Accommodation in Madrid

[Tina Gates]

Hi everyone, I am new here. My husband and I are excited to be beginning our Camino journey at the start of June. We are travelling from Australia and plan to stay overnight in Madrid, then catch a train to Leon to begin our walk the next day. Does anyone have recommendations for somewhere to stay in Madrid, close to the train station? Thankyou.

 

[C clearly]

I have stayed at both Hostal Bruna and Hostal Gonzalo, both of which are very pleasant and can be reserved on booking.com. They are convenient to El Prado and about a 15 minute walk to Atocha Station.

 

[Phillypilgrim]

www.mediodiahotel.com is where I have stayed across the street from Atocha Station.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Tina,

Welcome to the forum. Trains to Leon leave from the Chamartin train station (not Atocha), which is not a very atmospheric part of Madrid. But you can easily get to Chamartin from the very central Puerta del Sol. The metro goes there, but it is much easier to take the Cercanias train (the Madrid commuter rail line). It's about a ten minute ride on the train and they are extremely frequent.

So if I were you, I'd look for a place to stay near Puerta del Sol, either on booking.com or some other travel website where you can specify the part of the city you want to stay in. I've stayed in a couple, nothing at all special, like Hotel Europa or a Best Western whose name I forget, but maybe someone has some great recommendations for that part of town.

 

[Tina Gates]

Thankyou everyone, your info is very helpful. We debated whether to just jump straight on a train to Leon when we arrive in Madrid, but thought it would be better to rest and start fresh the next day. Now I'm wondering if perhaps it would be better to head straight to Leon? Anyway, all advice very welcome.

 

[whariwharangi]

Thankyou everyone, your info is very helpful. We debated whether to just jump straight on a train to Leon when we arrive in Madrid, but thought it would be better to rest and start fresh the next day. Now I'm wondering if perhaps it would be better to head straight to Leon? Anyway, all advice very welcome.

I have no idea how long a flight it is to travel from Australia to Madrid.

I guess it depends on when you arrive ... however, I would consider planning for at least one night in Madrid. Jet lag and lack of sleep are part of the cost of travel and you have to look after yourself.

That being said ... its about 2.5 hours by train from Madrid to Leon ... so it might be worth considering to end the travel bit in one go.

There is a 4 star hotel at Chamartin ... and it is reported to be a reasonable price for what you get. You might prefer to stay at one of the many hotels in Puerta del Sol area as suggested by peregrina ... its no big deal to take the metro or the cercanias to Chamartin Station to catch your train.

Note there are two major train stations: Atocha and Chamartin. Most if not all trains to Leon depart from Chamartin.

 

[MaryLynn]

I usually have flown into Madrid from Toronto, then taken the airport shuttle bus to the Atocha station (about 30min ride, 5E), and stayed at Urban Sea 113Atocha (that's the name of the hotel) at 113 Atocha, less than a ten-minute walk from the Atocha Station. Next day or two later, I have taken the train from Atocha Station to Leon or Pamplona where I began that year's Camino Frances. The staff at the hotel speak English and are friendly and helpful. The rooms are clean, simple, comfortable, and.reasonably priced for a major European city. The neighbourhood is safe, busy, and near the Prado, Botanical Gardens, and the Plaza Mayor. I mostly travel alone, and have always enjoyed the hotel and my stay in Madrid.

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Thankyou everyone, your info is very helpful. We debated whether to just jump straight on a train to Leon when we arrive in Madrid, but thought it would be better to rest and start fresh the next day. Now I'm wondering if perhaps it would be better to head straight to Leon? Anyway, all advice very welcome.

Welcome Tina

It's a long haul from Australia regardless of which route you take. You can always tell the Aussies at the transit airports - that 1000 mile stare We left our home in Adelaide at 6pm Tuesday (local time) to catch 10pm flight > 13¼ hrs to Dubai > 3hrs transit > 7¼hrs to Paris > 4hrs train to arrive in Bordeaux 8:30pm on Wednesday (local time). So that's about 36hrs trains, planes and automobiles actual travel time in total. We spent a day in Bordeaux getting our heads together before taking the train and bus to St Jean Pied de Port for the start of our Camino where we had another full day before leaving.

If you've long hauled before you'll know how you cope and can plan accordingly. If not, I'd advise to either stay the night in Madrid if you're arriving late or an extra night in Leon if you decide to go there direct. I know that you'll be eager to start out but @whariwharangi makes a very good point in that you do need to look after yourself.

Have a great time, whichever way you decide.

Buen Camino

 

[Castilian]

Hi Tina Gates! Welcome to the Forum!

Whether to head straight to León (or not) depends on your arrival time, how you deal with jet-lag and some personal preferences so I can't really make suggestions about it.

Trains to León depart from Chamartín station. That's not a cheap area of Madrid and it doesn't have the charm of the old town. On the plus side, there's a 4 star hotel in the train station itself and a (I think 3 star) hotel very close. If you just want an accommodation close to the train station, any of them would work if the fare is within your budget.

maybe someone has some great recommendations for that part of town.

I would suggest to avoid Puerta del Sol after such a long trip. I would look for a less busy area.

Anyway, regardless of the area, don't forget to read carefully reviews about your accommodation; for example, to avoid accommodations that are noisy due to their location (or the accommodation itself).

Most if not all trains to Leon depart from Chamartin.

All the trains from Madrid to León that start their route in Madrid depart from Chamartín station. The only one that doesn't start its route in Madrid (the Alvia from Alicante to Gijón) stops at both Puerta de Atocha and Chamartín.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Thankyou everyone, your info is very helpful. We debated whether to just jump straight on a train to Leon when we arrive in Madrid, but thought it would be better to rest and start fresh the next day. Now I'm wondering if perhaps it would be better to head straight to Leon? Anyway, all advice very welcome.

I have had to make this same decision myself three times before, and recommend a couple of days in Madrid post-camino, if you can. This time, (June also for the VdlP), I arrive in Madrid about 1pm from Aus and have booked the AVE to Seville later that day. Have your rest day at your starting point, and get organised. Leon will definitely get you in the mood! And you'll meet lots of pilgrims to share a beer with, and get you in the zone. Good luck,and buen camino.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

If you do this, make sure you pre-book the AVE on the Renfe site.

 

[JennyH94]

Hi Tina -
I've booked the Tryp Chamartin Hotel for three nights at the end of July - it was around 70-odd euros per night. It's close to the Chamartin Train Station and looks to be pretty good. I wanted a reasonable amount of time to get over jetlag and also have the time there as a buffer against flight delays. The last two times I flew into Madrid (from Sydney) on my way up north to the Camino - 2014 and 2015 - there were flight delays and my schedule was thrown out wildly.
Madrid's so beautiful and there is a plethora of wonderful museums and things to see and do generally. I note that you're planning to catch the train to Leon the next day but if you're not limited by time I can recommend it wholeheartedly for a few days visit.
Buen Camino and take joy in every step -
Jenny

 

[Anniesantiago]

I like Hostal Residencial Fernandez across the street from Atocha Station and Reina Sofia. It is around €38 for a double, clean, modest and convenient.