Mad About Madrid

Christmas in Madrid 2007

This looks like it's going to be a bumper, fun-packed Christmas in Madrid. I have just taken a look at the Christmas agenda from the Madrid City Council tourist section and it looks like 2007 will be even better than 2006. I find that the build up to Christmas in Spain is much better than places like the UK, where trees, lights and other paraphernalia start appearing in November - Marks and Spencer and the like even start selling bloody Christmas puddings in October!

Even though the Christmas lights went on a week ago, many of the other activities are staggered over the Christmas period. Like last year the Plaza de Colón will be turned into a fairytale island. Nativity scenes will be found all over the city - often in churches, history museum - and the new headquarters of the Madrid City Council (in the Palacio de Cibeles) will hold the principal nativity scene, created by José Luis Mayo. If you have never seen these before, the ones in Madrid are often sights to behold.

The Plaza Mayor has the traditional Christmas stalls where you can buy trees, nativity figures and a number of annoying products - like spray snow and fluorescent lights - that kids love.

If you want to go ice skating, you can either go to Azca (Metro Nuevos Ministerios) or the Campo de Moro (Metro Príncipe Pío or Opera). I went to Azca last year with my wife and children and there was both an ice rink and mini toboggan run - both father and son loved it!

The Plaza de España will feature a craft fair from the 20th December to the th January, where around 200 stalls will be displaying mainly gifts from Madrid.

Nore information can be found on the esMadrid website.

Madrid's Open Air Pools Are, Well, Open!

This post comes a little late (3 weeks to be exact) but I suppose better late than never. It is a little known fact, to foreigners of course!, that Madrid has a number of municipal, open-air, swimming pools which open their doors to the public from around June to September. The entrance fee is cheap, around 4 Euros for the day, and all have facilities like restaurants and bars. Though you will find them dotted around the city and region, the nearest ones to the centre can be found in the Casa de Campo (one stop from Plaza de Espana), Rios Rosas and near 'Cuatro Caminos'. My favourite has to be the third one.

Piscina Municipal Casa de Campo
Tel: 91463.00.50
Avda. del Ángel, s/n. Madrid
Metro: Casa de Campo

Piscina Municipal Francos Rodríguez
Tel: 91 459.98.71
Calle de Numancia, 1. Madrid

Instalaciones Deportivas Canal de Isabel II
Avda. Islas Filipinas, 54
Metro: Ríos Rosas
Tel: 91 554 51 53

Snow Finally Falls On Madrid (and much of Spain)

It has taken many months but finally the snow has arrived to the mountains of Madrid. And many parts of Spain are under high alert because of the wintry conditions. Here is a picture taken today (23/01/2007) from one of the ski resorts around Madrid - Valdesqui, which has still not officially opened yet but which won't be long I wouldn't have thought.

Shooters - American Pool Hall in the Centre of Madrid

I´m not one to talk about places which have little relevance to Spain but just thought I´d let people know about a neat, pool hall on the Gran Vía (and because I love playing pool!). Shooters features 9 "American pool" tables in a large hall - it also has an Irish bar where you can find a wide range of imported beers and a dart board. You could easily be mistaken for thinking you were on the Costa del Sol (perish the thought), instead of downtown Madrid!! It is located on Gran Vía 31 (Metro Gran Vía or Callao) - just underneath the cafeteria Zahara.

Ice Skating in the Open Air in Madrid

Probably should have mentioned this before but if you fancy a bit of ice skating in Madrid (until 6th January, 2006), you should head for either the Retiro Park or the Torre Picasso (in Madrid´s business district). Here you can ice skate in the open air for around 3 Euros for 45 minutes.

December Suggestions from Metrópoli

Metrópoli has a really good guide to what you can do in Madrid this December - it is in Spanish, though. They have come up with 150 suggestions for what you can do in the coming weeks - eat, drink, be merry and much more. Interestingly, they have broken them down into 15 categories - based on different types of personality. These range from the sportsman (woman), the art lover, the over 65's, under 18's, the shopaholics, singles, and a good few more. There are some really cool suggestions here - there is even a category for those who think they're cool!!

Watch Spain-France in the Puerta del Sol

If you're into football, or just want to soak up some Spanish party atmosphere, you should head off to the Puerta del Sol on Tuesday, 27th June. Here, in front of the Casa de Correos, the City Council has erected a giant screen, measuring 10.4 by 6.8 metres, where they will televise the Spain - France World Cup qualifying game at 9 p.m. Let's hope the "selection" do well and get into the quarter finals (except if you're French, that is!).

Alternatively, you could make your way to the Plaza de Colón, where games have been televised since he start of the Word Cup.

Advice: If you do go, make sure to watch out for pickpockets who are bound to be operating in the area - they often work in groups of 3.

Getting Around Madrid By Bike

I was reading an article on 20 Minutos earlier today called (in English) "the rebellion of the bikes", which was discussing not just the fact that Madrid is a "hostile environment for bikes" but that there there is a growing increase in the number of people who are starting to use bikes to get around the city. I have also seen a growing trend in foregin tourists travelling around Madrid's historic sites on bike.

Madrid doesn't have too many hills but it does, in its favour, have a number of parks - such as the Retiro, Casa de Campo, the grounds around the Royal Palace and the Parque del Oriente. It also has an increasing number of pedestrian areas - indeed in some parts of old Madrid you will hardly see any cars.

One company which is helping to get more people on to the streets is By Bike, a bike rental company located near the Retiro Park. Their location makes it ideal to get around Madrid's large, central park and they can even offer recommendations for other locations in Madrid - such as the Green Belt, which has a dedicated cycle path and takes you out as far as the Royal Palace of El Pardo.

Prices for bike hire start at 4 Euros an hour, with one day costing 22 Euros. If you're interested, there is also a bike demonstration by nudists starting at 12 p.m. from the Cibeles Fountain!

Related Information
Bike Tours of Madrid From Bike Spain
Segway Tours of Madrid

Madrid's Municipal Swimming Pools Open this Weekend

As a Brit I find there is something quite pleasing about sitting around an open air swimming pool in the summer without a cloud in the sky. In Madrid you are practically guaranteed 3 months of perfect weather for going to the pool. Many Spaniards will shortly begin their summer timetable and will be able to enjoy the hot afteroons next to the pool.

Within the next 2 weeks practically all of Madrid 75 municipal pools (yes, 75!!) will open their doors. According to the newspaper 20 Minutos, 5 will open this weekend: Centro de Natación M-86, el Estadio Vallehermoso, el Canal de Isabel II, San Vicente de Paúl and el Parque Deportivo Puerta de Hierro.

Madrid's municipal facilities are very good and, from a British standpoint at least, very cheap. Prices for entry this year are 4.05 Euros with discounts of 20% and 40% for youngsters and children, respectively. If I'm correct you can even get a summer pass which brings the price down to much less. What's more you'll be able to enjoy a cool beer and decent food at practically all of them.

For a good list of municipal pools check out this article - Open Air Swimming Pools in Madrid - that I wrote on this site or  go to La Netro.com.

Madrid Marathon 2006

Just a quick note to let people know that this Sunday (April 30th, 2006) the Madrid Marathon will wind its way through the central streets and suburbs of the city. It starts at the Paseo de Recoletos at 9.30 a.m. and will finish in the Retiro Park. A map of the course can be found on the Madrid Marathon website. For a bit of fun you will also find the translations on the English version of the site worth reading:

The edition of this year of our race has like main newness the presentation of a new better course agreed with the competitive character of a great athletic appointment.

Our website also want to join in this new stage and, for it, we make available, a site with an innovating design and without leave the great variety of contents and an easy navigation.

Priceless!

Expo Ocio 2006 Opens at Parque Juan Carlos I

Billed as the largest lesiure (free time) fair in Europe, Expo Ocio opens its doors on the 11th March, 2006 and runs through  till the 20th  March. Tourism, beauty (!!) , technology for the home,  camping and caravanning, sports and activities (including high risk ones) and virtual entertainment can all be found at this event. Aside from the seminars and 600 exhibitors, there will also be dancers from Japan and mariachis from Mexico, children's games, puppet shows, paintball, a body painting competition and demonstartions of tai-chi.

Timetable
11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Price
7 Euros - Adults; 3.5 Euros - children and pensioners
Metro
Campo de Naciones

Watching the 6 Nations in Madrid

Saturday sees the start of the 6 Nations Rugby Championship and Madrid's bars offer a great chance to watch the games, meet up with rugby supporters of all the teams taking part and, of course, to have a few beers (or Guinnesses)! The first weekend sees Ireland v Italy (2.30 p.m. Madrid time) and England v Wales (4.30 p.m.) on Saturday with Scotland v France on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Instead of pointing you to a previous post that I wrote (for the 6 nations last year and the World Cup!), I have decided to cut and paste some of the places where you will no doubt find the games going on:

Finnegan’s – Plaza de Salesas 9 - Metro: Alonso Martínez - Tel: 91 319 8716
Finbars – c/ Marqués de Urquijo 10 - Metro: Argüelles/Moncloa - Tel: 91 548 3793
Irish Rover – Avda de Brasil 7 - Metro: Santiago Bernabéu - Tel: 91 597 4811
Kitty O’Sheas – c/ Alcalá 59 - Metro: Banco de España - Tel: 91 575 4901
La Fontana de Oro - c/de la Victoria 2 - Metro: Sol - Tel: 91 531 0420
Molly Malone's c/Manuela Malasaña 11 - Metro: Bilbao - Tel: 91 594 16 35
Moore's - c/Barcelo 1 - Metro: Tribunal - Tel: 91 532 6331
Moore's - c/Felipe - Metro: Sol - Tel: 91 365 5802
O'Connors c/Alamagro 3 - Metro: Alonso Martínez - Tel: 91 310 44 35
O’Neill’s – c/ Príncipe 12 - Metro: Sevilla - Tel: 91 521 2030 (Apparently, the biggest Irish pub in Europe!)
The Quiet Man - c/ Valverde 44 - Metro: Tribunal - Tel: 91 521 4181
Triskel c/San Vicente Ferrer, 3 - Metro: Tribunal - Tel: 91 523 27 83

I would suggest you phone beforehand just to ouble check that the games are being televised. My personal favourites has to be Finnegan's.

A list of 6 Nations Fixtures can be found on the IRB site. No prizes for guessing which team I'll be supporting!

Spanish Football League Fixtures 2005-2006

I have just seen that quite a few people are searching for the Spanish Football League Fixtures for the 2005-2006 season. Well, here is a list of every game that will be played over the next 10 months or so (courtesy of El Mundo):

2005 - 2006 Fixtures August - December
2005 - 2006 Fxtures January - May

Important Games:
16th October, 2005 sees a local derby between Atlético de Madrid and Real Madrid at Vicente Calderón Stadium
20th November, 2005 sees the biggest game of the season when Real Madrid take on Barcelona at the Bernabeu Stadium
5th March, 2006 - Real Madrid play the local derby against Atlético Madrid at home in the Bernabeu.

Related Articles
Atlético de Madrid - Madrid's 'other' football team
Tour of Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium

Madrid 2012 - The City's Olympics Bid

On the 6th July, 2005 Madrid will know if it has been successful in its bid to bring the 2012 Olympic Games to the City. The final candidates are Madrid, London, Paris, Moscow and New York. The city has never hosted the Olympic Games but was shortlisted for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

The Queen of  Spain, Sofia, will be heading a delegation which includes the President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the President for the Community of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre and the mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón. Sporting celebrities, include  Real Madrid soccer star Raul Gonzalez, five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain and former tennis star Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

According to a report in the Chicago Tribune:

Madrid maintains its strongest point is the closeness of the venues to the athletes' village and the low cost of its project.

Given the IOC's wish to reduce costs, Madrid's bid could seem desirable with an Olympic operating budget of $2.1 billion and separate infrastructure budget of $1.6 billion.

Twenty-two of the 35 planned venues already have been built, while two are being refurbished, five are under construction and six are awaiting a final go-ahead.

The Mayor of Madrid says:

"We have 83 percent of the venues already built or in the pipeline and seven years to do the rest -- no other city comes near that."

The article also identifies the following points in the city' favour:

• Madrid has hosted nearly 90 sports events in the past four years, including the European swimming championships and European indoor track championships. The city is also home to one of the world's most famous soccer clubs, Real Madrid, whose Santiago Bernabeu stadium downtown would be a 2012 venue.
• In terms of popular and political support, the evaluation committee report recognized that Madrid's bid was backed by all Spanish parties and regions and by more than 80 percent of Spaniards.
• Central to Madrid's bid is the plan for the main Olympic stadium and other venues to be a short walking distance from the athletes' village and about 10 minutes away from both the airport and downtown.
• Madrid also boasts that spectators would be able to travel to 25 venues by public transportation. The city's cheap and modern underground metro would serve more than 80 percent of the sites.

Having been to London recently I would say in terms of transportation and infrastructure, Madrid wins hands down.

Madrid 2012 Olympic Candidature Site

Related Articles
Olympics 2012 (BBC)
Madrid 2012 (Olympic Blog)
GamesBids.com
Madrid confident of upsetting big guns in Singapore (Reuters)

Feria de San Isidro Starts in Madrid

The fiestas of San Isidro are the most important fiestas of Madrid and honour Madrid's Patron saint San Isidro. During the month of May there will be a number of events taking place, which include dances and fairs. The saint's day is actually on 15th May and is a holiday in the city.

The fiestas of San Isidro are mainly associated with the bullfights that go on in the City's bullring, Las Ventas. The bullfights which start on May 11th, and go on for over a month, are probably the most important (and best) that you will find anywhere in Spain. They attract the best matadors and, obviously, tickets are both hard to come by and expensive (though I did see some availabel on their website at reasonable prices).

The Plaza de las Ventas is a vast arena which can seat around 24,000 people and is considered the most important bullfighting venue in the world. It is a place where Spain's 'beautiful people' go and you are bound to see the King of Spain, a famous actress or popstars, over the next month. An afternoon of bullfighting usually consists of 6 bullfights and can last a couple of hours. Two of the days will be dedicated to "corridas de rejoneo" - an amazing spectacle with bullfighters on horses.

Curiously, outside the arena there is a statue which is dedicated to Alexander Fleming, whose discovery of penicillin, has saved many a bullfighter over the years.

Tickets can be bought over the Internet (through Las Ventas website).

Tour of Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a ticket to watch Real Madrid v Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (courtesy of Angel, a VERY generous friend of my father-in-law's) and boy was that an experience. Having enjoyed the wonderful experience, and a great win to boot for the home team, I am now planning on taking a tour of the stadium in the near future. Here are some details I picked up from Real Madrid's website about the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium Tour:

The tour includes panoramic views of the stadium, a visit to the presidential box, the dressing rooms, players' tunnel, the pitch, the trophy room and the Real Madrid shop. Tours take place between 10.30 a.m and 6.30 p.m, except on match days when the tours will finish 6 hours before the game and on the days after a game when they will be closed. Special prices exist for Real Madrid season ticket holders and "Madrista" ticket holders, with prices being 7€ for under 14's and 9€ for adults.

Metro: Santiago Bernabeu

Madrid Marathon Hits the Streets This Weekend

On Sunday 24th April the streets of Madrid will be filled with runners participating in the 28th Popular Marathon of Madrid - so bear this in mind if you're planning to make trips to popular sites - Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Palacio Real, for example. The event begins at 9.30 am and the starting line is on the Paseo de Recoletos. For more information, take a look at the (poor) official Madrid Marathon website.

Ice Rink comes to the Retiro Park

Within the next couple of weeks the City Council of Madrid will install an ice rink in Retiro Park - the first time that they have ever done this in the park. In an area where roller skating is practiced, the council will create a huge rink, complete changing rooms, people to help you skate and facilities to rent out boots. The ice rink will be set up in December and run through until January and it is anticipated that you will be able to listen to live music in the area surrounding the rink.

La Vuelta de España cycling race arrives in Madrid

Since Saturday 4th September, the Vuelta de España cycling race has wound its way around the whole of Spain. This Sunday the final stage will be held within Madrid and it is believed that it will go down to the wire. The race will pass around famous city landmarks like the Casa de Campo, Cibeles fountain, the Prado and Gran Vía and will likely pack the streets of the city.

Madrid's 2012 Olympic Dream - You can Play a Part, too

As the Olympics are now going on in Athens I thought it would be a good opportunity to write an article on Madrid's bid to hold the 2012 Olympics. The city is bidding against London, Moscow, New York and Paris and the winner will be told on July 6, 2005. All things considered many are of the opinon that it will come down to Paris, Madrid and London with Madrid having a very good chance if it can overcome the main contender Paris. The city has the support of most of its citizens, and fellow Spaniards, and has the infrastructure already in place to handle both the visitors and competitors.

Madrid has developed a website, Madrid 2012, which gives visitors information on the Games Model, the Installations it plans to build and Environmental and Traffic issues regarding the holidng of the games, amongst other things.

It is also possible to volunteer to help with the Olympics (10,000 have already applied) and you can even download an Olympic Relay baton which you can attach to email messages. These batons when clicked on by recipients will take them to a page where they can sign the visitors' book. It's all good fun but the serious issue is to help promote the city as the ideal venue for the 2012 Olympics.

Electronic Signature - Madrid 2M12

Michael Owen signs for Real Madrid

Real Madrid have this weekend signed Michael Owen, the Liverpool and England star. Negotiations went on for much of last week and finally Real Madrid got their man - and for a very good price: £8 million plus Real Madrid's Antonio Nuñez. The potential revenue for Real Madrid shirts with "Owen 11" will undoubtedly be astronomical.

Related News Articles
Owen unveiled by Real (BBC web site)
Michael Owen profile (BBC web site)
Me alegra que Owen lleve el '11'; como futbolista, es un monstruo (Real Madrid site)
El cuarto Balon de Oro (Real Madrid web site)
Owen: "Es un orgullo llevar el número de Gento" (Marca web site)
Owen: "Aquíestán los mejores, eso es excitante" (El Mundo web site)

This month sees the launch of Michael Owen's first official autobiography. These books can be pre-ordered at Amazon:

	Order from Amazon.co.uk
	Order from Amazon.com

Summer activities in Retiro Park and the Casa de Campo (and free!)

The City Council of Madrid has organised a series of free activities for the summer in both the Retiro Park and the Casa de Campo. The events are organised for both adults and children under the ages of 8 and mainly take the form of strolls around certain areas of both parks; though one activity includes a trip to a bird and butterfly centre. For more information, download this pdf Itinerarios Verdes from the Madrid City Council website or call them on 91 639 7969 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Real Madrid - Brand Marketing Gurus

I just came across a very interesting article about Real Madrid and the power of its brand. Entitiled Real Madrid brings Hollywood touch to soccer it discusses how Real Madrid have managed to turn themselves into probably the best-known brand not just in football but any sport. Here is an excerpt from it:

Beckham is a cornerstone of Real's strategy to build a team of soccer stars or "galacticos" with Hollywood glamour and marketing appeal from Shanghai to San Diego.

And you thought it was about the football!!

Real Madrid and Spanish League Fixtures 2004-2005

If you're looking to book your trip to Madrid around an important Real Madrid football match, then here's a breakdown of all fixtures from the primera liga:

Spanish Primera Liga to 16th January, 2005
Spanish Primera Liga to 29th May, 2005

The two main Madrid clubs in the league are Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, with Getafe, a neighbourhood in the south of Madrid, going up to the primera this season.

Related Article
Real Madrid Shop in centre of Madrid

Open Air Swimming Pools in Madrid

From the middle of May through to the middle of September, the municipal and private sports centres of Madrid open their open air swimming pools to the public. These swimming pools often form part of large sporting complexes where you will find sports halls, tennis courts and a multitude of other recreational activities. I must say I also like the fact that you can buy ice cold beers there, too!! Here are a few municipal swimming pools that I've been to:

Instalación Deportiva Municipal Francos Rodríguez
Numancia, 1 (28039)
Bus: 44, 127, 128, 132
Metro: Francos Rodríguez

Club Deportivo Canal de Isabel II
C/ Cea Bermúdez 2
28003 MADRID
Metro: Canal
(This is one of the largest sporting clubs in Spain)

Instalación Deportiva Municipal Casa de Campo
Casa de Campo
Bus: 31, 33, 36, 39, 65 and 138
Metro: El Lago/Puerta del Ángel

Prices for all of the above
Adults: 3.80 euros
Over 65's: 0.90 euros
Under 16's: 2.15 euros

Full list of Sports Centres
Ayuntamiento de Madrid
Instalaciones Municipales de Deportes

Parque de Attracciones - Amusement park

The Parque de Atracciones, set in Madrid's vast Casa de Campo park, is the city's main theme park. It has been around for many, many years and is open all year round. Summer makes it an ideal place to visit, especially at night, because in addition to its many attractions the air is much cooler than the centre of the city. Here is an excerpt from the Spain.info website on the attractions you can expect:

Mythical roller coasters like 7 Picos (7 peaks) are joined by such impressive attractions as El Tornado, La Lanzadera or La Turbina. Roller coasters that reach speeds of 80 km/h, giant pendulums that can move 180 degrees, or free falls from 63 metres high turn your visit into an unforgettable experience. Strong emotions are the order of the day on aquatic attractions such as Los Fiordos or Los Rápidos, which offer a good moment to cool down.

In the Tranquil Zone more relaxing activities are offered such as boats trips in the jungle, a 15 metre high ferris wheel, or great radio control games.Small children have their own area with small roller coasters and water slides, bumper cars or pirate ships, all mini sized.Puppet theatres, train rides or adventure playgrounds complete the offering.

During the summer months the Parque de Atracciones plays host to a number of concerts, with performances taking place in a specially designed auditorium. In addition, there are a huge amount of bars and restaurants to be found within the park - it is also refreshing to find restaurants which will serve up typical Spanish fair and not the usual junk food you associate with theme parks. However, if you wish to bring your own food and drink, there are zones/picnic areas set apart for people to enjoy pre-prepared food.

Entry Prices
Calco (pass) adult (7 and above) 20.90 €.
Calco (pass) child (children 3-7 ): 11.80 €.
Child under 3 : Free admission.
Admission only:5.00 €.

Getting there
Bus: Lines 33 and 35.
Metro: Line 10 (Batán Station).

Medina Mayrit Arabic Baths

Any trip to Madrid will invariably involve a lot of foot slogging around the streets, often in warm temperatures. What better way of relaxing your body than going to authentic Arabic Baths. The Medina Mayrit Baths, located on Calle Atocha, have three rooms with different temperatures and offer visitors massage and aromatherapy. The entry cost of 25 Euros includes bath, aromatherapy and massage and entitles you to spend one and a half hours at the baths. Prices for those over 65 and students are less. The complex also includes a tea room and restaurant. Full details can be found (in English) on the Medina Mayrit Baths website.

Address
C/ Atocha, 11

Real Madrid Shop in centre of Madrid

Walking up the Calle del Carmen, one of the streets off the Puerta del Sol, you will find a shop dedicated to everything related to Real Madrid. You wil find shirts of all the stars (including Beckham, Figo, Zidane and Ronaldo), tracksuits, signed autographs, baby clothes and many other items. With the latest digital editing equipment, you can even buy a picture of yourself holding the Champions Cup with Ronaldo!

If you can't wait to get to Madrid and want a David Beckham Football Shirt now, why not buy one on Amazon?

Metro: Puerta del Sol

David Beckham - is he Mad About Madrid?

From this Financial Times article it looks like David Beckham is really enjoying his stay in Madrid. But can you imagine him saying he enjoys jamón serrano as much as fish and chips!

See also
Real Madrid in the centre of Madrid

Atlético de Madrid - Madrid's 'other' football team

Atlético de Madrid is one of the 2 teams from Madrid that play in the 'Primera', the other being Real Madrid. This year marks the centenary of this great club and a number of events have been organised over the course of it. The team was founded in 1903 and plays out of the famous Vicente Calderón stadium, which is situated on the banks of the Manzanares river.

Rugby World Cup in Madrid

The Rugby World Cup starts this weekend (October 10th) in Australia.So, if you can’t bear to miss the England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland games, and you find yourself in Madrid at this time, find yourself an Irish pub.

Real Madrid tickets and David Beckham

David Beckham joined Real Madrid last month and you can find the number '23' shirt all over the country's capital. I have seen prices as low as 48 Euros (not sure how genuine they were) and topping put at 78 Euros. Tickets for Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium are now in hotter demand than ever, so where can you pick them up? A number of searches on the Internet will churn up tickets that cost around 250 Euros! I would recommend looking at this discussion board for some interesting and useful advice. You could also try the Real Madrid site itself and contact them directly.

Getting to the Bernabeu is pretty straighforward, you can catch the number 27 bus (or any number of others) up the Paseo de la Castellana or take line 10 on the Metro

See also: Real Madrid Shop in centre of Madrid