{"id":3470,"date":"2015-07-17T08:30:44","date_gmt":"2015-07-17T06:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/?p=3470"},"modified":"2015-07-13T08:59:16","modified_gmt":"2015-07-13T06:59:16","slug":"10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips for Shopping at El Rastro Flea Market in Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">El Rastro in Madrid&#8217;s Embajadores neighbourhood in the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/long-term-rental?order-by=availabilitylowestprice&amp;price-to=3000&amp;surface-to=240&amp;district=999\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong> La Latina district <\/strong><\/a>is the biggest of all <strong>flea markets<\/strong>, not just in Madrid but in the whole of Spain. For some at <strong>ShMadrid<\/strong>, it reminds them of the kind of flea markets that are synonymous with Paris.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You\u2019ll find this Madrid flea market is open from 9 am until 3 pm every Sunday throughout the year, including when public holidays take place. It isn\u2019t only a favourite spot to visit with tourists, but many of those who have chosen to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/long-term-rental\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>make Madrid their home<\/strong><\/a> as well those from outlying towns.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/rastro-market\/\">El Rastro is one of Madrid\u2019s not so well kept secrets<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Index<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#what-you-should-know-about-el-rastro\" title=\"What you should know about El Rastro\">What you should know about El Rastro<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#be-aware-of-pickpockets\" title=\"Be aware of pickpockets\">Be aware of pickpockets<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#get-there-early\" title=\"Get there early\">Get there early<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#give-bargaining-a-try\" title=\"Give bargaining a try\">Give bargaining a try<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#avoid-the-main-thoroughfare\" title=\"Avoid the main thoroughfare\">Avoid the main thoroughfare<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#only-carry-cash\" title=\"Only carry cash\">Only carry cash<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#dont-forget-mercado-de-san-miguel\" title=\"Don\u2019t forget Mercado de San Miguel\">Don\u2019t forget Mercado de San Miguel<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#check-out-those-trading-cards\" title=\"Check out those trading cards\">Check out those trading cards<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#throw-some-coins-to-the-street-performers\" title=\"Throw some coins to the street performers\">Throw some coins to the street performers<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#visit-plaza-mayor-when-visiting-el-rastro\" title=\"Visit Plaza Mayor when visiting El Rastro\">Visit Plaza Mayor when visiting El Rastro<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/10-tips-for-shopping-at-el-rastro-flea-market-in-madrid\/#market-then-museums\" title=\"Market, then museums\">Market, then museums<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-you-should-know-about-el-rastro\"><\/span>What you should know about El Rastro<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_3471\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3471\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3471 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"aerial view of el rastro flea market\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2-810x608.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2-1140x855.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/El-Rastro-2.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3471\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Pixabay<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is very typical for many of its visitors not only to spend time exploring the various stalls that have been set up. But is also a nice place to stop and enjoy a pleasant glass of beer (cerveza) as well as some delicious <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/3-famous-must-visit-tapas-bars-in-madrid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tapas<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But when exploring this part of Madrid and when exploring any Madrid market you need to be careful. Below we offer a few <strong>flea market tips<\/strong> you may find useful that will help ensure that you get the most from your visit to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elrastro.org\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>El Rastro Market<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"be-aware-of-pickpockets\"><\/span>Be aware of pickpockets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Theft is quite common even though there are police present. You must make sure that you guard your valuables well. It is best if you avoid bringing a back or rucksack with you. But if you do have to bring such, then make sure you wear it in front of you.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"get-there-early\"><\/span>Get there early<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Arrive at around 9.30 or 10 as you will be able to explore El Rastro much more freely. Normally you\u2019ll find that the crowds start to get larger after 11, as this is when many have left church.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"give-bargaining-a-try\"><\/span>Give bargaining a try<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Quite a few of the sellers at one of city\u2019s favorite markets are often happy to reduce their prices by between 10 and 15%. But if you really want to get a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/where-to-find-the-best-winter-discounts-in-madrid\/\"><strong>bargain<\/strong><\/a> at this favorite market in Madrid, then you might want to try closing the deal just before the market is due to close.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"avoid-the-main-thoroughfare\"><\/span>Avoid the main thoroughfare<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Take time out to spend it exploring the various side streets that make up this particular Madrid market. Here you have the opportunity to go shopping in Madrid for some cool vintage items.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"only-carry-cash\"><\/span>Only carry cash<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When it comes to carrying cash, make sure that it is well hidden and certainly never keep it in your back pocket.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related article:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/market\/\">Reasons to Visit Madrid&#8217;s Farmer&#8217;s Market<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"dont-forget-mercado-de-san-miguel\"><\/span>Don\u2019t forget Mercado de San Miguel<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3472\" style=\"width: 269px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Mercado-de-San-Miguel.jpeg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3472\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3472 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Mercado-de-San-Miguel.jpeg\" alt=\"inside Mercado de San Miguel\" width=\"259\" height=\"194\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3472\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo via Pixabay<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the renovated covered market <a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/mercado-de-san-miguel-a-great-atmosphere-and-excellent-tapas\/\"><strong>Mercado de San Miguel<\/strong><\/a> there is a food hall where you can try local food. Here you\u2019ll find everything from fried calamari to sangria. But be prepared for the crowds.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"check-out-those-trading-cards\"><\/span>Check out those trading cards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">On both Plaza de General Vara del Rey and Plaza del Campillo del Mundo Nuevo you\u2019ll notice crowds of people of all ages. They are looking through various notebooks protected with plastic containing numerous cards that make up various collections.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"throw-some-coins-to-the-street-performers\"><\/span>Throw some coins to the street performers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Do this if you stop to enjoy what they are doing, or if you ask for a photo with them. They will very much appreciate your generosity no matter what it is.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"visit-plaza-mayor-when-visiting-el-rastro\"><\/span>Visit Plaza Mayor when visiting El Rastro<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The walk between these two is only short. You could always start off your morning by enjoying a coffee in a caf\u00e9 before making your way to market.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"market-then-museums\"><\/span>Market, then museums<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The great thing about visiting El Rastro is that afterwards you can gain access to some of the city\u2019s most well known <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/permanent-exhibitions-at-the-prado-museum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">museums<\/a> <\/strong>for free. For example, why not take time out to visit \u201cThe Prado\u201d as access is free from 5 until 7pm when it closes on a Sunday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What is your best advice when visiting El Rastro?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-center kksr-disabled\"\n    data-id=\"3470\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\"><\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>El Rastro in Madrid&#8217;s Embajadores neighbourhood in the La Latina district is the biggest of all flea markets, not just in Madrid but in the whole of Spain. For some at ShMadrid, it reminds them of the kind of flea markets that are synonymous with Paris. You\u2019ll find this Madrid flea market is open from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":3473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1568],"tags":[799,746,2108,748,743],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3470"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3470"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9549,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3470\/revisions\/9549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shmadrid.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}