Is the Madrid Card Good Value for Money?

Question: Is the Madrid Card Good Value for Money?

Answer: The main difference between the Madrid Card and the Madrid Cultura Card is that the latter doesn't include the excellent Madrid Vision bus, so this will be the deciding factor in which card you get.

The 24-Hour Madrid Card is better value than buying the Madrid Cultura Card and Madrid Vision bus separately, but in most other permeations, you're better off with the Madrid Cultura Card. Read on for why.

How Much is the Madrid Card?

The Madrid Card is available for 24, 48 and 72 hours. The prices in October 2009 were as follows:

• 24-Hour Madrid Card 47€
• 48-Hour Madrid Card 60€ (30€ per day)
• 72-Hour Madrid Card 74€ (24.67€ per day)

All three of these cards can be bought here:
Buy Madrid Card (buy direct)

As you can see, the 72-Hour Madrid Card is considerably better value than the 24-Hour Madrid Card.

It should be noted that the Madrid Card is not transferable and only the card holder can get free access into a museum. However, the cardholder can get the full discount on all meals and shop purchases.

Is the Madrid Card Good Value for Money?

At 47€ for a single day's use, you're going to have to work hard to get your money's worth.

The Madrid Vision tour bus at 17€ is one of the best elements of the Madrid Card. If you don't want to use this, I wouldn't get the Madrid Card, I'd get the Madrid Cultura Card instead:
Buy Madrid Cultura Card (buy direct)

If you only want the tour bus, you can buy the Madrid Vision tour bus separately: Book Madrid Vision hop-on-hop-off tour bus (book direct). It is actually cheaper to book it here than to get it from the bus driver.

Madrid's top two museums, the Museo del Prado and the Reina Sofia are 8€ and 6€ respectively, but both museums are open for free most days for a couple of hours. The question is - do you want to visit the museum when the hordes of people arrive for the free period?

If you want to spread your museum visits out, you'll need the 48- or 72-hour Madrid Cards. But with these you're paying for the use of the Madrid Vision again. Do you really need it for three days? If not, the Madrid Cultura Card is probably for you.

How Does the Madrid Card Compare to the Madrid Cultura Card?

If reduced museum entry is the main appeal of the Madrid Card for you, consider buying the cheaper Madrid Cultura Card. The main difference between the two cards is the lack of the Madrid Vision tour bus. But the good thing about the Madrid Cultura Card is that it doesn't cost much extra for two or three days. Current prices are:

Madrid Cultura Card Prices

• One Day 31€
• Two Days 35€
• Three Days 39€

You can book all three of these cards (and check out what it offers) here:
Madrid Cultura Card (book direct)

If you add a single day's use of the Madrid Vision bus (at 17€) to the Madrid Cultura Card, the price comes to 48€, 52€ and 56€, making the Madrid Cultura Card & Madrid Vision Bus combo cheaper in both the two-day and three day combinations.

What Else Does the Madrid Card Have that the Madrid Cultura Card Doesn't?

Apart from the Madrid Vision bus, the Madrid Cultura Card doesn't provide the following free activities:

Faunia Nature Park, Imax cinema, Madrid Amusement Park (free entry exclusively with the 72 hour Madrid Card), Madrid Cable Car, Zoo Aquarium of Madrid.

What Other Cards Are Available in Madrid

If you're under 26 years of age and you're visiting other countries as well as Spain, you may be interested in an ISIC Card from STA Travel.