Recommendations on where to park in Madrid at Christmas

Not knowing where to park om Madrid at Christmas can cause a real headache. We can already see how the increased amount of journeys and visitors since November is reflected in the city traffic. Christmas is one of the busiest times of year on the roads, and finding a parking place near to the city centre can become a real odyssey for many drivers. We recommend that you take note of the car parks available in Madrid during the festive season.

Where to park in Madrid at Christmas within the M-30?

In cities like Madrid, it can be difficult to park in many areas. The increased traffic, combined with the restrictions imposed by Madrid City Council make parking particularly difficult, especially in the centre of Madrid.

APR Zone

The Residential Priority Area (APR) covers four sectors, Opera, Las Cortes, Letras and Embajadores. It replaces the so-called Madrid centre and links these four districts with the Gran Vía.

The area is bordered by a belt formed by the following streets: Alberto Aguilera, Carranza, Sagasta. Genoa, Paseo de Recoletos, Paseo del Prado, Ronda de Atocha, Ronda de Valencia, Ronda de Toledo, Gran Vía de San Francisco, Calle Bailén, Plaza de España, Princesa and Serrano Jover, where it meets Alberto Aguilera.

These areas will be unrestricted for a number of users:
Residents of the area. Business owners and residents will have up to 20 monthly parking invitations

• Public transport or rental services with driver
• Health services and public services
• Any emergency transport
• Vehicles with an SER zero emissions certificate
• Transport with B or C rating
• Bicycles and mopeds
• School transport

Transit through these areas will also be granted to privately owned vehicles that will park in a public car park, or a hotel car park. In these cases, the company in charge of the management and operation of the car park or, where appropriate, the hotel, will be responsible for managing the permits and communicating the license plates to the corresponding authority to avoid any fine.

If you are going to do this, we recommend that you ensure that your parking space is available. Within this area, it is possibile to leave a vehicles in a car park in the centre of Madrid:

Parking within the M-30, outside the APR

There are some areas near to the centre where it is possible to park for free. This has the added advantage of avoiding the inconvenience of the blue areas, especially when you are not sure how long you need to leave your vehicle. Here are some of the areas to consider when parking at Christmas within the M30:

• Calle Alcalá. The street and surrounding streets are wide areas with various metro connections.
• Marqués de Vadillo.Located on the south bank of the Manzanares river, the area offers ample spaces.
• Chamartín. Areas surrounding the station are especially recommended, offering good connections with the rest of the city.
• Usera. Not too far away, offers suburban rail and metro links.
• Alto de Extremadura.A little further away from the centre, but still well connected.
• Moratalaz. Wide area very close to the centre
• Salamanca. The Allas Garage is a good option for parking very close to the centre, but parking here is paid.

Where to park in Madrid at Christmas outside the M-30?

Despite our tips, you may still have problems parking near the centre of Madrid. In that case, the best option is to look for other alternatives, such as leaving the car outside the M-30. This may seems like an unprofitable solution or a waste of time, but bear in mind, that often more time is wasted looking for a more central parking space than using a car park which is slightly further away in the first place.

Many areas are slightly more remote, but still have numerous public transport links, so parking further afield can also be an option for travelling to the city centre.

These are the main available car parks, with reference to the main geographical areas of the city:

• In the south, there is a free car park at Puente de Vallecas, in the area of ​​Entrevías. The car park is surrounded by suburban bus stops, and located close to El Pozo station.
• In the east, there is a free car park in Vicálvaro, next to the A-3. Valdebernardo Metro station is nearby. There are also some car parks in the centre of Vicálvaro, near to San Cipriano Metro station.
• In the westernmost area of Casa de Campo there are three free car parks. Some of them are very close to the Paseo de Extremadura, where there are several Metro stations, including Puerta del Ángel and Alto de Extremadura.

These are the best options to park in Madrid during the Christmas holidays. Even with this knowledge about parking for free in the capital however, don’t forget that this is a very busy period. Always be patient and leave yourself extra time.