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Sleeping Pods - Madrid airport?

Vanozza

Active Member
Donating Member
Time of past OR future Camino
I have walked part of the Camino Frances one and a half times. I ended in Sahagun in April 2019.
My flight to Spain will arrive at MAD Barajas airport at 6:30am. However my accommodations in Madrid will not be available for check-in until 3pm! No early check-ins. I will be a wreck after crossing 6 time zones so I have wondered about renting a sleeping pod at the airport for a few hours before heading into Madrid. However I cannot figure out how to do this. The Internet links all seem to be broken. Does anyone have any experience renting or using sleeping pods at the Madrid airport? Help!
 
Altus ANDES 400 H30 sleeping bag
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I don’t think there is a sleeping pods hotel at Madrid airport. I recently had to stay by the Madrid airport and the closest budget accommodation was like 15 minutes away. I stayed at Hostel Viky which on the booking.com map looked like it was right next to the airport but it was a 15 minute van ride. There is a hotel in terminal 4 but it is expensive.
 
Thank you for responding so quickly. Much appreciated.
 
Altus Poncho (ATMOSPHERIC H30)
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-


There seems to be a premium service , also for arrivals.
No pods but a private lounge and some personal assistance.
They do not display the cost.

Premium Services | Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport | Aena

Here you can find out all the information about the Premium Services at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. Go to the Aena website and find out more!
www.aena.es
 

How much is the cost per night of your Hotel in Madrid?
What is the potential cost of a 'pod' somewhere?
How important is it for you to get some rest?

I was faced with the same issues travelling to my last Camino, during a stopover in Dubai of 23 hours.
(i was doing some business meetings during the stop over)

I paid for an extra night in the Hotel, so that I could check in at 5 am........

Just a thought.......
 
That’s an excellent strategy. I will check now to see if I can book the room for one extra night in advance.
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Last month I arrived in Madrid at 7:00 and couldn’t check into my place until 15:00. In between, my son and I rode the Metro system to different places and did a lot of walking. Every single street was uphill!!

PS - Try to sleep on the plane on the way to Spain. I got some “medical help” to do this and so when I arrived, I was silly but not totally exhausted.
 
Not that I’ve done it or fully recommend it, but the park around the Prada was packed with tourists and their suitcases getting naps in before their hotels would let them in . If you choose this, definitely put a leash on your pack so it doesn’t wander off….
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Check if your place of lodging will allow you to deposit your baggage there, while you wander Madrid - a beautiful city by the way - until check in. I always do this, even when just traveling as a tourist.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
I'm with @t2andreo
Make it to your hotel, drop the bag and go wander
Come back by say 4-5PM and crash then
All in all you may be a less of a wreck than you think
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Paying for an extra night in the hotel so we could check in early has been recommended to us when arriving early morning in other countries. Call or email your Madrid hotel to see if this is possible.
 
I’ve found when I come from the US and arrive that early most places will take your luggage for you. I’ve then found if I don’t nap and try to go to bed on their time, the next morning I have no jet lag and feel fine. Several times I’ve just bought a ticket for the red hop on hop off bus and enjoyed the ride. Found all the things I want to see the next day. And I have also fallen asleep on the bus.
 
To conquer jetlag, you MUST fight it! That means you should absolutely NOT sleep upon arrival from the US to Europe. Get outside in the open air and sunshine to stay awake.

Once your room is ready in the afternoon, try to nap for a couple hours. Set an alarm to wake up for dinner and try to stay awake until normal bedtime.

If you give into your desire to sleep at the wrong time, it will only prolong your jetlag.

It's very helpful to have previous travel experience so you can practice jetlag recovery. The struggle doesn't get any easier, but you learn ways to avoid making it much worse.


-Paul
 
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