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Flying Into Madrid April

My wife and I will arriving in Madrid at 1540 and staying for 3 nights before we move on to Seville. We are both 70 and not sure what we will be up on our arrival. We are staying at the Hostal Acapulco which is very near the Gran Via Metro Stop. Is it reasonable to get there through customs and via metro by 1800? We would like to take a short walk around, but probably not a tour, and get something simple to eat. Am thinking about the Mercado San Anton maybe and purchasing something to take back to the room (recommendations) or is there a restaurant nearby someone could recommend.

Next day I think a walking tour during the day and a night tapas tour would be ideal.

Finally we are thinking of a day trip tour to Segovia.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Posted by
7160 posts

Unless there is some type delay getting off the plane, late arrival, or a lot of planes arriving at the same time, there should be sufficient time to get to your hotel by 18:00. The metro ride will take about 40 minutes. Mercado San Anton is probably a 10 minutes walk from your hotel. It’s a nice market and less busy than the popular Mercado San Miguel by the Plaza Mayor.

Posted by
11294 posts

Note that in addition to the Gran Via metro stop, the Hostal Acapulco is also close to the Sol and Callao stops. So, you can often get where you want to go without changing lines, or at most with one change. That's in addition to the fact that it's quite central, so you can walk many places too. I enjoyed my stay there in 2015 - I hope you have a great trip!

Posted by
15788 posts

While you can get use the metro, why slog through the hassles? Sounds like you're arriving after a long flight from the US. If it's not a weekend, 16.00-18.00 sounds to me like rush hour - the worst time to take the metro with luggage. If you haven't been to Madrid before, you're going to have to find your way on foot - with your bags - to the Hostal, maybe a flight of stairs from the metro. Taxis aren't super expensive. Take one!

Posted by
20 posts

Thanks for the suggestions! I think the idea of a shuttle or a cab is a good one considering the metro ride during rush hour.

Posted by
11294 posts

A taxi from the airport to your hotel is a fixed rate of €30, and no tipping is expected beyond this. I agree that it's a great option (that's what I did on my last trip).

Posted by
2545 posts

I also recommend taking a taxi. It’s a flat rate if there’s traffic, and no stress about luggage.

Keep in mind that many restaurants don’t open for dinner until 20:00.