Madrid is the capital city of Spain and stands near the geographic centre of the country. Its international airport is one of the busiest in Europe. If you pick up a hire car at Madrid Barajas Airport, you’ll find it’s eight miles north-east of the city centre. The ‘Barajas’ name comes from the district in which the airport stands. The road connections are excellent: the airport stands amid a network of motorways allowing easy access to all areas of the city and outlying districts.
If you hire a car at Madrid Airport you’ll be able to tour the city itself easily. It’s a large modern city but you’ll find it is bisected by wide boulevards. These can help you get around the city. To drive further afield you’ll find that Madrid lies at the heart of the Spanish road system; all trunk roads seem to radiate from Madrid. In the city itself the visitor highlights include the famous Prado Museum, the Royal Palace and Catedral de la Almudena. And look out for the grand public square at Plaza Major and the formal parkland at Parque del Retiro.
