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Madrid June 2019

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discoinferno

I would highly recommend a trip to Madrid - especially for those of you (like me) on a budget.

I went for 3 nights and visited both parks in that time. I have to say that, overall, I preferred Parque Atracciones to Parque Warner - which was a bit of a surprise.

I did go on a sightseeing trip to the city a few months ago which doubled up as a bit of a reccy - so I had a good idea of where to stay and how to get around. And, fortunately, everything did go according to plan.

I got a return flight with hand luggage for £50. Yes, it was with Ryanair but, what can you do, when you're on a budget!

I stayed at the Ibis Budget near the city's main South railway/bus station:-
https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-8718-ibis-budget-madrid-calle-30/index.shtml
and it only cost around €45 a night. Ok, it's pretty basic - Travelodge quality - but clean and tidy and it was in an ideal location for access to both parks and the airport. There are plenty of shops and bars around including a 24 hour Carrefour.

So, on day one, I visited Parque Warner. There is a shuttle bus from Estacion Sur - which is a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It is only €8.50 return but there are only 2 buses each way so you need to plan ahead. It is good value as it is about 15 miles away and takes around 30 minutes.

I was impressed with the theming at Parque Warner but it hasn't got that many thrill rides. I particulary enjoyed Batman: Arkham Asylum with VR. The first drop really makes you jump - especially as I had not been on the ride without VR beforehand. Superman seems very similar to Dragon Khan at Portaventura - just a bit longer (maybe somebody will correct me on this). I also did Stunt Fall - which is one of the strangest rides I've ever been on. The first part where you're dragged backwards up the lift hill is rather disconcerting. However, the most uncomfortable ride of the day was on Coaster Express - a large woodie. I quite enjoyed it earlier in the day but, as it got a bit quieter, I decided to give it a second go. It is, without doubt, the most exruciating experience I've ever had at a theme park. I was on the back row but, as I was the only person in that car, it was jumping all over the place. I really thought I was going to do myself an injury. I also went on a few of the smaller rides. It was quite busy with school trips but most queues were only around 15-20 minutes.

On the second day I headed for Parc Atracciones which is just north of the city centre. It takes about 40 minutes on the metro (with one change) from Estacion Sur. OK, so it hasn't got the theming of Parque Warner but I preferred the more natural setting. It is situated in one of the city's main parks and offers a good variety of rides. Again, the place was packed with kids and queues for the thrill rides were 30-45 minutes. I started on some of the kids rides which was a bit of a mistake as I got stuck on the Paw Patrol coaster - it's a bit of a squeeze when you're 6 foot tall! I did eventually manage to get on all the thrill rides including Tarantula (a bigger version of Spinball Whizzer) which gives you a great view of the city. There's also Tornado which, dare I say it, is similar to Nemesis but without the theming. But the highlight of the day (in more ways than one) was Abismo (which translates as Abyss). This coaster has a vertical lift hill of around 150 feet and then, rather than going over the top, it takes you upside down for a few seconds before righting itself. It is, without doubt, the strangest ride I've ever been on but actually quite a pleasant (and thrilling) experience.

In summary, the whole trip cost me around £300 including flights, hotel, theme park tickets, metro and shuttle bus plus a little bit of spending money. Not quite as cheap as my trips to Portaventura but good value, nonetheless.
 
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