48 Hours In Madrid - First Time Solo Adventure
After a rainy April day, I impulsively booked flights to Madrid - without consulting anyone or giving myself enough time to back out. It was my first time organizing a trip abroad entirely solo, so, I put my hyper-organized planner hat on and started researching: places to stay, eat, drink, visit - you name it and I looked into it. A month later I set off early in the morning from my East London flat with Spain’s capital city as my end destination.
Why Madrid?
Reasons I Chose Madrid For My Solo Adventure
I chose Madrid because I’ve visited Spain many times (Andalusia, Santiago, Barcelona, Ibiza, Mallorca) and have always loved it, from the amazing artists that pepper the country’s history and the flamenco dancers I imitated as a child to the seaside ports and buzzing, feel-good cities I can say wholeheartedly that I’ve never had a bad trip to Spain.
Another reason for choosing Madrid was the years I spent studying Spanish at school. It’s a language I love: the way it sounds, the way it feels when you speak it and the parts of my personality I get to play with through speaking it (I’ve always thought irony works especially well in Spanish.) Over the 4 years since I left school, I’ve let it go and my level has gone from almost fluent to somewhat conversational.
Madrid was a city I felt drawn to, for the language, art museums, great nightlife and slower pace of life.
The slower pace of life was what tipped the balance in favor of Spain (over alternatives like Berlin.) The pandemic years haven’t been so kind on my anxiety. I’m a naturally neurotic and high-strung person and chose a destination that starts the day later, and more slowly than London - I thought if I could fit into their way of life it would help me in my day-to-day life back home as I learn to not rush through everything and give myself time to take life in.
I also suspected Madrid would be friendlier than my London norm. I love my city and have a million words to describe it, but friendly would never be one of them. I knew I’d made the right decision when I got on the underground from the airport and found people talking to each other and chatting on the phone - a totally different experience to the tube in London where everyone keeps to themselves and eye contact with the person sitting opposite you is an egregious offense. In Madrid, it's only natural to talk to strangers - I got chatting to three different people on my 15 minute walk from my hostel to the first museum on my hit list.
How My 48 Hours Began
Upon arrival in Madrid I texted one of my best friends in the whole world, Hannah, to say: ‘I’ve landed. My solo trip begins,’ to which she swiftly replied: ‘You’re in Madrid? That’s so crazy, I’ve just booked a flight - I had a bad day. Be with you in 48 hours.’
So, I only got 2 days of my 5 day solo trip alone, but I didn’t care, Hannah’s spontaneity was something I needed. Without realizing, the planner in me had been packed in my suitcase and Hannah is anything but a planner (she turned up with nowhere to sleep except for her first night) and so while it wasn’t the experience of learning to go with the flow I expected, I got it nonetheless. I learnt that you might come on a trip with expectations but that doesn’t mean they’ll be met in the ways you predicted.
Advice For a First Time Solo Trip?
I found it immeasurably helpful to know what I like to get up to alone, for me it’s art museums. The calm that washes over me when I wander around a gallery, taking in the emotion of a piece is something that is heightened when I’m alone. Museums are one of the only instances in which I really let myself slow down, the stress I carry in my body is released slowly and gently instead of in a flash when I have a spare moment.
You can take museums at your own pace (and I sure took it slow, I spent well over 4 hours in the Reina Sofia…)
My other activity for my Madrid trip was photography. I’ve always loved photography, both analogue and digital, but over the pandemic years that hobby fell by the wayside, so I went to Madrid, camera in hand ready to spend my days photographing the cultural activities the city offers and then spending my evenings with people - structure to my days helped avoid boredom.
I’d also recommend considering what sort of trip you want and how you might achieve that. I knew I’d get lonely if I spent 5 days entirely alone in an AirBnb so opted for The Hat, a hostel that is halfway to a hotel just off the Plaza Mayor. It offers opportunities to meet other travelers (I shared a room with 7 people) and it has a free walking tour every morning, pub crawls and free sangria in the evening. This meant I had a daily choice about whether today was a day for me, or a day for socializing. I opted for a slightly nicer hostel so I could trust that I'd feel safe being alone there.
What did I learn?
Solo travel makes me feel things more deeply - for better or for worse.
There was no one to bounce my thoughts and emotions off - this made for some truly unique experiences like feeling the weight of Franco’s Spain hanging heavy in the walls of the permanent collection: ‘Spain: A Tragic Myth’ at the Reina Sofia or the joy I felt for the five girls popping open a bottle of champagne for someone’s birthday.
Being alone makes you more conscious of what is going on around you.
You notice the two guys speaking your language across the street, or the toddler having a tantrum because his mum won’t let him order a second round of churros (which in my opinion is a valid reason for a tantrum.) Solo travel makes you cherish your interactions with others more, because they can break up your time alone and bring a refreshing change that is especially marked when alone.
A new environment is exciting.
You learn its customs and observe how locals go about their day and Madrid really charmed me. I was so enamored with the city and its Mediterranean climate, bars filled with big groups of friends enjoying beers in the sun and the architecture ranging from the neoclassical to the looming buildings of the Franco era which remind you of the city’s complex history. Plus the people are so friendly, kind and helpful that by the end of my trip I trusted every stranger I met.
This all added up to me becoming less cautious. I thought; ‘I know Europe, I’ve spent my whole life here, I’ve got nothing to worry about.’
The day before I flew home I went for a hangover solo walk in Retiro Park (leaving Hannah in bed who had yet to recover,) where I met a guy, a few years older than me, we got chatting and he told me about growing up in Brazil and Thailand and we shared stories of our time living in Paris. After chatting for a while, I had begun to have a bad feeling about him but ignored it, chalking it up to his middling English and my (rapidly improving) but still conversational Spanish.
As we got up off the bench to wander over to get an ice cream, he grabbed me and tried to kiss me. I pushed him away and have never been as happy to see Hannah’s face as when she turned up 2 minutes later after my pocket texts. I shook the experience off pretty quickly and certainly wasn’t going to let a random man ruin my final evening in one of my new favorite cities, but what it did teach me was to really trust my gut, even when a city has been nothing but kind to me, because there will always be someone looking to ruin my fun.
The most important lesson I learnt on my first solo trip is to stop making excuses for someone when they give me a bad feeling (a lifelong bad habit of mine.)
Solo travel taught me to stop seeing myself as the problem.
Would I Travel Solo Again?
Absolutely! I loved visiting Madrid solo, and before Hannah arrived I was only ever alone when I wanted to be. I met so many people who were up for a museum visit or a lazy lunch or an evening of cheap cocktails. When Hannah did arrive, she was always happy to leave me alone when I wanted no one around (a mark of a true friend in my opinion.) If you’re apprehensive about a whole solo trip, mix your holiday up by doing some things alone before meeting up with your travel buddies later on - you’ll have stories to share and people who want to hear them!
Top Things To Do Solo in Madrid?
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum - my favorite place I went to on the trip. An absolute must-visit, whether a museum fan or not. Great exhibitions, great permanent collection and just as amazing a building. If you find yourself in Malaga, go to the sister museum!
Retiro Park - a park by yourself is always a good idea. It has a no music rule, which makes it pleasant to wander around catching others’ conversations or to read a book. There are communal chess tables and card games going on at all times. It is super easy to find someone to play with if you fancy some company.
Vinoteca Vides Wine Bar - Small wine bar that only stocks Spanish wine. Great wine for surprisingly competitive prices.
Temple of Debod - every guidebook and local says to go in the evening when the crowd gathers and the party begins but after an unexpected all-nighter I found myself here at 7 am (wayyy before the city stirs - in fact, the only other people I met were 2 other Brits….) I cannot recommend the morning enough. The light falls on the city much more beautifully and the tranquility of sitting on a bench alone, without the crowds, noise and music of the evenings makes for a truly special solo experience. While everyone holidays their own way, I can say that for me, Temples of Debod are a morning activity for the solo traveler.
Cookies from the nuns - go to the Monasterio del Corpus Christi and buy cookies off the nuns. They’re cloistered so you don’t see them and the exchange of cookies and cash is done via a turnstile. The nuns only speak Spanish so you can practice your language skills without worrying about confused looks. They can run out so try and head over earlier in the day.
SoloTrvlr Launching Early 2023
Keep an eye out for travel lists from these destinations and 100 more, coming soon. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our launch.
