I live in Lisbon, Portugal – and have recently had the urge to explore more of my next-door neighbor. So I planned a long weekend in Madrid, Spain.

Since I’m a food writer and photographer, I try not to skimp on eating and drinking – so to balance costs, I opted to take advantage of non-food-related activities that cost little or nothing, like free museums, open-air markets, tips-only guided tours and the like.

Estación de Chamberí is the long-lost ghost station of Madrid’s metro © Austin Bush

Since I wasn’t in a rush, I decided to take the train. This option isn’t necessarily cheaper than a flight (and involves at least two transfers and a full day of travel) – but it allows some time for reading, listening to podcasts and the chance to see some beautiful Portuguese countryside and a little-visited corner of Spain. 

Accommodation was the only frustrating element of my budget. Hotels are relatively expensive in Madrid and I didn’t get around to booking until rather late – so with few options, was I forced to pay a relatively high price for a small albeit centrally located room.

As Madrid’s taxis are also relatively expensive, I bought a metro pass that allowed for 10 trips. Ultimately, I did so much walking – yet another free pleasure in Madrid – that I didn’t even use all the trips.

In the end, I spent more than one would spend on a similar weekend in Lisbon. Still, Madrid didn’t seem prohibitively expensive, and felt like a good value – especially when it came to food and drink.

Pre-trip spending

Train tickets: €77.70 for round-trip tickets from Lisbon

Accommodation: €249 for three nights in a tiny room in the centrally located…

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