Madrid is one of the drier capitals in Europe, which is exactly why rain catches visitors off guard. Nobody packs for it. When it does arrive — most often in autumn and spring — it tends to come in short, heavy bursts rather than settling in for the day, and the city has more than enough indoors to absorb a wet afternoon. Here’s what to do with one.
Use it as an excuse for the big museums
A rainy day is the correct day for the Prado. The three great museums on the Paseo del Prado — the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza — sit within a few minutes’ walk of each other, so you can move between them without getting seriously wet. Given a full afternoon, one museum done properly beats three done at speed.
If you’ve already seen the famous three, the city is full of smaller collections that rarely get crowded: the Museo Arqueologico Nacional, the Museo Sorolla in the painter’s own house, the Museo Cerralbo, the Museo del Traje. Our guide to free things to do in Madrid covers which of them cost nothing.
Eat your way through it
Rain is the traditional justification for churros con chocolate, and Madrid takes the pairing seriously — thick, almost pudding-like chocolate, meant for dipping rather than drinking. The city’s dedicated chocolaterias have been doing this for well over a century, and several stay open extremely late.
Covered markets are the other obvious move. The Mercado de San Miguel beside Plaza Mayor is the famous one, all iron and glass; Mercado de San Anton in Chueca and Mercado de San Fernando in Lavapies are less polished and considerably less crowded. Our guide to where to eat in central Madrid has more.
Go underground
Madrid’s Metro is extensive, cheap and almost entirely sheltered, which makes it the best wet-weather tool in the city. You can cross from one side of the centre to the other with about ninety seconds of exposure at either end. Our transport guide explains the ticket system.
Worth knowing: the walk from Sol through the connected passages and department stores around Callao and Gran Via gets you a surprising distance under cover if you plan it.
Wait it out somewhere with a stage
The most Madrid response to bad weather is to ignore it until the evening and then go out anyway. The city’s indoor entertainment is genuinely strong: flamenco tablaos, small theatres, cinemas showing films in their original language, and a live comedy circuit that runs most nights of the week regardless of what the sky is doing.
Comedy in particular suits a wet night — the rooms are small, warm and close, and nobody minds that your coat is damp. Our guides to comedy clubs in Madrid and English-language stand-up cover where to find shows, and the Madrid Comedy Festival programme runs across four days each October, entirely indoors.
Frequently asked questions
Does it rain much in Madrid?
Not by northern European standards. Madrid has a dry inland climate with plenty of sunshine year-round. Rain is most likely in autumn and spring, and usually arrives as short heavy showers rather than all-day drizzle.
Should I pack an umbrella for October?
A small folding one is worth the space. October is generally warm and clear, but it’s also one of the wetter months — see our guide to Madrid in October for a full packing list.
Do shows and tours still run in bad weather?
Indoor venues carry on as normal. Outdoor walking tours usually go ahead too. The main casualties are rooftop terraces, which close first — so have an indoor alternative in mind if that was the plan.
