente
Calderón, Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto 67 tel 913 664 707; Métro:
Pirámides. Ticket office Mon-Fri 5-8pm; two days before each match also
open 11am-2pm. Tickets from ¬18. Rayo Vallecano : Estadio de María
Teresa Rivero, Avda. Payaso Fofó s/n tel 914 782 253; Métro: Portazgo.
Ticket office Mon-Sat 5.30-8.30pm, and two hours before each match.
Tickets from ¬12. If you fancy a Sunday afternoon game, the English
Five-a-side League (EFL) sometimes need players if teams are short, with
games usually at the Colegio del Niño Jesús near the Retiro (tel 918 444
525).
Hospitals The most central hospitals are: El Clínico, Plaza de Cristo
Rey tel 913 303 747, Métro: Moncloa; Hospital Gregorio Marañon, c/Dr
Esquerdo 46 tel 915 868 000, Métro: O'Donnell; and Ciudad Sanitaria La
Paz, Paseo de la Castellana 261 tel 913 582 831, Métro: Diego de León.
First aid stations are scattered throughout the city and open 24hr a
day: one of the most central is at c/Navas de Tolosa 10 tel 915 210 025,
Métro: Callao. English-speaking doctors are available at the
Anglo-American Medical Unit, c/Conde de Aranda 1 tel 914 351 823, Métro:
Retiro; Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 10am-3pm.
Internet access Amiweb , c/Mayor 4, 4º, Oficina 8 (Métro: Sol) & Gran
Vía 80 Piso 6 (Métro: Plaza de España); Aroba 25 , Gran Vía 86 (Métro:
Gran Vía); Café Comercial , Glorieta de Bilbao 7 (
www.intervia.com/comercial ; Métro: Bilbao); Cybercafé , c/Atocha 117 (
cybermad@mail.com ; Métro: Atocha);Cybermad, c/Laurel 6 (Métro:
Embajadores/Acacias); Easy Everything , c/Montera 10-12 (
www.easyeverything.com/spain ; Métro: Sol; open 24 hrs); Vortex , c/Ave
María 20, (Métro: Lavapíes/Antón Martín); Xnet Café , c/San Bernardo 81
(Métro: San Bernardo). Prices range from ¬1.75-3.50 per hour, often with
a drink included.
Language schools Madrid has numerous language schools, offering
intensive courses in Spanish language (and culture). One of the most
established is International House, c/Zurbano 8 tel 913 101 314,
ih-madrid@mad.servicom.es ; Métro: Alonso Martínez.
Laundry Central lavanderías include: c/del Barco 26 (Métro: Gran Vía);
c/de Cervantes 1-3 (Métro: Sol); c/Donoso Cortés 17 (Métro: Quevedo);
c/de Hermosilla 121 (Métro: Goya); and c/de la Palma 2 (Métro:
Tribunal).
Left luggage If you want to leave your bags there are consignas at the
Barajas airport, the Estación Sur, Auto-Res and Continental Auto bus
stations; and lockers at Atocha and Chamartín train stations.
Pharmacies Farmácias are distinguished by a green cross; each district
has a rota with one staying open through the night - for details call
098 or check the notice on the door of your nearest pharmacy or the
listings magazines. Madrid also has quite a number of traditional
herbalists, best known of which is Maurice Mességue, c/Goya 64 (Métro:
Goya; Mon-Fri 10am-2pm & 5-8pm, Sat 10am-2pm).
Police If you've had something stolen call 900 100 333 (English spoken).
Post office The main one is the Palacio de Comunicaciones in the Plaza
de las Cibeles (Mon-Sat 8am-midnight, Sun 8am-10pm for stamps and
telegrams; Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-2pm for Lista de Correos - poste
restante). Branch offices, for example on c/Cruz Verde on the edge of
Malasaña, are open Mon-Sat 9am-2pm, but the easiest places to buy stamps
are the estancos , recognizable by their brown and yellow signs bearing
the word Tabacos .
Scooter hire If you want to chance the traffic, scooters are delivered
to and collected from your hotel by Alquiler de Scooter (tel 902 102
020) at a charge of around ¬14 a day. Also worth trying is Motoalquiler
at c/Conde Duque 13 (tel 915 420 657; Métro: Noviciado).
Swimming pools and aquaparks The Piscina Canal Isabel II, Avda. de
Filipinas 54 (daily 10am-8.30pm; Métro: Ríos Rosas), is a large and
well-maintained outdoor swimming pool, and the best central option.
Alternatively, try the open-air piscina in the Casa de Campo (daily
10am-8.30pm; Métro: El Lago). Both these pools have café-bars attached.
Also worth trying are the pools at Barrio del Pilar, Avda. Monforte de
Lemos (Métro: Barrio del Pilar/Begoña), and La Elipa, Parque de la
Elipa, c/O'Donnell s/n (Métro: Estrella). There are also a number of
aquaparks around Madrid. The closest is Aquamadrid 16km out on the N2
Barcelona road (Bus Continental Auto #281, #282, #282, or #385 from
Avda. de América). Note that the "swimming season" is from May to
September, so outside these months, most outdoor pools are closed.
Telephones International calls can be made from any phone box or from
any locutorio . The main telefónica office at Gran Vía 30 (Métro: Gran
Vía) has ranks of phones and is open until midnight. Phone cards cost ¬6
or ¬12 and can be bought at post offices or estancos .
Ticket agencies For theatre and concert tickets try: Tele-Entradas, a
telephone booking service run by BBVA tel 902 150 025,
www.bbvaticket.com ; Caja de Cataluña tel 915 383 333; Caja de Madrid
tel 902 488 488; Caixa Catalunya/Tele Entrada tel 902 101 212; El Corte
Inglés tel 902 400 222, www.elcorteingles.es ; FNAC, c/Preciados 28 tel
915 956 100; Métro: Callao; Madrid Rock, Gran Vía 25 tel 915 210 239;
Métro: Gran Vía; and Servi-Caixa tel 902 332 211. Localidades Galicia,
Plaza del Carmen 1 tel 915 312 732 or 915 319131, www.eol.es/lgalicia.es
; Métro: Sol, sells tickets for football games, bullfights, theatres and
concerts.
Travel agencies Víajes Zeppelin, Plaza Santo Domingo 2 (tel 915 477 904;
Métro: Santo Domingo), are English-speaking, very efficient and offer
some excellent deals on flights and holidays. Nuevas Fronteras, c/Luisa
Fernanda 2 (tel 915 423 990; Métro: Ventura Rodríguez), and in the Torre
de Madrid, Plaza de España (tel 912 474 200) can be good for flights, or
try Top Tours, c/Capitán Haja 20 (tel 915 550 604; Métro: Cuzco). For
student and youth travel try TIVE, c/Fernando el Católico 88 (tel 915
430 208; Métro: Moncloa). Many other travel agents are concentrated on
and around the Gran Vía and c/Princesa.
Women's groups The best places to make contact are at the Centro de La
Mujer, c/del Barquillo 44, 1º (tel 913 193 689; Métro: Chueca), and at
Madrid's feminist bookshop, the Librería de Mujeres, c/San Cristóbal 17,
just east of Plaza Mayor (tel 915 217 043; Métro: Sol).
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