Madrid-Barajas and other Madrid, Spain Transportation Tips

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: When coming to Madrid by plane, Barajas is where you're most likely landing. This is the biggest airport in Madrid and Spain when it comes to traffic and a lot of airlines fly to and from here: Air Europa, Iberia, Spanair, Lufthansa, Vueling, etc.

When I visited Madrid, I landed on Terminal 1 (Lufthansa from Munich) and from there I walked to Terminal 2 and to the tourist board office to pick up my Madrid travel card (Abono Transporte Turístico). From Terminal 2 you'll find the metro line 8 towards the city. Just take it until the end of the journey at the stop called Nuevos Ministerios and from there take another metro line to your final destination. The journey from T2 to Nuevos Ministerios takes about 15 minutes.

As Madrid-Barajas is a big hub for intercontinental and European flights, try to come in with enough time for you to check in and go thru security check because the lines are LONG. Check if you can check in online or at check-in machines at the airport to save some time (Lufthansa has machines where you can check in).

Going to the airport from the city costs 2€ on a single ticket from any metro station and 2.75€ on a single combined metro ticket if taking the metro from any station in MetroSur, MetroNorte, MetroEste, TFM and Metro Ligero Oeste because you need to change lines. These prices include a 1€ supplement that is to be paid when you come to the airport. More info about it on Metro de Madrid (only in Spanish). This supplement is already included in their period cards and Abono Transporte Turístico (read my separate tip about it).

Leave a Comment

Phone: 902353570
Website: http://www.aena.es/madrid-barajas/index.html

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: ...unless you're going to visit a lot of the places they give discount or free entrance. This card does not cover public transportation, so you must to buy a tourist card (Abono Transporte Turístico) on the side.

Leave a Comment

Website: www.madridcard.es/en/Inicio.aspx

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: This pass will give you free transport on buses, commuter trains and metro within the zone you buy it for. Madrid is divided into 2 zones: Zone A, which basically is Madrid, and Zone T which includes El Escorial, Alcalá de Henares, Toledo and Guadalajara.

They sell 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 5-day and 7-day passes and the price range goes from 3.80€ to 19.80€ for an adult in zone A or 9.60€ to 39.60€ for adult in zone T. With this pass you avoid paying an extra 1€ ticket at Madrid Barajas that does using single tickets have to pay.

You can buy it online and pick it up at the tourist board office at Barajas, terminal 2, right before the subway entrance.

Validate your ticket by inserting it on the machine where you first use it and have it with you at all times, because the controlants can be quite tough (not speaking by experience). I saw 2-3 of them on all the major subway stations.

Leave a Comment

Website: www.neoturismo.com

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: The metro is cheap, efficient and runs very often. From Barajas airport you take line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios (end of journey) and from there (or before, it depends on where you're headed) you change lines to your final destination. A map of the metro can be found at Metro de Madrid (in Spanish, but you'll get the idea ;)).

A single ticket costs 1€ but there's the Metrobus ticket, which is valid for 10 trips and costs 6.70€ and there's of course different kinds of travel cards (abonos). The prices are found at the link below, when you click on "Billetes y abonos".

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.metromadrid.es

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: I found this tool while planning how to go from point A to point B on my Madrid trip and I found it extremely useful. You have several ways to choose the best way for you: either metro, bus or suburban trains, choose by the name of an attraction or sight or by street address. Very good!

Travel planner: Consorcio Transportes Madrid - in English.

Update: for some reason the link above, which I got from their English version, sometimes ends up loading a page in Spanish. If that happens to you, click on the English flag.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.ctm-madrid.es/como_ir_a/madrid/como_ir_a_madrid1.jsp?CODPANTALLA=0&CODBOTON=201

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: I've heard only bad things about Iberia and the more I heard, the more I wanted to fly with them. Yesterday, I got my wish.

Iberia isn't as bad as I thought of. Every other airline has to deal with delays, lost baggage, cranky personnel, etc. I have nothing to say but good things from the check-in employee to the pilot. Danny and I fly stand by with employee discount, so we always get the seats last. The check-in clerk said that there were 3 seats left but that there was a group with a tight connection so that he didn't think it was a problem.

Coming to the gate, Danny was given the last confirmed seat and the last thing I thought of was asking if I could go in a jump seat (as told by the check-in clerk). They asked and I got a "yes", so I got to go as part of the cabin crew. Dear didn't I have a blast or what? Those flight attendants were very nice and friendly, I saw them being very professional with rude people who wanted to go to the bathroom when the seat belt sign was on and the plane moving like if it was in a blender, people who would not turn off their mobiles when landing or taking off, etc. Even if the pilot had said no, the gate clerks said that the next flight was wide open and were willing to give me a ticket right there.

In short, I have nothing bad to say because I know they have the same problems as all other airlines.

Leave a Comment