I arrive in Madrid at 7:40 AM and I am staying at a hotel very close to the Atocha Train Station. The hotel does not have a complimentary shuttle service from the airport. They sent me a link for a service that charges 77 euros for transport. This seems a bit pricey. Is it safe to look for transportation once I land? I was thinking there may be different options at the airport or possibly an Uber. Thanks!
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6534 posts
I always use the metro to get from the airport to town. It is inexpensive and easy to use. If I remember correctly, there’s also a bus one can take.
Posted by
831 posts
Your guidebook will have a detailed description of your options.
Posted by
Ozarks of Arkansas
279 posts
We went the other way one morning. The hotel was very near the train station. 35 euros to the airport. We just picked a cab in front of the hotel and went.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
There is a bus from the airport to the train station. Since your hotel is near the station, take the bus.
Posted by
Washington DC
27111 posts
I used the bus. Just walked outside the airport and asked someone. The bus stop was very close by, but I wanted to be sure I was standing in the right place.
You'll probably find it helpful once you get to Atocha to have an electronic map on your smartphone that will pinpoint your location via GPS. I had a hard time getting oriented when I walked outside the station. It's sort of as if the station is on a big traffic island. You know you need to cross the street, but where?
Posted by
San Diego, California, USA
795 posts
Tip: There is Atocha - which is the metro stop and Atocha Renfe which is the train station. They are one metro stop apart or walkable but they are two different place.
Here is a page - no endorsement - with a bunch of options: http://www.gomadrid.com/transport/airport_options.html
The airport bus sounds like it may work for you for 5euros and heads to Atocha.
You can take the Pink/8 Metro to Nuevos Ministerios and then into the metro system but you will probably have to change a couple of times.
Metro planner here: https://www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja_en_metro/trayecto_recomendado/index.html
You can take Atocha Cercanias - which is local trains - either from some terminals directly or from Nuevos Ministerios and take the the train to Atocha/Atocha Renfe.
Renfe can be more challenging than the metro to navigate but 3+ metro changes with luggage is no fun.
Timetable of Renfe Atocha to Nuevos Ministerios: http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/madrid/
Hope that helps, I certainly wouldn't pay more than the set 30euros taxi price, but even that seems steep unless you really want door to door service or there is 3 people or more in your party. At 15euros for the bus then a taxi might start to make sense.
(Many taxi fares in Spain are set prices, with additions for time of day, if you call them etc.) The pricing is pretty straightforward and all the monetary transactions I had in Spain were not only above board but people went to pains to point out that everything was above board. As long as you grab one at a taxi stand I wouldn't worry about getting scammed by any taxi in Spain.
=Tod