Madrid Travel Forum

I will be arriving from Malaga at 9.40am at Atocha station , will I have enough time to transfer to the airport for an 11.35am International flight to Atlanta .
Gracias ,
Thomas

It will be tight, maybe too tight.

According to http://www.metromadrid.es/en/index.html the trip from Atocha to Barajas takes 50 mins and you have to be checked in minimum 60 minutes before departure.

Hi Tom, I don't think you give yourself enough time. When you arrive at Atocha Renfe, you will need at least 10 minutes to collect your bags and walk over to the metro station and you still need to buy tickets for the metro. The line 1 probably runs every 6 minutes so you could easily lose some time there. Then you have to change lines at Tribunal to get to Nuevos Ministerios, which means walking up and down stairs and timing the next train. It could take 45 minutes just to get to Nuevos Ministerios according to the metro website. Then another 35 minutes to Barajas (plus buying the extra surcharge ticket to the airport), Then you have to make sure which terminal you fly out of. For an international flight you really need to be at the airport at 9:40, not arriving at Atocha. Karl

My tip about this very subject using the Cercanias regular train running from Atocha stopping at Nuevos Ministerios is :
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4ceb3/3ff84/9/
Allow one hour for this route which is fine.

it will be very tight indeed. I say always be at least 1H30 before departure flights nowdays.

No problem. The trains and busses arrivals are spot on and the 2 metro train ride to the airport is less than 20 min. Only take a taxi if you cant carry your bags - lots of stairs in the metro. Put your wallet in your sock as the pickpockets on the airport run are doing well.