Spain’s national flag carrier Iberia is now offering passengers the opportunity of a stopover in Madrid of up to six nights long.

Iberia invites you to turn your stopover in Madrid into a part of your vacation at no extra cost to the price of your ticket. With their Hola Madrid promotion, Iberia has partnered up with several of the city’s top attractions offering big discounts on hotels, catering, shopping, leisure, and cultural activities.

Turn you layover into something special

When most people encounter a layover they see it as a negative part of the trip rather than the chance to escape from the airport terminal and explore new and exciting things.

In Madrid, this is definitely the case, as the Spanish capital is overflowing with culture, exquisite food and wine and, unlike European cities further north, full of sunshine.

How does the Hola Madrid stopover work?

Let’s say you want to fly from New York to Rome or any other city that Iberia flies to from their main hub at Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD). Just visit the Iberia website and book your ticket New York-Madrid-Rome and specify how many days you want to stay in Madrid. Whether it is just one night or up to six, there are plenty of things to see and do in what is arguably one of the world's greatest cities.

The Hola Madrid promotion also works in the reverse from Europe and beyond, just so long as your Iberia flight connects through Madrid.

What perks are included in the Hola Madrid program?

By booking additional elements of your Madrid stopover with Iberia, passengers can take advantage of a number of additional perks.

Discounted accommodation

First of all, if you decide that a stopover in Madrid is something you are going to take advantage of, you are going to need a place to stay. For some, this might be an Airbnb rental or a hotel room. If you are leaning towards staying in a hotel, you can’t go wrong with any of the 20 Meliá hotels that are scattered throughout Madrid.

Prices start from 30€ per night all the way up to 243€ for the spectacular Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques, and with the Iberia Hola Madrid promotion, you can get 40% of the price of a room.

Getting around

Madrid, like most European capitals, has an excellent public transport system. The metro and buses can take you to all parts of the city, including the airport. As part of the Hola Madrid program, Iberia has partnered with the city of Madrid and is including a free two-day pass. This can be topped up should you be staying more than a couple of days. To pick up your free travel pass, you need to visit the customer service stand located in Arrivals at Terminal 4. You can top up the card at any of the machines in the metro station for 8.40€ per day.

Culture

Madrid is home to some of the world’s best museums, including the Museo Nacional Thyssen – Bornemisza where you can admire art from the 13th to the 20th century. With the Hola Madrid promotion, you can skip the queue and get 10% off the admission and audio guide.

The Prado Museum, one of the best museums in the world and the place to go if you want to see paintings by Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Rubens, and Titian. The Hola Madrid promotion offers you the chance to skip the line and take a guided tour for 37€ if you book it on Iberia’s website.

Mahou, La Cervecista

If you’re a beer lover, you will certainly enjoy this special offer. Leading Spanish beer maker Mahou is offering you the chance to try three of their excellent beers for free. The only catch is you must be taking advantage of the Hola Madrid program and be over the age of 18.

Will you be taking advantage of a Madrid stopover with Iberia? Let us know in the comments.