24 Hours in Madrid, Madrid, Spain

I haven’t bit the bullet yet and *really* done solo traveling, which seems to be all the rage right now. I did, however, find myself alone in Madrid a couple months ago. I’d traveled through Spain with friends seeing Valencia and Cuenca, but had one day in Madrid on my own before I flew to Marrakech, Morocco.

I lugged my duffel bag across Madrid to my gorgeous Airbnb, and arrived…on my own…to the shock of my very elegant Airbnb hostess. “I thought you were with a friend,” she said, “Nope, just me!” I replied…I could’ve booked a single bed, but due to a mix-up with Airbnb I got a voucher and had decided to splurge on the larger bedroom. “Just be careful…” she said ominously.

Now, I don’t think that’s necessarily a reflection on Madrid, but rather the idea of a woman traveling on her own. Granted, a woman who doesn’t speak any Spanish… but still, I doubt I would’ve received that reaction (or others I received in the rest of my 24 hours) if I’d been a man. Food for thought, I suppose, until my next truly solo traveling expedition, if it ever comes…

To avoid the solo traveling blues, though, I had concocted a plan for Madrid based on my friend Tim’s advice. There are lots of museums, but with different “free hours,” so to get the full experience if you only have 24 hours in Madrid, then this is the way to do it! Now to the sights! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).