Sep 22nd, 2009 at 4:30PM: Spain is tipped to become the world's leader in high-speed trains next year, surpassing Japan and France for the most kilometers of track. With the rising costs and hassles of airfare, train travel has become more competitive. The high-speed train between Spain's two most important and visited cities, Madrid and Barcelona, takes just two-and-a-half hours. That's quicker than flying once you factor ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
madrid posts
Spain to become leader in high-speed trains
Sep 22nd, 2009 at 4:30PM: Spain is tipped to become the world's leader in high-speed trains next year, surpassing Japan and France for the most kilometers of track. With the rising costs and hassles of airfare, train travel has become more competitive. The high-speed train between Spain's two most important and visited cities, Madrid and Barcelona, takes just two-and-a-half hours. That's quicker than flying once you factor ...Madrid's Reina Sofia museum is now free every day
Sep 5th, 2009 at 2:30PM: Here's some good news for budget travelers in Madrid. Following the lead of the Museo Nacional del Prado (which has been offering free hours each day it is open since 2007), the Reina Sofia will now offer a few hours of free admission every day as well.
Previously, the museum had charged €6 admission, except for Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, when the fee was waived. But now it ...The World's ten happiest cities
Sep 5th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Disney World has been labeled "the Happiest Place on Earth", but one look at the tired parents, screaming kids, and extremely long lines will tell you that is just marketing spin. Ever wonder where the actual happiest place on Earth is? Then wonder no more, because Forbes, in conjunction with market researcher GfK Custom Research North America, has put together a list of the ten happiest cities on ...Frommer's on Gadling? The "Blogger Swap" Explained
Sep 4th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Throughout the history of civilization, there have been swaps. Land swaps. Housing swaps. Student exchange swaps. Lunchbox dessert swaps. Baseball card swaps. Baseball player swaps. "Cash for Clunkers" swaps. Wife Swap. Now, for your reading pleasure, a Blogger Swap. That's a long way of saying that I'll be writing on Gadling during the month of September, though I normally write on Frommers.com. ...Travel to Spain suffering
Aug 22nd, 2009 at 4:00PM: It really is a shame: summer travel to Spain is off 6.1 percent this year, as the global economic decline is making the decision to travel tougher for everyone. The country's Tourism Ministry puts the number of July arrivals at just over 6.6 million. For the entire year (through the end of July), arrivals fell 10.3 percent to 30.2 million visitors. This follows a record 33.6 million for the same ...Fiestas de la Virgen de la Paloma in Madrid
Aug 11th, 2009 at 6:30PM: If you're in Spain this week, you won't want to miss the festival for the "Virgin of the Dove". This takes place every year in the old barrio of La Latina in Madrid and honors an 18th century portrait of the Virgin that was found in the trash one day and captured the barrio's heart. I went to one of these a couple of years ago and it's loads of fun. There's music, dancing, and lots of limonada, ...Need a hotdog in Madrid? Try Chicago Hot Dogs
Jun 8th, 2009 at 8:00AM: I know that part of traveling aborad is experiencing new cuisine. And, Madrid's a great place to do that. Sometimes, though, you just have a jones for the familiar. Or, you're in the mood to dine 'n' dash. I get it. When you need a quick fix, a hotdog's the likely answer, and Chicago Hot Dog in Madrid is ready to deliver.
To be honest, Chicago Hot Dog's fare did not measure up to Sweden's ...Spectacular summer art season in Madrid
Jun 5th, 2009 at 10:30AM: Madrid is one of the art capitals of Europe, and each season the city's big three art museums host major exhibitions. This summer looks like it's going to be an especially good one.
Perhaps the biggest show of the season is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum's show on Matisse. Running from June 9 to September 20, it focuses on the work the famous painter and sculptor did in the middle part of his ...Spanish air contains cocaine
May 15th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Next time you visit Madrid or Barcelona, breathe deeply. Along with the car exhaust, you'll be getting a whiff of cocaine, according to a recent study. The Superior Council of Scientific Investigations tested the air in various barrios in the two cities where drug use is popular, and found trace particles of cannabis, amphetamines, and a host of other drugs besides the ubiquitous Bolivian Marching ...Bury a sardine for Lent: A tradition across Spain
Mar 12th, 2009 at 3:30PM: Before today, I knew of only one other celebration centered on a fish. During the Walleye Drop on New Year's Eve in Port Clinton, Ohio, townsfolk drop a walleye. Not a real walleye--one made out of some sort of fiberglass material. Here's another case of fish frivolity. This Mad Culture video depicts the Burial of the Sardine in Madrid. The celebration, attended by folks of all ages, is connected ...
Gadling Take FIVE: February 14 - February 20
Feb 20th, 2009 at 6:45PM:
You never know what you'll find out at Gadling. That's what I thought this week when I perused the offerings. In the midst of Cockpit Chronicles, Galley Gossip, SkyMall Monday, Tuesday Trivia, Through the Gadling Lens, and Undiscovered New York were posts with information I didn't know about until I read them.
For example, Jeffrey's post that Waterford Crystal's main factory has closed ...Hotel Gaudi a comfortable bargain
Feb 14th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Centrally located on Gran Via, Hotel Catalonia Gaudi offers inexpensive comfort and convenience in Madrid. Long a favorite of business travelers, tourists will also enjoy its spacious rooms, large private balconies and proximity to local attractions.
The rooms are large enough for two people to have plenty of elbow room. Request one with a view if you want some outdoor space. The walls on the ...Gadling Take FIVE: February 7 --February 13
Feb 13th, 2009 at 7:30PM: We heard Tynan was coming back to blog on Gadling, and sure enough, this week he began his series Life Nomadic about living no where in particular, but where everywhere is filled with possibilities.
This week boasted a few more tales of amazing feats.
One of them was Richard Donovan's marathon spree of around the world travel-- literally. For anyone who wonders if you'll ever get in shape by ...Enter Madrid's red light district
Feb 11th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Just north of Gran Via, you'll find all the leather, sex toys adult novelty items, prostitutes and hook-up bars you'll need – whether you're in Madrid for a few hours or several months. For wholesome distraction, however, look elsewhere. The narrow streets and tight alleys can frustrate navigation and make a sketchy space feel even more confined. A mere two blocks from my hotel, I found an ...Are the trains in Spain faster than the planes?
Jan 30th, 2009 at 10:00AM: If you've ever had a chance to travel around Europe, you're probably familiar with its various high-speed rail networks. In France, the TGV and AGV lines whisk passengers between Paris and points beyond including Brussels and Lyon at speeds over 200 miles per hour. And in Spain, the AVE rail system connects Madrid to Seville and as of 2008, to Barcelona as well. According to a recent post at ...Europe books it more online
Jan 9th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Online travel searches may be down, but online bookings are up (at least in Europe). At the end of 2008, 29 percent of Europe's €246 billion travel industry happened in that strange place called the "internet." Traditional bookings are expected to inch higher by 3 percent, providing just a tad more proof that the action's on the web. PhoCusWright uncovered this and other travel tidbits in a ...Need New Year's Eve ideas? Crash some plates!
Dec 20th, 2008 at 5:00PM: I assure you that when the ball drops on the last day of 2008, I will not be in Times Square. I will be nowhere near Times Square. So, unless you like the thought of being shoulder-to-shoulder with people you've never met while freezing and lamenting the lack of public bathrooms in that part of town, take a look at some of the choices you have this year. Chomp twelve grapes in Spain Think of it ...The Best Holiday Light Displays Around the World
Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:00AM: Travel and Leisure compiled videos of the best holiday light displays around the world into one handy album right here. If you wish to feel inferior about your outdoor decorative efforts, look no further. Actually, these displays are far too fantastic to even inspire envy. Most, like the Brussels and the Tokyo (Roppongi Hills, above) ones, will inspire awe and wonder. So get your coffee, sit ...
Obscure Holiday in the US is a Big Deal in Spain
Oct 7th, 2008 at 1:30PM: Try to keep your excitement under control: Columbus Day is coming. While post office employees and history buffs have been waiting, this holiday will pass unnoticed for most people. That is, unless they try to go to the post office or local library, most of which will be closed in memory of Christopher Columbus, first white guy to set foot in the Americas (sorry Leif Ericson, but you didn't write ...Breaking News: 147 People killed in Madrid plane crash
Aug 20th, 2008 at 2:15PM: A Spanair plane bound for the Canary Islands from Madrid caught fire after skidding off the runway killing 147 people; 173 were on board -- 26 are known to have survived. The plane was delayed for an hour because of technical reasons and when it finally tried to take-off from Terminal 4 of Barajas International Airport, it hardly got off the ground before it swerved off the runway as its engine ...
