Shop Eat And Drink Around Vintage Trains At Madrid's Coolest Market

If you’re looking for quirky antiques, vintage clothes, jewelry, eco-friendly food products, retro furniture, home goods and much more, head over to Madrid’s Mercado de Motores. What makes this particular market extra special is that not only can you shop for all the aforementioned items in one spot, but you can do so surrounded by vintage train cars.

A cross between a pop-up market and a flea market, there’s really nothing else like this event, which is held one weekend each month. Located in the Museo del Ferrocarril (the Railway Museum), the space actually used to be a train station called Estación de Delicias. The museum has actual train cars on display, sitting in what was once the old station. The collection includes steam engines dating back to 1861 and diesel train cars from 1955. Among the train cars (some of which you can even climb on) are market stalls selling all sorts of goods and handmade items.

You can even go in some of the old train cars

Once you visit the indoor market stalls and the trains, head outside where you’ll find flea market-style stands featuring second-hand goods like clothes, shoes, old cameras, vintage homeware, typewriters, glassware, porcelain, art and pretty much anything under the sun. And sunny it usually is in Madrid, so spring is a great time to visit the market—start indoors and as the day warms up, head outside. You’ll also find food trucks set up around a small patio with chairs and tables, and it’s not unusual to see live music happening outdoors and/or indoors.

Don’t forget to check out a newer section of the market, which has classic cars, motorcycles and vintage bicycles, some for show and some for sale.

The dates through summer 2017 are programmed as follows:

March 11–12, 2017
April 8–9, 2017
May 13–14, 2017
June 10–11, 2017
July 8–9, 2017

The market is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and entrance is free (you’d normally have to pay to enter the museum, so this is also a great way to see the trains for free). It’s best to arrive early if you want to avoid the crowds. The market is a great trip for the whole family—you can even bring along your dog as there’s a special service at the entrance of the market that will watch your pup while you shop, eat, drink and enjoy the trains.

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