Shopping

Madrid’s shopping offer is as varied as the day is long. Your zone will most likely depend on your budget, so check out the tips below…

Calle Fuencarral and Hortaleza
 
By far the funkiest area in the city, and home to stores like Diesel, Killah, Energie, Lois, Puma, Adidas, Morgan and G-Star, interspersed among cool jewelry shops, shoe stores and tattoo parlors. These goods don’t come cheap, but this area is a good time, whether you’re spending your cash or just window-shopping. Grab a Starbucks or a beer in either of the two bars in the plaza and take part in another fantastic pastime: people watching.

Metro Gran Via (L5)
Metro Tribunal (L1, L10)

Calle Augusto Figueroa

If you’re looking for shoes, Calle Augusto Figueroa, facing the plaza, is the place to go, as shoe shops line the street on both sides.

Metro Chueca (L5)

Barrio Salamanca

Welcome uptown, my friends. If you’re in the market for a new Gucci or Louis Vuitton, then you’ve come to the right area. Beyond the “Golden Mile”, which is where those stores are located, Calle Goya offers a never-ending parade of Spanish chain stores: Zara, Mango, Stradivarius, Oysho, Women’s Secret, Springfield, Cortefiel, Massimo Dutti, you name it, all culminating in… drumroll please… El Corte Inglés.

Metro Colon, Metro Serrano (L4)
Metro Goya (L2 , L4) 

El Corte Inglés

Welcome to Spain’s king of retail. This is possible the only department store of its kind, something of a King of Retail. The supermarket lives in the basement, the first floor is home to perfume, make up and toiletries, and each floor is dedicated to men’s, women’s, and young person’s department, as well as sportswear, souvenirs, shoes, electronics, and, well, you name it. There are about a dozen Corte Ingles stores scattered through the city, so take your pick! You’re sure to find what you’re looking for!

Calle Preciados, 3
Metro Sol (L1, L2, L3)

Calle Princesa, 56
Metro Arguelles (L4)

Calle Arapiles, 10-12
Metro Quevedo (L2)

Paseo de la Castellana, 71-85
Nuevos Ministerios (L10)

Sol and Gran Via

This is as central as shopping gets. Gran Vía is lined with all your favorite department stores: H&M, Zara, Bershka, Lefties, Mango, Springfield, Benneton, etc. starting from Gran Vía Metro stop and continuing all the way to Metro Plaza de España. The streets are also lined with bars, restaurants, movie theatres, cafés, and anything else your little heart desires. In Callao, another epicenter of it all, slip between another El Corte Ingles and FNAC (fabulous electronics and book store) and head down Calle Preciados or its sister street, which are also lined with everything from Miss Sixty to Pimkie to Foot Locker. Once you’re in Sol you have four streets radiating out with prime shopping: Montera (also home to many of Madrid’s prostitutes), Carretas, Mayor and Arenal. Each has a varied and downright remarkable selection of chain stores and independent shops.

Xanadú

Shopping malls aren’t really Spain’s strong suit, although over time there are more and more popping up. If you’re especially homesick and you really need to take a few laps around a mall (and you don’t mind the rather long trip), head to Xanadú. This ginormous shopping centre has all your favorite stores (see above), not to mention a ski slope. That’s right, you can ski or snowboard at the mall, rain or shine, summer or winter.

 

Visiting European cities on a tight budget? Check out our other dirt cheap guides!

Amsterdam budget travel guide.
Barcelona budget travel guide.
Berlin budget travel guide.
Birmingham budget travel guide.
Copenhagen budget travel guide.
Istanbul budget travel guide.
London budget travel guide.
Rome budget travel guide.
Vienna budget travel guide.