Can anyone give advice or directions on how to quickly locate a taxi outside of Madrid train Station Atocha?
We have another train to catch at Chamartin Clara Campo station. We’ve been through Atocha several times and it’s so confusing.
Arriving at noon via AVE fast train from Seville.
Taxi
There's a taxi rank on the top level, on part of the roof of the modern terminus easily reached up travelators from the arrivals hall when arriving by high-speed train. There's another taxi rank at ground level, just outside a west-side exit from the tropical garden in the old trainshed.
A taxi to Puerta del Sol costs around €8, to Chamartin station around €21. Taxi fare calculator.
How to transfer between Atocha & Chamartin
Trains to/from northern Spain usually use Madrid Chamartin station in the north of the city. The trains south to Seville, Granada, Malaga leave from Madrid Atocha station, although for capacity reasons most trains to Alicante now use Madrid Chamartin. Metro line 1 links these two stations, but it's easier and quicker to transfer between stations by frequent suburban train. The Spanish for suburban train is Cercanias, look for the orange and white 'C' logo.
Atocha ► Chamartin
Buy a ticket to Chamartin from the self-service machines which have an English language facility. It's one zone, the fare is around €2, the machines accept euro notes & coins.
Tip: If you have an AVE, Iryo or other long-distance train ticket, you may get a suburban ticket free, see information about Combinado Cercanias.
Go to platforms 1 & 2. Trains from these platforms all go to Chamartin, every 5-10 minutes. The journey is 3 stops and it takes just 10-15 minutes. It doesn't matter which train you get on as long as it's going north, as every northbound Cercanias (suburban) train from Atocha goes to Chamartin, including Cercanias routes C-1, C-2, C-4, C-7, C-8, C-10.
If you have a Premium-fare ticket you can use the Sala Club 1st class lounge at Madrid Chamartin station, through a poorly marked door next to platform 14. In the Sala Club you'll find a quiet, civilised and relaxing place to wait, with complimentary tea, coffee, juices and free beer. It's open 06:00-22:45 Mon-Fri, 06:10-22:45 Sat, 07:10-22:45 Sun.
https://www.seat61.com/stations/madrid-atocha.htm
Thank you, Joe, for your quick and helpful reply. We arrive in 45 minutes. Hoping to make a connection in 1 hr. If we miss, we will have lunch in Madrid and take the next train. Many thanks.
I really can't see what advantage there would be in taking a taxi. Just take the commuter train.
We have exactly 60 minutes between arrival at Atocha and departure at Chamartin Clara; Atocha is a large and very confusing station to many; we have never used the commuter trains so even purchasing a ticket would be time confusing (and no, our train tickets do not provide access).
If someone knew what they were doing, and how to quickly move on to a commuter train, my understanding is that they both, taxi and commuter train, take the same amount of time. But you’re talking to a couple of newbies, with a very small window to try to make a train that connects us from Madrid to Valencia
It's your money to spend as you like, but it's really not complicated. Just follow the Cercanías-signs, buy a ticket from one of the machines and board the next northbound train.
Your AVE ticket QR code should work on the turnstiles that go into the
Cercanias train train area. No need to even find a ticket machine.
If you travel on AVE (high-speed) or Larga Distancia (Long Distance) trains, your ticket includes Combinado Cercanías, which will allow you to travel on Cercanías (Suburban), Rodalies (Commuter) and the Alicante TRAM network. (from Renfe.com)
Update - Sevilla to Madrid fast train arrived in Atocha 15 min early and we arrived at Chamartin via cab 50 minutes prior to departure.
Thanks, Joe, for the heads up about the roof level arrival into Atocha. Really helped us get our bearings.
Good to read it all worked out.
seat61.com did all the hard work; My earlier post is just a quote of what is on their site
