Madrid Travel Answers

There is a very good and inexpensive shuttle bus which will take you from the airport to Atocha train station. From there you can walk to your accommodation. Or take a taxi. I wouldn't bother with the metro for just the one stop.

You can walk from Atocha in about 15 minutes - it is an easy walk. Bus to Atocha is the easier option, rather than metro from the airport to Anton Martin.

Thank you! That was very helpful. I did many "googlings" about the neighbourhood (about nearsest shops, restaurants, pubs etc..) but didn´t yet know about the buses. We usually don´t use public transport other than first and last day, because we love to walk. :)

it's a bright yellow bus so will be easy to spot at the airport! Has a couple of stops before it finishes the run at Atocha.

Thank you!! I´m waiting for confirm from the Mad4Rent company, but I guess it should be fine, when we could book online, and even paid the desposit. I cave my home e-mail, so i will see it at night, but there shouldn´t be any problem. Now I can start planning what to do etc. ;)

Why not taxi? Easy, fast and direct. Even affordable when there's more than one of you.

Because we allways look for the cheapest opinion :) There is only two of us. I think the taxi would be much more. We are coming aroun 15 o´clock and leaving around the same, so public transport is working.

If by any chance you take the metro, be particularly careful of the transfer at Nuevos Ministerios - this is a favorite pickpocket area! Usually I do take the metro from the airport as I normally only have one bag - but there are some stairs so the shuttle mentioned could be the best option.

I think we will use the bus. You see more, and thanks telling about the stairs. I have problems with my arm, and my husband needs topick up my bag also allways. I can stroll it with it´s wheels, but in stairs he needs to take care of both bags.

Bus information is here by the way= emtmadrid.es/lineaaeropuerto...

Hi "T", when I do Madrid I find the metro is so easy to get into town, I just use it, even if it is Nuevos Ministerios which is where the train from the airport stops, and then taxi or do more metro. There is only a small "supplemento". The Barajas airport is quite a ways out of town, but once at Nuevos Ministerios you can decide to taxi from there (it should be relatively inexpensive) or connect with another metro train that gets you to Anton Martin. I have not done the shuttle, but I agree that it would not make sense to metro one stop from Atocha Station (it could be two stops because there are two stops at Atocha, as one is for the RENFE station. Karl

Thanks again :) I think we will use bus anyway. I like to see outside. But thank you anyway!

Going back to my taxi my friend - I admit it was 3 years ago, but it cost me about €22 from Barajas to Paseo de los Recoletos in the centre. Is that a lot in the context of a holiday, €11 each? 1) Walk out of airport door into taxi rank 2) No bus timtables 3) No train waiting 4) No carrying cases up and down steps and up the street/straining joints 5) No pickpocket/undesirables risk at all 6) Drops you right at the accomodation 7) No worry about crowding or jostling 8) Total relaxation and no worry about your connection Given all the things you have said I think you may have been over-estimating taxi cost againt bus etc, and a taxi would suit you down to ground. For the price of a menú del día. Mystifies me but it's your holiday!!

Bus costs €2 x 2 = €4

Call me extravagant Hawky - I put mine and my wife's comfort, safety, relaxation and aching bones above saving €20 when on my jollies!

I wish 20e would be a little money for us, but it isn´t today.. I have hurt my arm badly 4 years ago, and can´t work whole days, but insurance company thinks I can, and stopped paying me 30% disability pension I got before (for first 3 years) and told me I got well at 1st February 2011 (Funny, I didn´t notice ;) ). So we are at very low budget. We are also planning to do the dinners some days to save money etc. we first thought we can´t go anywhere in this money situation, but it just felt too wired to stay home all holliday. So we try to save in anything we can. To us, 40e (coming and going) is too much, when we can do it by bus. I rather spent that on eating out more.

johnincornwall - you must have had a very bad experience. We found the bus to be convenient and comfortable and just as quick as a taxi. But, heigh ho, I can do an awful lot with €20 x 2 other than using it to go to and from an airport. I have never found using a taxi in Madrid to be particularly pleasant, in any case. I would rather use the € on my actual holiday.....

I just remembered that there is a suburban train now that runs from Barajas airport but TERMINAL 4 into Madrid and it stops at useful places like Chamartin station and Atocha PLUS the SOUTH bus station called at Mendez Alvaro before ending at Principe Pio. The CERCANIAS LINE is C-1 on this map. renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias... This route could be useful for some people going to those places. I mention it because the topic is called From airport to the centre.

There seems to be many terminals. We will arrive to terminal 2.