Cruise Buzz

Plan to spend time in Madrid before or after your cruise

 

 

While cruising to Spain and the Canary Islands via Silversea Cruises last month, I had an opportunity to spend the night in Madrid. Like some of the cities that I get a chance to see for a brief amount of time, I had to add Madrid to my “redo” list and can’t wait to go back.

Because my flight from the Canary Islands to Madrid did not allow enough time for me to get to an outbound flight to Los Angeles,  I needed to spend the night in Madrid. Instead of letting the cruise line help me choose a hotel I turned to my friend’s at Fare Buzz to see what they could help me secure.

Fare Buzz was founded in 1994 and is a leader in the travel industry for flights, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and more.  When I was selling travel, I would always check pricing and available with Fare Buzz because they have excellent pricing that is very competitive.

 

Hotel: II Castillas in Madrid – centrally located

 

 

Based on the hotels that Fare Buzz suggested, I chose this property because of the great location. The property is just off Gran Via and about a 7 minute walk to Puerta Del Sol, a hub of activity, shops, restaurants, and metro stop.

 

We arrived around 8:00 pm and the staff was friendly and helpful.  In fact, the hotel staff at the front desk made a call to a car service on our behalf and secured an early morning pickup for us.  Like a lot of hotels in Europe, breakfast was included in the price. For a 3-star hotel, the breakfast buffet was standard.  There was a good variety of  breakfast foods, which included pastries, fruit, juice, coffee,tea, cheeses, sliced meats, cereal, and yogurt. The accommodations were adequate. The wifi was sketchy because of a weak signal and an unsure firewall.

Not to miss in Madrid

• Architecture tour
• Tapas
• Flemnco and music
• Royal Palace
• 16th-century Puerta del Sol – marking the center of the city
• Moreria, the old Moorish quarter
• Sorolla Museum
• Retiro Park
• Cerralbo Museum
• Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
• Museo Lazaro Galdiano
• Bernabeu Stadium
• Palacio de Aranjuez
• Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida
• Corral de la Moreria
• Museo del Romanticismo
• Teatro de la Zarzuela
• Cava Baja
• Plaza de Oriente
• Prado museum
• Alcala Gate
• Queen Sofia Arts Center
• Plaza Mayor

For more information visit:  www.hoteldoscastillas.com and  www.FareBuzz.com