Visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid — Schengen Travel
Visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid was another memorable and precious experience I had in Spain. Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is the home field of the famous Real Madrid Football Club where famous football stars like David Beckham, Luis Figo, Ronaldo, and Zinadine Zidane have once played for. Unknown to most foreign football fans, one of the most pivotal football players in the history of Real Madrid was Santiago Bernabeu whose name was etched in the club’s history by naming the stadium in his memory. Santiago Bernabeu played as Real Madrid’s striker and team captain in the 1920s; however most of the changes Bernabeu made for Real Madrid was done off the pitch when he served as the club’s president for more than 30 years. Of course, I also was not aware of who he was prior to visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. This was only discussed to me in length during my tour of the stadium itself.
Visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — What to Expect?
I have visited the Real Madrid Stadium three times since 2012 and, in all of those times, my stadium tour had been booked in advanced because I went with a pool of youth football players and coaches. What is nice with having the tour booked in advance is the avoidance of falling in line, buying tickets on the spot, and then waiting for a tour guide.
Should you wish to visit the stadium but do not want to book tickets in advance because you are not certain of your itinerary yet, it is best to schedule your visit on a weekday morning so that there is less crowd. Also, make sure to check the schedule of Real Madrid’s games to make sure if the stadium is open to tours on the day you plan to visit. The stadium manager usually allows tours prior to a game; however, do not allow guests to see the visitor’s locker room. The ticket price per adult is €18 but the price may be cheaper for larger groups.
What should you expect to see when visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium? Well, expect to feel goosebumps as you see the stadium from a panoramic vantage point to the players’ point of view. The tour guide usually brings the guests to the topmost area of the bleachers. There you can take a photo of the large football pitch without the large crowd and players. After seeing the entire pitch from the top, the guide will lead the way down via the stands. That experience was one of a kind for me because I got to see the different angles of the pitch, from the side of the goals, the corners, and the best panoramic angle. Once we got down to the pitch, the guide allowed us to take group photos with the field as our background. Also, we were allowed to sit on the visiting team’s bench. Mind you, the chairs are no ordinary chairs. They are Recaro seats, like the ones used in race cars. This part really thrilled our youth delegate.
After spending time by the pitch, our guide led us to the dugout. From there we were taken to the visiting team’s locker room. Real Madrid’s team locker is not open for public viewing because players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Isco leave personal items and the management does not want these items looted by outsiders. For this reason, only the guest locker room is open to the public. The locker room is huge. With cubicles for each player where they can hang their jerseys, keep their extra boots, and can keep other personal valuables. In another section of the locker room, there is a row of massage tables where players can lie down while their physical therapists give treat injuries or stretch their muscles. Seeing the lockers actually inspired our youth delegation to strive harder because they want to experience playing for a professional football team and experience the same perks that current players are experiencing.
Finally, the guide led us to the newly renovated museum where mementos are kept. There we saw all the trophies of Real Madrid since the early 1900s. Without a doubt, Real Madrid is one of the winningest teams in European football because there must be more than 100 championship trophies in display.
Aside from team mementos, there is also a new section where large LED screens show the team’s current players with their current statistical performance like number of goals, number of completed passes, number of steals, and the like. Real Madrid’s museum is far more exciting than FC Barcelona’s.
Before the tour ended, we were brought to the Adidas store that sold all Real Madrid items. Beside the Adidas store is the Real Madrid souvenir shop. The souvenir shop doesn’t only sell football memorabilia; it also sold Real Madrid basketball jerseys, a famous Spanish team. It also sold Real Madrid golf equipment. Some of the prices are affordable but some are quite dear. If you have the budget, you can purchase a named jersey for about €120.
Visiting the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid — How to get there?
Before you even plan your stadium tour, make sure that you have the necessary documents that will grant you an approved Schengen visa so you can enter Spain. If you are wondering what you will need to apply for a Schengen visa, here are the requirements:
Once you are in Madrid, just get on the subway and take metro line 10 and get off Santiago Bernabeu station. Once you exit the station, you will see the large stadium right away.
Should you have further questions about the visa application process or obtaining some of the requirements, just contact us and one of our friendly agents will respond to your queries.
Originally published at https://schengenvisaflightreservation.com on March 10, 2017.
