Madrid Airport to Atocha Station

TMcA · Mar 29, 2022

Eve Alexandra said:
If you need to take a shuttle from the airport to Atocha station, it’s very easily done. Out the doors by the baggage claim, follow the signs for the shuttle. 5 € cash and a 15-20 min ride to the station.

Thanks for saying this. Many people opt for the bus because of its ease - just hop on at Terminal 4 and you can even buy your ticket there. But the Cercanias shuttle/transfer is not that complicated and for me a train ride to Pamplona beats the bus hands down. Plus I like your plan to rest the night after your intercontinental flight. Great info!

Buen camino.

SharonLR · Apr 18, 2022

TMcA said:
Thanks for saying this. Many people opt for the bus because of its ease - just hop on at Terminal 4 and you can even buy your ticket there. But the Cercanias shuttle/transfer is not that complicated and for me a train ride to Pamplona beats the bus hands down. Plus I like your plan to rest the night after your intercontinental flight. Great info!

Buen camino.

How do you get to the Cercanias? Is it easy to find from Customs? Which line do you take to Atocha?

TMcA · Apr 18, 2022

SharonLR said:
How do you get to the Cercanias? Is it easy to find from Customs? Which line do you take to Atocha?

Very easy to find. Signage is excellent because as is the case in may European airports, people use public transport to go to the airport.

On international flights from North America, I have always arrived, I believe, at Terminal 4. In that terminal you will find a tourist information desk after you leave immigration and customs. I would highly recommend a stop there to find out:

where to board the Cercanias
cost of Cercanias
how to buy your ticket
available connecting trains to Pamplona

If you already have your train ticket to Pamplona, the Cercanias may be free. Should that be the case, inquire about that, too.

Buen camino from my wife (a TN girl) and myself.

Barajas airport T4 tourist office. | spain.info

Email address, phone number and address of the tourist office at Barajas airport. | spain.info

www.spain.info

peregrina2000 · Apr 18, 2022

TMcA said:
On international flights from North America, I have always arrived, I believe, at Terminal 4.

Only one slight modification to make to these excellent instructions. If you fly a One World Alliance partner (Iberia, American, British Airways and a few more), you will arrive in T4, which is where the Cercanías station is.

But if you take Delta, United, or other non-partners, you will arrive at T1. The two terminals are fairly distant from each other, not walkable, but there is an intra-airport bus that runs frequently. It will add maybe 20 minutes to the total time. There is no Cercanías station in T1, but there is a metro. I would not recommend taking the metro to Atocha, unless you are already familiar with the Madrid metro and don’t mind being a pickpocket target.

If you arrive in T1, I think that an easier way to get to Atocha would be the airport bus. Aeropuerto Express direct from airport to Atocha. 5 euros. Stops at all terminals.

SharonLR · Apr 18, 2022

TMcA said:
Very easy to find. Signage is excellent because as is the case in may European airports, people use public transport to go to the airport.

On international flights from North America, I have always arrived, I believe, at Terminal 4. In that terminal you will find a tourist information desk after you leave immigration and customs. I would highly recommend a stop there to find out:

where to board the Cercanias

cost of Cercanias

how to buy your ticket

available connecting trains to Pamplona

If you already have your train ticket to Pamplona, the Cercanias may be free. Should that be the case, inquire about that, too.

Buen camino from my wife (a TN girl) and myself.

Barajas airport T4 tourist office. | spain.info

Email address, phone number and address of the tourist office at Barajas airport. | spain.info

www.spain.info

Thank you SO much!

SharonLR · Apr 18, 2022

peregrina2000 said:
Only one slight modification to make to these excellent instructions. If you fly a One World Alliance partner (Iberia, American, British Airways and a few more), you will arrive in T4, which is where the Cercanías station is.

But if you take Delta, United, or other non-partners, you will arrive at T1. The two terminals are fairly distant from each other, not walkable, but there is an intra-airport bus that runs frequently. It will add maybe 20 minutes to the total time. There is no Cercanías station in T1, but there is a metro. I would not recommend taking the metro to Atocha, unless you are already familiar with the Madrid metro and don’t mind being a pickpocket target.

If you arrive in T1, I think that an easier way to get to Atocha would be the airport bus. Aeropuerto Express direct from airport to Atocha. 5 euros. Stops at all terminals.

Thank you for this extra information (for other followers too). I do arrive in Terminal 4 so I am wondering what is best and fastest to get to Atocha ... bus or Cercanias? I guess I will see how long it takes to get through customs and ask at the information desk. I appreciate your help!

J Willhaus · Apr 18, 2022

Train station and train ticket office are in the ground floor of T4 at one end.
On the other hand, if you take the bus to Atocha station, go out the door on the on the arrivals floor and look for a yellow bus which is the express bus to Atocha. 5 euros. They prefer if you have exact change or I think now you can pay with a card (contactless).