Places for an English speaker to meet people in Madrid?

Question

I (20 year old) will be staying in Madrid for two months and would like to know some of the best places for a native English speaker to meet others my age who also speak English living in Madrid. Not necessarily native Madrilenos, but anyone who will speak English. I speak basic Spanish (3 years in a University).

Answer 1

If you want the best resource go to Madridman.com

The web site was made by an Ohio man who fell in love with Madrid some time back then about a year or two ago actually moved to Madrid and between his website and personal experiences has developed a great social network.

Sometimes they meet for an original version movie (In English) and then go have a couple tapas.

I highly suggest that you go to the site and browse the forums as well, they'll answer any question including Madridman himself, and endless source of information specifically for an English speaker mingling in Madrid.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Hi Business12345,

I was in almost the exact same position as you when I came to Madrid in February this year as a native English speaker.

The best way to meet English speakers is to go out at night, even if you have to go out alone. There are quite a few clubs and smaller bars that host international student nights. Here are some suggestions.

J and J Books: Every Thursday night they have an intercambio, which is about half americans and half madrilenos who want to improve their spanish.

Palacio de la Gavaria, Joy, Teatro Kapital: These are the three biggest clubs in Madrid. At least two of them have international student nights on Thursday. It could be hard to meet people here by yourself because these places are packed.

One great resource is the "Guia del Ocio," which you can buy at any newstand or check out on the internet. It won't help you meet english-speakers per se but is definitely helpful for getting to know the city.

Another option is going on an organized trip somewhere in Spain. I went on one trip with the company Forocio. Almost everyone spoke English and they were all very friendly.

Meeting English speakers during the day is a bit more challenging. Your best bet is to go to somewhere stereotypically American - Starbucks, for example. It won't be long before you hear someone speaking English. Anywhere touristy is good though. This includes all of the street "Gran Via", the Museums "Prado" and "Reina Sofia" and especially Puerta del Sol.

I hope this helps. Overall, you just have to be friendly and outgoing. People often come up to you, but if you want to meet a lot of people (just like in any city) start a conversation with everyone. You would be surprised how friendly people are if you simply ask, "Are you an American?"

Good luck and have a great time in Madrid!

Answer 3

Okay, use that as a crutch for a little, but just immerse yourself in Spanish, and forget about finding people who speak English.  You will stumble on folks here and there.  It won't take long before you will be able to spot an English accent a mile off and blindfolded, but just immerse and learn Spanish.  What better opportunity will you ever have?