I booked a ticket online on the museum website and went on a Sunday afternoon. There was a queue at the entrance for validating the ticket, but they were moving quickly and I was inside in 5-7 minutes. Security check took another couple of minutes as I had followed all their instructions (detailed on their website), so the entry overall was quite pain-free compared to morning entry times imo. It is an iconic gallery, and I mainly concentrated on paintings I was interested in. It still took me over 3 hours to cover everything, so best to plan accordingly. I didn't have any food at their cafe but was quite thirsty after an hour of walking around. The restaurant staff kindly gave me a glass of tap water on request. Also bought some neat fridge magnets from the gift shop so it was a great visit overall

What an amazing experience! Pristine environment to explore great art. The focus on Goya, El Greco, Bosch, Velazquez and Titian is a great way to start and design your trip to make it manageable. Staff were very helpful, and definitely buy a timed entry ticket, only waited five minutes before getting in, a little early. As many people as there are visiting, it never seemed crowded. We will definitely be back.

No queues at all!! Had booked entry in advance – Euros 7.50 ea (over 65). The Prado's own website sometimes hides away when you're doing a search and agencies charge more Used audio guide (5 Euros) to select most significant pictures in each gallery. Naturally enough, there were a lot of Spanish artists; Goya, Velazquez, etc; a lot of Rubens (the largest collection in the world), Titian, Murillo, Tintoretto, El Greco, Veronese etc. Discovered many of biblical scenes which could be used in sermon illustrations! Most popular with the public was Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights”, foreshadowing the Surrealism movement of the 20th century, unintelligible to the public of his day, but appealing to modern viewers. With the works of an artist seen together, it was easier to get a feel for their personal style and era, and contrast with the next painter. I enjoyed the Naked and the Clothed Maja of Goya, a Last Supper, The Washing of the Feet (Tintoretto), Annunciation (Fra Angelico), and Las Meninas by Velazquez, one of the museum’s most prized pieces. There is a lot to see; take a tea break! The shop unfortunately closed early, so it was not possible to buy anything.

The Prado is one of must see places when in Madrid but it is not as impressive as other famous museums such as the Louvre, or the Metropolitan in NYC. Try to buy your tickets online to avoid most of the waiting time at the entrance. Be prepared for big crowds and lots of people around the famous paintings from Valezquez and Goya. There is a very good Museum cafe if you need a break from viewing. It seemed that there was an overabundance of religious paintings which lacked vibrant colors (in fact many were kind of dark). Still this is a shrine to Spanish art and should not be missed.

A fantastic museum and a must see in Madrid with the emphasis on Spanish art. Do not miss the Goya Black Paintings and think about how he painted these murals on the walls of his house. Also popular is the Bosch Garden of Earthly Delights. The park Retiro near The Prado is also definitely worth a visit to see the Crystal Palacio and row boats on the lake.

An outstanding museum full of amazing works of art. But, therein lies the problem. A half-day or even full day visit will never be enough for such a place. If you truly love great art, book a hotel near by and plan to spend two or three full days there. We went and spent about half a day there, and were exhausted. That said... it's really a beautiful museum, and the art is amazing. The lines, yes, were long, but I think their efforts at crowd control are about as good as you can get. There's little shade while waiting in line, so do wear sunscreen and wear a hat. We managed to see a fraction of the place, concentrating on the Goya and Bosch exhibits, which were just great. But there's so much more there.

I’m a history of art buff so I got fully immersed in the whole experience finally seeing live so many of the masterpieces I knew from books. I appreciate though that if you’re not , the visit can be quite daunting because the museum is BIG! We started early and ticked off room by room and made it by the end of the day. I think we clocked 18,000/20,000 steps but I was determined to see everything.I suggest you plan and go see what interests you first, maybe take a pit stop and then head to the rest before you loose juice! If you have two days all the better. Also read up before on the artists who interest you so you can just immerse yourself in the experience when you are there and not get bogged down with the audio guides or maps. Delighted to see the guards very politely but firmly rebuking the rare noisy and unruly visitors so that the experience is positive for all!

Portraits, breasts, naked children, and horrid pain. Yes, it’s the classics! Lots of historic and educational painting that truly show how horrible the world was hundreds of years ago. Definitely worth a visit, but disturbing at the same time. It’s art!

This is the gem of Spain. a wonderful gallery of fine art. There are a lot of ‘Jesus/crucifix/sad pieces’ but also many wonders. Velasquez, El Greco & Goya - study before you go. Don’t go on a wet day, always packed.

My first time at the Prado I did not go with a tour but this time we did. Jose Ramos at Rutas Madrid (a skip-the-line small group GetYourGuide tour) was incredible. With a masters in art history, he gave us fascinating background information on both the artists and their paintings. We walked away feeling so fortunate to have him as a guide. He was not only knowledgeable but passionate as well. And I will never look at a Bosch painting again without clearly seeing his vision of heaven and hell.