How much time to allow from airport to train station (Madrid

[mswest]

Hola--
I'm just about to buy my AVE tickets from Madrid to Seville, and am wondering how much time I should allow to pick up my luggage, get through customs, and go by bus to Atocha?

Due to hiking poles and pocketknife, my backpack will be checked in as luggage, not carry-on.

Of course, there's always the element of surprise due to weather etc, but generally speaking, does anyone have any ballpark time estimate?

One online travel forum suggested 4 hours (!!!) -- that seems extreme to me, but perhaps I am just an optimist.

Thanks!

Melissa

 

[ivar]

I think 4 hours is a comfortable buffer to have... if you count the time from the plane touches grouns until the AVE train leaves, you might need a few hours.

Plane touches down, time later:
30min you are waiting for bags
15 min you have bag
15 you passed customs
15 you find the bus stop
15 until the next bus arrives
30-45 min bus arrives at the station (I have never taken the bus, so this is a guess... if this is rush hour, it might be more)
20 min later you have found your train and boarded.

Total: about 2,5 hours... then you need to adjust for delayed plane/bus... rush hour, ++

I think 4 hours is a good advice.. most likely you will not need 4 hours, but then you will not be stressing. By the way, there is also a nice metro connection between the Madrid airport and the train station (by the way, there are two train stations in madrid, make sure you go to the correct one). The train sto Sevilla leaves from Atocha if I am not mistaking..

Buen Camino!
Ivar

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I would leave 4 hours - Madrid airport is now massive with an internal train connection from some arrival areas to baggage collection - it all takes time.

Good luck.

John

 

[lynnejohn]

Yikes! We arrive at Barajas at 1410 and our train leaves Atocha for Huelva at 1805. I didn't think that would be cutting it close at all! The "Yellow Bus" (express bus) says it takes 30 min to get to Atocha but of course you're right, Ivar - depends on rush hour traffic.

For information and other stops, here is the link to the Yellow Bus:

http://www.esmadrid.com/recursos/doc/es ... 102947.pdf

 

[mswest]

*Sigh* -- yes, you are right, 4 hours would seem like a reasonable buffer, especially looking at Ivar's counting. Thanks for the reality check. I'll have to check w/ the pension in Seville to find out how late I can arrive.

I think I've been watching too much Star Trek and was thinking I could beam myself right over.

 

[Whalleyranger]

Which airline are you flying with? If you land at terminal 4 you could have a lengthy monorail ride just to get as far as baggage reclaim. And from the far end of terminal 1 to the bus stop is a good fifteen minute walk.

 

[Whalleyranger]

Oh, and if you're planning on getting the Metro to Atocha, remember to allow at least 5 minutes to find a working ticket machine that'll take your money.

 

[Davconn]

Hi, all. A variation on the originial question: From all your replies, it appears that two hours would be enough time to make it from the plane to catch the bus at the Madrid airport. I arrive on a Monday next month in Madrid at 0730 (with a checked backpack) and want to catch a bus from the airport to Ponferrada that leaves Terminal 4(?) at 0935. I assume that I can purchase a ticket from the driver, and am assuming all else goes smoothly. I'd really like to make this bus so I can arrive early enough to make my way to the albergue in the afternoon. I believe in a higher power but am I being grossly optimistic? I never been to Madrid's airport and so am not sure of how efficiently things move along. All input is most welcome.

Best,

David

 

[ivar]

Hi, all. A variation on the originial question: From all your replies, it appears that two hours would be enough time to make it from the plane to catch the bus at the Madrid airport. I arrive on a Monday next month in Madrid at 0730 (with a checked backpack) and want to catch a bus from the airport to Ponferrada that leaves Terminal 4(?) at 0935. I assume that I can purchase a ticket from the driver, and am assuming all else goes smoothly. I'd really like to make this bus so I can arrive early enough to make my way to the albergue in the afternoon. I believe in a higher power but am I being grossly optimistic? I never been to Madrid's airport and so am not sure of how efficiently things move along. All input is most welcome.

Best,

David

Hi David,

Terminal 4 in Madrid is almost exclusively used by Iberia, and it is located a few km's away from Terminal 1, 2 and 3. So if you are arriving with Iberia, it will be easy to get the bus.

If you arrive with any other airline, with 2 hours, you should also be fine... but you should not waist time, since you probably will need the 2 hours to get the bus to terminal 4...

Buen Camino!
Ivar

 

[annakappa]

I assume that I can purchase a ticket from the driver, and am assuming all else goes smoothly.

Hi Davconn. Last time we wanted to take a direct bus from Barajas to Astorga, it was full. Also the tickets are to be purchased at a machine by the bus stop. Once that didn't work and we had to go to an office (and wait in a queue) to buy our tickets! Anne

 

[SandyJA]

Hi Everyone.

I know this post is a bit old, but hopefully you can still help me out. I have a similar question.

I'll be arriving at Madrid airport on Wednesday at 12.40 with RyanAir at terminal 1. No checked luggage, only a hand bag. I am planning on catching the Express bus to Atocha and then A train from there. I am just about to buy the train tickets and thought I had better check if I am cutting it too close.

I was planning on buying the tickets for the 14.45 train. Should I go for the 16.25 instead?

My calculations are:
Arrive at 12.40 |(RyanAir is generally on time)
Exit airport at 1pm
Catch bus at 1.15pm
Arrive at Atocha at 2pm
Which leaves me 45 mins to find the train and a little buffer for any delays.

Is this enough?

I really don't want to wait for an extra 2 hours if it's not necessary.

IF anyone can reply, It would really help me out!!

TIA

 

[Staggerlee]

Sandy JA,

Your estimated time for clearing the airport seems a little optimistic to me.
You might make the earlier train, you might not.
In your position I would go for the later option.
If you find yourself with time on your hands, there are many bars and restaurants in the Atocha area where you can grab a bite to eat.

Buen Camino

Andy

 

[SandyJA]

Hi Andy,

Thank for the feedback.

I'm estimating a fast airport exit because I'll be flying in from Europe (so I assume no vigorous custom check) and I won't have any checked luggage. Am I grossly mistaken?

On one hand, I don't want to spend any extra time in the train station (even though I know it's beautiful) and on the other hand, I don't want to miss the train and then have to pay for a full priced ticket.

 

[Al the optimist]

I always wonder why people create stress by trying to save time. You are going on a Camino where time has a different meaning. Give yourself plenty of time and start relaxed and and peaceful.

 

[SYates]

How much is the ticket and, if it is cheap (for you) why not buying both, see how it goes and gift, if you make the earlier train, the ticket to the later train to somebody on the train station? Buen Camino! SY

 

[Staggerlee]

Thing is; if your flight touches down at 12:40 you won't actually disembark until 13:00 and then you don't know what the queues at immigration will be like. You may well be fine but then again.....
Why stress out?
You could always buy your train ticket at Atocha??

 

[SandyJA]

Thing is; if your flight touches down at 12:40 you won't actually disembark until 13:00 and then you don't know what the queues at immigration will be like. You may well be fine but then again.....
Why stress out?
You could always buy your train ticket at Atocha??

I considered buying it at the station, but buying it online today, would cost 45Euro and buying it at the station would be 109.

 

[SandyJA]

I considered buying it at the station, but buying it online today, would cost 45Euro and buying it at the station would be 109.

And since I will be flying from a European country to Spain, I though I would skip the "International Immigration" line and just get checked at customs

 

[Staggerlee]

You still have to go through passport control. The queues can be long, especially for non EU passports.

Good luck.

 

[peregrina2000]

SandyJa,

I think it's very possible you'll make it, but it would be cutting it a bit close. I'd go with the later one, but like Al, I think the question is whether you'll be stressed out about it. If this were a matter of several hours, it'd be one thing, but we're talking about a one hour 40 minute difference. If you wind up early at the train station, and have a couple of hours to kill, take advantage and go for a walk in the very nearby Retiro park (beautiful). Or head to the Reina Sofia for a quick visit, it's also a short walk away -- as you may already know, Picasso's Guernica is there. There's certainly no need to sit in a train station when you're in central Madrid!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[rickster]

Agree with 4 hours and the comment about how large the airport is. Sometimes I feel like getting from the plane to customs in Madrid is like walking the first leg of the camino.

 

[B.Monti]

Are there lockers at the train station (backpack sized). If so, is it advisable to use one? I have 6+ hours to wait between plane and train

 

[ranthr]

A similar question from me too: It seems to take some time to get to terminal 4 from where I was thinking of taking a direct C- train to Chamertin. Will it be faster to take some bus outside T 2 to Chamartin train station?

 

[peregrina2000]

A similar question from me too: It seems to take some time to get to terminal 4 from where I was thinking of taking a direct C- train to Chamertin. Will it be faster to take some bus outside T 2 to Chamartin train station?

Hi, ranthr,
The airport express bus doesn't stop at Chamartin, it goes to the center (stop at Cibeles and Colon I think) and then on to Atocha.

The airport authority AENA has a great schematic map that shows you all the options.

http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application/pdf&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1237647142503&ssbinary=true&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment; filename=AENA-MAD_Transporte_Publico_ES_EN_MAR2014.pdf

Let me know if that link doesn't work. It shows metro, Cercanias, regular Madrid bus (200) and express bus routes to some principal points in Madrid.

If you don't take Cercanias, I'd say your best bet is the metro to Nuevos Ministerios, then change and head north to Chamartin.

 

[jpflavin1]

A similar question from me too: It seems to take some time to get to terminal 4 from where I was thinking of taking a direct C- train to Chamertin. Will it be faster to take some bus outside T 2 to Chamartin train station?

The airport bus runs about every 15 minutes. The Cercanias train every half hour on the :28 and :58 minute. If you run into a time issue you can always take a cab to either train station. They are located at each terminal and cost about 30 euro's to the train station.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[ranthr]

Thanks Joe and Laurie! The link worked OK. I was robbed once on an airport metro in Spain returning from my camino, so I keep away from the metro. Guess it will be the C- train or a taxi since there is no yellowbus to Chamartin.