The airport zone includes (somewhat obviously) the airport, and the IFEMA trade fair grounds at the Campo de Las Naciones. There are numerous hotels in this area that make good choices for travelers who prefer to stay near the airport, or whose principal motive for coming to Madrid is to attend a trade fair.

There is information on getting to and from the airport and the city center center and there is a map showing the extent of this zone. Note that the metro (line 8) which now reaches the airport also stops at the Campo de Las Naciones.

This is one of the most important financial centers of the city. Placed in the small rectangle formed by the Paseo de la Castellana, Calle Orense, Calle General Perón and Calle Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, it contains some of the tallest buildings in town. There are also some big stores and shops around. Though it has lots of bars and businessman-oriented clubs, and some casual places, it's not a very popular zone for nightlife.

This large zone covers the are around the Avenida de América between Nuevos Ministerios and the Airport/Campo de las Naciones on the other side.

Important sites in this area include the Auditorio de Música (Madrid's principal classical music concert hall ) y the Museo de la Ciudad (Museum of the city). There are numerous shops and many important businesses (IBM, Telefonica I+D) located in this zone.

The photo shows the Torres Blancas, built in 1969 a residential building, by the Spanish architect Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza.

Calle Luchana or Calle Fuencarral, were you can find some shops, are two of the main streets in this neighborhood. Nightlife area for the younger, with cinemas, bars, places where you can have something to eat, etc. The Plaza de Bilbao that names the area is linked on the other side with Malasaña. Bilbao is one of the zones that are in the border with the center area. The tourist interest is limited to the nightlife of the youngest.

Castellana is the name given to the area between Nuevos Ministerios and Plaza de Colón, on either side of the Paseo de la Castellana. This zone is another of the main financial centers of the Spanish capital. Most important banks have their headquarters here. The office of the European Union in Madrid is also here and so are many important companies. Also some of the most prestigious hotels in town are located here. Some of the most popular and luxurious boutiques can be found near this zone (walking distance) in Calle Serrano. Embassies, big stores, luxurious houses, etc. are part of the landscape of this area that is reasonably near the center.

This zone, probably one of the most active and popular outside the center of the city, is just what its name implies, a junction of several streets. Its influence goes from the area near Plaza de Castilla down to Calle Cea Bermúdez and from Nuevos Ministerios to Calle Reina Victoria. There are numerous shops and commercial establishments that, as in other residential areas, are basically oriented towards supplying the needs of the residents. But there are also cinemas and some places of particular interest. The rental of flats in this area is quite reasonable compared with many other areas of the city.

Its difficult to make exact delineations, we could say that this zone runs from North of the Bernabéu soccer stadium to the Chamartín train station. In this residential area there are numerous blocks of flats and many shops that are mainly oriented to serve the residents. It does have hotels, restaurants, cafés and bars, as do so many other zones of the city. No real tourist interest, apart from the railway station of course.

Nuevos Ministerios is primarily a residential area but it includes the Santiago Bernabéu soccer stadium where Real Madrid play their home matches. There are many shops in the area and it also has a public swimming pool (belonging to the local water company). You can find tapas in many of the local bars, though it's not a typical neighborhood in for tourists to go out in. It has some recommended restaurants.

This area goes from the surroundings of the Plaza to Calle General Perón (Plaza de Lima) and to the west up to Calle Bravo Murillo, is a residential area that combines blocks of flats and high-standard hotels with middle class standards. It's proximity with the AZCA financial center makes it the residential area of choice for many executives. The most important commercial street is Calle Orense, though Calle Capitán Haya also has a good number of commercial establishments.

This zone gets its name from the famous Las Ventas bullring. It is located just east of the Salamanca zone, near the M30 highway, making a convenient area for those who want to be relatively near the city center, but with easy access to to the airport and the trade fair grounds at the Campo de Las Naciones.