You’re arriving soon and you start planning everything. Since you’re now with your trip prep, here you have our tips for having all set before coming, even some things you can have ready in advance. Don’t miss a thing, keep reading!
Explore your surroundings
I’m sure you’ve already done this but, just in case you didn’t, go to Google Maps and explore your new surroundings. Get to know your university area, how to get there (pst! Do you need any clue? Here you can check all the universities and how to get there, and this one if you’re studying a Masters degree), where your flat is located, your neighborhood, etc.
Oh! Still looking for a room in Madrid? We can help, check this out!
Move around!
You will need a way to move around the city. If you’re living in the center, you will probably go by walking to mostly all places, but if you’re studying or working, you will probably need a transportation card. If you’re younger than 26, we recommend you to get the “Tarjeta de Transporte Público” (or TTP), also called Abono. This one will cost you 4€ (in order to get the card) and 20€ per month, but you can use it unlimited times per day and also to go through all the transportation areas, even outside Madrid!
If you’re not under 26 anymore, then it will cost you 54.60€ for A zone –if you need a wider coverage, check this link to see all the rates per month–. You can order the card online here.
If you think this option is not really worthy for you, you can order for free the “Multi Card”. With this, you can purchase individual trips or 10-trip bundles and have them storaged in the card. You can order this card online here.
Both cards are valid for Madrid Metro system, Train system (Cercanías) and Bus system.
Also in Madrid we have a good Taxi service! You can download apps like MyTaxi, which is one of the official taxi apps. We have also Uber, and Cabify –similar service to Uber, but cheaper sometimes–.
Stay connected
Before coming, you can also check if your cell phone plan is valid in Spain. If you’re coming from a European country, it will probably work; however, if you’re coming from a country oversees, you will mostly need a new sim card.
If you like a prepaid sim card, we recommend you Lyca mobile, and we can help you out with this at our office! However, if you prefer to have a contract, there are several options: Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, Yoigo, etc. Just check them all and find the best for you!
Also keep in mind the WiFi connection during your stay! Check if your flat already has a contract for it; in case it doesn’t have, contact your landlord since normally you will need to make a contract under your name for 6 months to 1 year, so it would be better that your landlord do it under his/her name if you’re not staying that long in Madrid.
In case of emergency
We hope you will arrive smoothly and your stay will be perfect. However, in case of emergency, there are some informations you should keep in mind, such as the embassy of your country in Madrid (phone number, address, etc.), the emergency number –which is 112–, the Police number, etc.
Some useful numbers are:
112: Emergency (any type! If something happens, call here)
091: National Police
080: in case of fire
089: 24h Pharmacy and Yellow Pages
Also important: don’t forget to figure out about the healthcare system. We recommend you to check our partner’s quick guide, Citylife Madrid’s Spanish Medical System Guide.
Last but not least…
Enjoy your new city!
