City of Madrid revamps Madrid Card
Just in time for the summer holiday season, the city of Madrid is revamping its popular
Madrid Card. Now costing 10 percent less, the card provides free entrance to three more museums and three new attractions. Cardholders can take more
Discover Madrid guided walking tours and have unlimited use of the
Madrid Vision tour bus. More than 100 establishments - restaurants, shops, guided tours, rental cars, dinner shows, musicals and night spots - offer discounts. To make it more practical for visitors, cards are now valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
The new 24-hour
Madrid Card provides:
- free entrance to 43 museums, cultural institutions and attractions in Madrid and its environs
- unlimited use of the Madrid Vision tour bus
- 36 guided Discover Madrid walking tours
- free entrance to Madrid`s Amusement Park, the Zoo Aquarium and the teleferique (IMAX and Faunia nature theme park were included before)
- 10 % off tickets to Cabaret and Mamma Mia
- discounts and reduced prices at shops, restaurants, night spots and on car rentals
- guide book and map of the city
The Madrid Card has been a real boon to the more than six million visitors the city welcomes every year. Now travelers will be able to discover more of Madrid`s vast wealth of artistic, architectural and cultural offerings and save money at the same time, said
Javier Pinanes, director of the Tourist Office of Spain.
Travelers can purchase a 24-hour card, a 48-hour card or a 72-hour card from Barajas International Airport; the Atocha and Chamartin Train Stations; the Municipal Office of Tourism Information, Plaza Mayor, 3; the Regional Office of Tourism Information at Calle Duque de Medinaceli, 2; on any of the Madrid Vision buses, and at the Madrid Vision kiosque next to the Prado Museum at Calle Felipe IV.
The city of Gaudi and modernisme - not to mention wonderful food - has the Barcelona Card which features unlimited free use of public transport, complimentary walking tours, and free or reduced entrance and discounts at over 100 establishments, including museums, restaurants, shops, attractions and entertainment venues. The card is valid for one to five days with discounted rates offered for children 4 to 12 years of age.
Barcelona is very popular with Americans and now they can enjoy savings over a five-day stay, explained
Pinanes. Available at Barcelona Tourism information offices, El Corte Ingles, and other locations, the card can be purchased also online.
Other Spanish cities -
Bilbao, Gijon, Granada, San Sebastian, Seville, and Valencia - currently offer cards and Cordoba is introducing one soon.
Theodore Koumelis
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Friday, July 01, 2005