Where to live in Madrid : choosing the appropriate area

Whether for work or studying , or just for a change of life , you have decided to come to live in Madrid.

After that first decision, the second major decision will be to choose the neighborhood or area where you will live.

The area where you will live, it will determine your way of living : the type of apartment you can afford, the time it takes you to go to your place of work or study , and the life that you will do after work or study.

To help you make the right decision , I suggest you follow these 3 steps :

. 1 - Decide the kind of life you want to take in Madrid  and your priorities:

a) Think about the kind of life that currently you live and  in what you like more and what it is you would like to change . Note that it is difficult, or almost impossible, to find the same thing that in your city or country. That's one of the reasons why that you have decided to come to Madrid : a life change!

Think if for you is essential to be close to your place of work or study , and if you prefer sacrificing space or amenities in exchange for not wasting time on public transport.

b ) Think about how your ideal life. Imagine your life in Madrid.

c ) What kind of home are you looking for? Want to live on your own or share your life with others?

d ) Want to live in the historic center or in a new neighborhood ?

e) You want to walk to your work or do not mind using public transport?

Having made a list separating what is essential from you are not willing to loose what would be ideal and would like to have, sums up what should have the area where you want to live.

That's your starting point to start looking for an apartment in Madrid.

. 2 - Decide and Define your ideal location in Madrid

Now that you know what you want and you have imagined your life in Madrid , you must find the place that provides you all these requirements.

In our Guide of Madrid you will find a summary of which offer the main neighborhoods in central Madrid.

3 . Trust your intuition

Having decided what is important to you and the area where you can find all this in Madrid , the next step should be to trust your gut.

Rationally you have eliminated the superfluous and you are left with what is important to you.

But to reach a final decision must also taking into account your intuition.

The fundamental question we must ask is : Can I see myself living there?

Therefore, I recommend that , based on your list of priorities, do the following:

• Try to dive in Madrid even before arriving:

- Search Google images of the neighborhoods that you've selected
- Use Google Street View to see the life of the streets
- Try searching for all possible information about life in the selected areas.

• You should compare, at least 2, different neighborhoods

• If you are already in Madrid and still don´t have a place to live, you should walk and get lost in your shortlisted neighborhoods with no other purpose than " feel the vibe " . Take a coffee, in a local restaurant ask for the "menu del dia" (lunch menu), talk with the people , go shopping and spend at least a couple of hours in each of the preelegidos neighborhoods , during the day and at night.

Believe me, trust your intuition, focus yourself on your priorities and ask yourself about, "Do I see myself living here? ".

4 - After selecting the area, you just have to find the apartment that suits your preferences, priorities and budget. But, we'll talk about in another post , which that matter is too long to tell here ...

In our website homesfortravellers.com on each apartment webpage , you will find detailed information about the area where the apartment is located, as well as many photos of the exterior.

But if you want more information on the area where are located our apartments in Madrid or need help, just contact us by email or by telephone ( +34 914 442 719 ). You know that we're happy to help!

Living Madrid: Renting your apartment in Gran Via

When you, our customer , you ask us about the area of Madrid where the apartments are located , we try to explain you what you are going to find it there. We do it briefly because it is difficult to summarize in a few words , by email or phone , all the nuances of the area. You have to live it ... and feel it.

We understand that it is essential to know what 's around the apartment you have chosen for your stay in Madrid. In fact, many of you have firstly decided the area, and  you choose the apartment where you will stay later .

Well, surfing through the Internet , I found an interesting article about Barco Street , a central street where are located a number of our serviced apartments which are one of the most requested by you.

The article, written in Spanish , details everything which is in this centrical street . Although I would have tried to write it , I could not have written it so well .
So you have here the interesting link for all those of you who are interested in booking the following apartments :

- Apartment Gran Via 1
- Apartment Gran Via 2
- Apartment Gran Via 3
- Apartment Gran Via 4
- Gran Via- Chueca 1
- Gran Via- Chueca 2

so you will may know exactly everything that you will find when you leave home.

Of course it is not only this. It is much more , because nearby is the famous Gran Via , and a few minutes and also is the Puerta del Sol, Chueca and Malasaña ... and the entire center of Madrid that you can visit on foot.

And besides, the apartments on this very special area in Madrid, are among those with a more competitive price for both short term as for long term rental periods. And those apartments are fully equipped with everything you need to live comfortably : Internet access, microwave, air conditioning, stereo, DVD player , individual heating for you adapt to your liking!

In short, it's easy to understand why those apartments are those which has been hightly required and reserved by our customers!

So if you are planning to come to Madrid and you like this area ... and the prices of these apartments , do not expect to last. Book now your apartment in Madrid and you will enjoy the advantages of living in one of the most charming areas of the Madrid city center !

Tips to find the perfect apartment in Madrid (2)

Hotel or Apartment? When appropriate to stay in an apartment in Madrid

In our previous article we explain the advantages of staying in a hotel in Madrid taking into account, particularly the length of our stay. We talked about that when our stay is less than three days, often not worth seeking an apartment, but it is more practical staying in a hotel where we can rest from the few hours we are free after a long day of work or sightseeing.

But if our stay is going to be longer than 3 nights and we prefer to have more space, privacy and amenities, and we chose staying at a vacation rental apartment the matter is sometimes more complicated : Where to look for temporary rental apartments? What kind of apartment I need? Which area of ​​Madrid?

This may seem easy if we know the city we visit, but it is not so in the event that it is the first time we are going to visit the place. We do not know nothing about the area, nor neither we know anything about how to move around, how long it takes or on the go, or how are the apartments that rent for days, weeks or months.

It is therefore essential that we have clear some aspects:

1. - The area where we want to position ourselves.

This is basic, because it will condition our perception of the city. In our guide of Madrid will find extensive information on the different areas of central Madrid.

2. - The type of apartment we need.

Depending on whether we anticipate that we will stay much time at home or not, or whether we will only use the apartment to sleep, we can choose a type of apartment or another. Of course the type of apartment depends on the number of people who will stay. If we are a group of friends, or a family who want to be together we can choose a large apartment building, or several apartments in the same building or area.

3. - Our budget. 

In general, smaller apartments are cheaper. If we are only one person or a couple can be very comfortable to stay in a studio apartment that usually has the same amenities as the one-bedroom apartments, with the only difference that the bedroom is not independent.

Now: How to Succeed in our choice?. All keys in our next article. Do not miss it!