Vacajoe
Traded in my work boots for hiking ones
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances, Portuguese, Aragon, Norte, SJWayUK, Nive
Just ending a week in Madrid prior to heading out to serve as a hospitalero in Aragon and thought I’d give a brief update with info for pilgrims traveling through or starting from this fine city!
AIRPORT: despite it being one of the busiest in Europe, immigration was quick and efficient. Easily through it in under 30 minutes for both myself and my wife (we arrived on different days). Helpful staff at the information kiosk, too. Some English spoken on the days we were there.
BUS TO ATOCHA: folks often recommend the express “Yellow Bus” for 8€ (pay by tap if credit card) but we both opted for the regular 203 for 5€ (pay by CC tap, too) which has two additional stops but is almost as fast as the express. While the express claims to come every 15 minutes, neither of us saw it either at the airport or at Atocha - staff said it was running, but we chose the local because it was there and almost as fast.
CAMINO: The Church of Santiago is located near the Cathedral and houses a small office (to the rear left as you walk in) which dispenses shells, sellos, and two types of credentials: a specific one for the Camino Madrid and the usual Camino de Santiago. Church has some wonderful Santiago references both inside and outside. They have recently installed an information plaque which indicates the starting path for the route to Santiago which we easily followed for about 1km until the signage ends. At that point you are simply following a major Madrid city road and signs are not needed for several miles.
THE CITY: Absolutely packed with people as the two weeks of holiday most Spaniards enjoy for Spring has just started. Worth an extra few days if your Camino plans include padding through this area. As a major train hub, you can get to most Camino starting points here via train/bus combinations.While there are no pilgrim-specific albergues, there are plenty of low-cost hostals (I stayed in a shared room at The Hat near Plaza Mayor for 22€ a night.)
AIRPORT: despite it being one of the busiest in Europe, immigration was quick and efficient. Easily through it in under 30 minutes for both myself and my wife (we arrived on different days). Helpful staff at the information kiosk, too. Some English spoken on the days we were there.
BUS TO ATOCHA: folks often recommend the express “Yellow Bus” for 8€ (pay by tap if credit card) but we both opted for the regular 203 for 5€ (pay by CC tap, too) which has two additional stops but is almost as fast as the express. While the express claims to come every 15 minutes, neither of us saw it either at the airport or at Atocha - staff said it was running, but we chose the local because it was there and almost as fast.
CAMINO: The Church of Santiago is located near the Cathedral and houses a small office (to the rear left as you walk in) which dispenses shells, sellos, and two types of credentials: a specific one for the Camino Madrid and the usual Camino de Santiago. Church has some wonderful Santiago references both inside and outside. They have recently installed an information plaque which indicates the starting path for the route to Santiago which we easily followed for about 1km until the signage ends. At that point you are simply following a major Madrid city road and signs are not needed for several miles.
THE CITY: Absolutely packed with people as the two weeks of holiday most Spaniards enjoy for Spring has just started. Worth an extra few days if your Camino plans include padding through this area. As a major train hub, you can get to most Camino starting points here via train/bus combinations.While there are no pilgrim-specific albergues, there are plenty of low-cost hostals (I stayed in a shared room at The Hat near Plaza Mayor for 22€ a night.)
. My advice would be to book a bed in a larger room, though, so you aren’t the old guy in a small room of just four beds. Otherwise, it was a great place for the price (23€)
