Last week I posted about the Madrid Card, a discount card which gets you into a lot of Madrid's sights for free.

Despite its recent reduction in price, the card is still expensive in its 24-hour form, but with the five-day card it is possible that you could save money.

But how should you spend five-days in Madrid? I've put together a suggested itinerary that will give some ideas for what to do in the Spanish capital. Though it is written with Madrid Card owners in mind, it works for any visitor to the city: I wouldn't have written it any differently if the Madrid Card hadn't existed.

Read it here: Suggested Itinerary for Five Days in Madrid

See also: 100 Things to Do in Madrid

Many visitors to Spain, myself included, have found themselves disappointed (myself more than once), to find a popular museum to be closed on Mondays. Yes, the country with the worst unemployment in Europe hasn't seen fit to put on more staff and open its top tourist attractions seven days a week.

But finally, Spain's most popular museum, the Prado, is to open its doors seven days a week (from tomorrow, January 16, 2012). Now visitors can see art by the likes of Goya, Velazquez and El Greco any day they like.

Plus, as has been the case since 2007, the museum is open every evening for free. Which means that now, no-one has any excuse not to visit the Prado!

Normal entry prices have risen a little to 10€, but now temporary exhibitions have been included in the standard ticket.

Now, will the Reina Sofia follow suit? Spain's premier modern art gallery, home to Picasso's Guernica, closes on Tuesdays, less frustrating for those on a Weekend Break to Spain, but still baffling considering the win-win situation that seven-day opening would provide to visitors and the country.

See more: When is the Prado Free?

Both the Prado and the Reina Sofia feature in my list of the Top 100 Things to Do in Madrid

The Spanish Costas are the cheapest major vacation destinations in Europe, according to an article in the Daily Mail: Counting on the Costas: Survey reveals Spain is cheapest holiday spot in Europe

The article explains that a survey carried out by the UK's Post Office Travel Money found that a basket of vacation items - such as a bottle of water, a meal for two and sunscreen - came to £38, beating Prague, Bulgaria, Mexico and Budapest, among others.

What is keeping prices in Spain so low? One factor is that the euro is so weak, at an 18-month low against both the US Dollar and the British Pound. Secondly, the Spanish themselves like to go on vacation in their own country, which means less of a temptation by bars and restaurants to rip off the foreigners. And with the Spanish economy in such a dire condition, the tour operators and hotels are having to do major work to bring in the trade.

The local factor in Spain is very important - the Spanish love their own country more than any other and we all benefit from that sense of pride.  This is why Spain's restaurants are so abundant and so cheap. In Bulgaria, you'll be eating tourist food with other tourists, in (most areas of) Spain, you'll share the bar with locals, eating local food.

So where can you get these savings? In general, the further south you travel, the cheaper Spain is. Avoid the Basque Country in particular if you're on a tight budget (though it's a great place if you're not) and head to somewhere like the Costa Blanca or Andalusia (just not Seville). Even Madrid has great savings. I've compiled a list of the best sights in the capital for under five euros: Madrid on a Budget.

See also:

• Andalusia Travel Guide
• Things to Do on the Costa Blanca

The Madrid Card, Madrid's main discount card, has had a revamp.

Having lost the Madrid hop-on-hop-off tour bus (which you were paying for on every day of your card, even if you'd only use it once), the Madrid card is now a lot cheaper, making it far more viable for your trip to the Spanish capital.

While it definitely got you plenty of discounts and gave you the piece of mind that you've already paid for a lot of stuff, I always found it difficult to see how you could guarantee you could get your money's worth.

I still wonder how anyone could get good value from the 24-hour pass, which at 39€ is still expensive. But the five-day card now costs less than 15€ a day, making it actually possible that it might save you money. Read more about the Madrid Card here:

• Madrid Card
• Is the Madrid Card Good Value for Money?

Is the absence of the tour bus a problem? Not really. Apart from a few out of the way attractions (like the Santiago Bernabeu stadium), most of Madrid's sights of touristic interest are within walking distance of each other. However, if you really want the tour bus, you can book it here: Madrid Hop-on-Hop-off Sightseeing Bus (book direct)

See also: 100 Things to Do in Madrid