camino0515-lt
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Francés 2015, VldP, 2019, Portugués, Finisterre 23
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I've never seen a line for US passport holders in Europe. I've never arrived directly from the US to Madrid, I always have a connection somewhere else, usually Frankfurt, and I've only seen EU and Non EU lines there.One for EU passport holders, one for non-EU passport holders, and one for American passport holders. I went to the American passport holders section
Hi all, We will be arriving in T1 around 10 am on March 31st from Canada. Would anyone know how long (average) it takes to get out the door for non-european travellers once we pick-up our bags.Thanks
This explains why I only fly on American Airlines and its codeshare (OneWorld) partners when flying into Spain. All arrivals and departures are at T-4. The process is smooth, despite T-4 and the Satellite terminal being HUGE. Moving walkways and a good underground train connect the satellite to the main terminal and make moving from arrival to connecting gates relatively easy.
As MSPATH states, you frequently arrive at baggage reclaim, after passport control, before your bags arrive. If you are connecting at Madrid, say to fly to Bilbao, Oviedo, Pamplona, Sevilla, Barcelona, or Santiago, the transfers are relatively easy and your bags are automatically sent to your final destination.
In the EU, customs is done at your final destination. Only passport control (immigration) is done at the first port of entry. So, for example, if you are transiting Madrid to head for Pamplona, you clear passport control at Madrid, on your way to make your connection.
You will not see your checked luggage until Pamplona. Usually customs clearance at your destination is an easy green door / red door thing. Typically, if you do not choose to declare something, they leave you alone.
So, if you only use the airlines that use T-4 at MAD, your arrival or departure to or from Spain will be much less dramatic and quicker... at least IMHO and experience.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for your reply. In your experience, what is a “reasonable“ worst scenario?Also depends on where you are sitting in your aircraft, especially if you are on a large airplane. If you disembark last, that’s hundreds of folks ahead of you from just YOUR plane. Plan for the worst, but have a Plan B for the best.
Thanks Bumpa, it’s very useful. I’m flying Ott-Tor-Madrid and was afraid I would not be able to catch my 1:30 pm train from Attocha. Hopefully I’ll have time to buy a SIM card before boarding the train.Air Canada only flys into T-1.. Customs has been quick and the hold up is the arrival on the carousel of your checked bag. Exit with nothing to declare is simply walking out a door. I would allow an hour though just to be safe
I note that, from Pearson Airport at Toronto, Iberia flies to Madrid, via Heathrow, on its British Airlines codeshare partner.
Air Canada is a very good airline. But there are options...
Personally, when traveling intercontinentally, I favor overall convenience and lack of drama over cost. Changing terminals sucks...
Just sayin...
Same experience with us. Fastest was 5 minutes at immigration and longest was maybe 25 mins tops. Waited longer for the checked bag with our poles and knives. Total time to leave the airport and catch the commuter train? Maybe an hour. A bit longer the first time we took the train to Chamartin because we couldn’t find the place to pick up the free ticketsI live in Madrid, so I have been through the passport control a few times. Usually it's like 10 minutes tops, but one time I arrived at 6 AM at the same time as four other flights from Latin American countries, so there were more people. Still, that only took like 30 minutes maximum. When you arrive in T4, you have to take a tram to get to your luggage. It will usually be there by the time you get through security or you will have a little wait.
Good morning camino0515-it. Give yourself an hour to 90 minutes. I’m not sure what terminal I’ve flown into but I believe that’s be an average. We arrive March 27, 2017 and bused it to Seville and off hiking within 36 hours. Watch out for the terrain at that time of year. It’s pretty wet!Hi all, We will be arriving in T1 around 10 am on March 31st from Canada. Would anyone know how long (average) it takes to get out the door for non-european travellers once we pick-up our bags.Thanks
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