Family Stopover in Madrid

Iberia Airlines’ new Stopover Hola Madrid program gives families a way to double their European vacation with a stopover for as long as six days in Madrid.

While flying from the United States to any of the 108 destinations Iberia serves in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, you can add a stay in the Spanish capital (MAD) on either the outbound or return end of the trip. And with the Hola Madrid stopover, travelers can plan their visit with the added perk of discounts at hotels, museums, attractions and restaurants.

Even transport between the airport and hotel is discounted in this package — if you want to extend your trip to other Spanish cities, Iberia offers discounted flights, too. The Iberia Group, which also includes Iberia Express and Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum flies from Madrid to 32 Spanish destinations and with the Hola Madrid package, travelers get a 25 percent discount on those flights. So, as part of the six-day stopover, your family could spend three days in Seville or on the Mediterranean beaches near Malaga and still have time to explore the highlights of Madrid.

The Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain. Photo: Stillman Rogers

There’s plenty for families to do. Kids will love being inside a real king’s palace on a tour of Palacio Real, and they can run off some steam in the adjoining gardens. You can get there using the free public transport card each passenger gets as part of Iberia’s Hola Madrid package.

Expose your kids to some of the world’s greatest art, taking advantage of the discounted admission to the Prado, the Thyssen Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía museums, all within easy walking distance of each other along the Paseo del Prado.

Breakfast at Cafe Vergara on Plaza Isabel II, behind the Royal Opera House. Photo: Stillman Rogers

Behind the Prado you’ll find the expansive Retiro Park with shaded paths, fountains, pools and flower gardens. Handy for parents with younger children there’s a playground with an adjacent café. Speaking of cafés, treat the kids to the favorite Madrid pick-me-up — a steaming cup of thick, sweet hot chocolate and a plate of churros to dip. A good place to do this is in one of the sidewalk cafés around Plaza Mayor, or stroll through lively Puerta del Sol to watch street performers.

Flamenco shows are a favorite for all ages and Iberia’s Hola Madrid includes discounts on those, as well as sightseeing tours and excursions booked through Viator. If you want to see a bit of the countryside or travel to nearby medieval cities like Toledo or Segovia or to tour the royal palace of Aranjuez, the program includes discounts on Avis rental cars.

Iberia offers 100 direct flights a week to Madrid (MAD) from U.S. gateways in Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK) and San Juan (SJU), and from San Francisco (SFO) in the summer.