I will be landing in Madrid and then need to catch a train to Cartagena Spain from Madriid.
Seems there are many Madrid stations.
Appreciate advice on how to get to railroad station and which station is the one to use for travelling to Cartagena in Murcia.
It appears that your options for your onward train journey are somewhat limited. I don't see many connections from Madrid to Cartagena.
You'll be departing from Atocha Station, probably on the Cercanias side--the part of the station serving shorter-distance trains. I took a bus from the airport to Atocha Station because that seemed easier, but I think train and subway services are also available. It would probably be smart to go to the train station at the airport to buy the ticket to Cartagena, because Atocha Station is large and potentially confusing. It's not totally clear where to go to buy each kind of ticket, and the lines at the staffed ticket counters can be long. If you buy the train ticket at the airport station, all you'll need to do at Atocha is find your platform; do allow time for that. You'll probably also want to grab some food to take on the train if you have time to do so. There are lots of places to do that at Atocha Station.
Thank you. I am actually trying to get to Los Alcazares and was told Cartagena was the nearest station. Is there a more efficient way that you might be aware of to arrive in Los Alcazares? I had thought of flying to Alicante and taxiing also.
Thanks
Are you aware that it will take you about 5 hours to travel from Madrid to Cartagena?
You can also take the Cercanías C-1 line (Commuter train) from Barajas Airport (Terminal 4) to Atocha train station where you'll need to transfer to an Altaria (long distance train) to Cartagena.
If you intend to visit Granada on your travels, do not forget to book your Alhambra tickets 3 months in advance.
Have a wonderful trip!
Suzy,
I was writing when you posted your reply, so didn't see it till I added my reply.
According to Rome2Rio, it looks like the train station closer to Los Alcázares is, "Balsicas-Mar Menor"
Once you arrive to Atocha station in Madrid, you'll need to take the Altaria train to Balsicas- Mar Menor, then you can take a taxi from there to Los Alcázares.
You can check train schedules on Renfe.com. You can buy your train tickets at the airport, on Terminal 4 upon arrival.
Enjoy!
Thank you for thi s advice. It does seem that I can buy tickets on renfe on line and print them out. Is there any reason not to do this and to wait for my arrival at the airport?
Thanks for advice
Suzy,
Is there any reason not to do this and to wait for my arrival at the airport?
It’s generally not recommended to book train tickets for day of arrival due to possible unforeseen delays (flight, baggage claim, passport control, etc.)
