So confused. Rick Steves' book says "express bus only goes to Plaza de Cibels, not all the way to Atocha. From Atocha you can take a taxi or metro to hotel" But it does not go to Atocha! It goes on to say the bus back to airport leaves Atocha.
We are attempting a layover in Madrid and i want to make sure I understand what is involved. Can someone clarify express bus.
Ellen, I no longer have the Madrid section of my RS guide book; I discard the pages as I leave each area. I used the airport bus in 2016 and it did go to Atocha Station. I think I remember reading that the nighttime bus goes only to Plaza de Cibeles. Can you check the book and see whether you perhaps overlooked a reference to time of day?
acraven remembers correctly. The more limited route is only during late-night hours. I think that was worded the same way in 2017 as it is in the 2018 edition (emphasis mine):
By Public Bus: The yellow Exprés Aeropuerto runs between the airport (all terminals) and Atocha station (€5, pay driver in cash, departing from arrivals level every 15-20 minutes, ride takes about 40 minutes, runs 24 hours a day; from 23:30-6:00, the bus only goes to Plaza de Cibeles, not all the way to Atocha). From Atocha, you can take a taxi or the Metro to your hotel. The bus back to the airport leaves Atocha from near the taxi stand on the cercanías side (from 23:30-6:00, it departs downtown from Plaza de Cibeles).
Ellen,
The express bus ( Exprés Aeropuerto- line 203 ) runs every 15-20 minutes from the airport to Atocha,s train station from 6am to 11:30pm. It only goes to Plaza de Cibeles from 11:30pm till 6am.
Have you considered taking the Cercanías line C-1 (commuter train) from Terminal 4 directly to Atocha's train station? My mom and I took the Cercanías to/ from Barajas Airport to Atocha the last time we flew into/ out of Madrid in 2015.
Enjoy your time in Spain!
Edited to add...
Keep in mind that the express bus departs from Terminal 1.
We couldn't find the Express Bus, so we took the free airport shuttle between terminals and took the Cercanías to Atocha. I've been in a lot of airports, and for some reason, this airport wasn't as easy to maneuver through as many others.
We did plan to take the Express bus back to the Madrid airport at the end of our trip since we were staying at a hotel near the Plaza de Cibeles. We verified where to catch the bus, etc. When we arrived that morning at the stop to wait for the next bus, there were also a few taxis, and a taxi driver walked over to us and offered to take us and another couple and only charge us the cost we would have paid for the Express bus. That offered worked out very nicely.
There's also the option of a taxi. If your layover time is tight, I'd take the cercanias to Atocha, since it won't get stuck in traffic. But a taxi is a fixed rate of €30 to Atocha (and indeed to a large area of central Madrid), and there's no need to tip beyond this. This would be much easier than bus or train, and if you're taking the risk of traffic anyway by using the bus, I'd opt for the taxi instead.
Madrid airport is HUGE. Particularly if you're arriving from the US on Iberia (terminal 4S), it will take some time to get to terminal 4 where you go through immigration, before you can even consider leaving the airport to get to the city. Other nonstops from the US use other terminals which aren't quite as gigantic.
Which airlines are you using, where are you coming from and going to, and what are your scheduled arrival and departure times? With this information, people can give better advice.
Thank you all - what a difference a comma makes, shame on me!
I second just taking the taxi, depending on size of group. It was fast, only 30 euros and no waiting or walking when you dont know where you are going.
I take the metro from the airport into the city.
Have you considered taking the Cercanías line C-1 (commuter train) from Terminal 4 directly to Atocha's train station?
Single ticket tariff is 2,60 €, valid for one journey in the two hours after it is issued. For passengers with long distance train tickets, or an AVE ticket (high-speed train), this service is free
