Navigating once landing in Madrid.

Dtcary,
Answers to your questions:

1. You can certainly take a taxi to the Puerta de Atocha train station,
   but if you want to save money, you can take the Cercanias ( commuter
   train) C-1 line from the airport (Terminal 4) to the Atocha train
   station.

2. Renfe is Spain's Railway company. AVE are high speed train that travel long distances in Spain (some travel to France too). You may check here for more information about the various trains in Spain: www.renfe.com

3. We purchased a SIM card at 'Telecor' store in the Atocha train
   station in Madrid.

4. It's difficult to guess how long it will take you, because it depends on how many other flights arrive at the same time.

5. It's not recommended to book your train ticket for the day of arrival because of possible unforeseen delays ( flight delay, etc...)
   You can easily buy your train tickets at the Renfe office at the airport. The AVE ticket will allow you to travel via the Cercanias train ( airport to Atocha) for free.

6. We almost always travel 2nd class ( Turista class), unless I can get a "Promo" ticket for first class at a discounted price when booked in advance. You have to carry your own bags onto the train for either first or 2nd class.

Hope this helps ;-)

EDIT: You may find this article helpful before buying tickets via Renfe.

Make sure you pay with PayPal when booking your tickets via Renfe.

We planned to take the bus from the airport, but when we got there it was really confusing and the terminals are realllly far apart, so we just took a cab.

There are lockers at the madrid station, I would book an afternoon ticket and leave your bags and explore a little and have lunch. That way you will not miss the train! No credit given if you miss (on the cheap ticket).

I think this was answered (can't see it now as I type!) but Renfe is the company and the AVE is the fast train. Tickets are cheaper if you buy in advance, so I would go ahead and buy one for the afternoon and leave plenty of time.

Don't know about SIM cards, we just add the ATT Passport plan to our phones, easier.

The cheapest ticket is fine. You handle your own luggage, and please pack light. I see so many people struggling with all of their giant luggage trying to navigate the train. You will be very sad. Just pack a carry on size that is manageable and you will be happy. :)

Have a great trip!!
Kim

Here is additional information...

• Here is a map of the Atocha train station.

• Telecor (store for cell phones & SIM cards) is located on the ground floor ( Planta 0, page 3 of pdf above) & labeled as #16 on the map, under 'Servicios' (Services). The salesman was very helpful & we ended up with a Lebara SIM card for my phone.

• Here is the information regarding the Cercanias train (C-1 line) from
  Terminal 4 to Atocha.

• You can check Cercanias train schedules.

In support of what other responders have said: Allow plenty of time after scheduled flight arrival if you buy a ticket in advance since you just don't know when you'll get to Atocha. I'd only buy before arrival if I could get substantial savings--i.e., buy way in advance and get one of the deeply discounted promo fares. Otherwise, I'd wait and buy at the airport. Buying at Atocha Station itself is not ideal because there are often lengthy lines and others have reported that US chip-and-signature credit cards don't work in the vending machines. Euro currency up to €20 notes is accepted, though.

Be aware that Atocha is a large station with separate areas for local and long-distance trains. Potentially confusing, especially when jet-lagged. And bags are scanned for some departures. You need to allow time at Atocha, too.

Just a few additions to all of the above good advice.

Atocha Station is indeed very confusing. I'm used to navigating Penn Station in New York, which is insanely confusing, and I still had difficulty in Atocha (and I wasn't even jetlagged). So do allow plenty of time, ask a lot of questions, and take it slow.

There are no checked bags on these routes. You have to schlep all your bags yourself. This is true for both the trip from the airport to Atocha, and then from Atocha to Seville. Pack accordingly. On the AVE from Atocha to Seville, there is storage space above your seat as well as a rack for larger bags (the Seat 61 website should have pictures of this).

However you get to Atocha, you will have to go through a security check before you can board your train to Seville. It doesn't take long, but it does mean that you can't run to the train just one minute before departure.

AVE trains from Atocha leave from two different levels; check the departure monitor carefully to be sure you go to the right level, and if you're not on the correct level, ask how to get there (again, I had trouble with this).

When you buy your ticket from Atocha to Seville, it is for a specific train departure and so comes with the necessary reservation; you don't get the reservation separately (unless you were using a railpass of some sort). That's the catch - you won't be ready to get your Seville-bound train until you've gotten to Atocha and finished buying the SIM card, and you don't know exactly how long all of that will take.

Getting the SIM card throws a monkey wrench in the works. If you weren't getting a SIM card, you could buy a ticket at the airport for your Atocha to Seville train, and the Cercanias train from the airport to Atocha would be included (there's a code on the ticket that works at the Cercanias machine - ask the ticket seller to show you how). The ticket seller would be able to estimate how long it would take you to get to Atocha from the airport and so could sell you a ticket for the correct train, and you'd be set. But you don't know long the SIM card purchasing process will take, so it may be difficult to pick your train departure time while still at the airport.

If you don't want to take the Cercanias train from the airport to Atocha, a taxi has a fixed rate of €30 and no tipping is required beyond this.

Good morning dtcary -

I want to add just a little more information to the great replies you have already received. I have attempted the same trip as you propose several times over the years and I want to share some additional info and reinforce some that others have provided. Here is my current situation: In just over a month I am scheduled to arrive at Madrid Barajas Airport Terminal 1 at about 8:30 AM. I want to travel directly to Cordoba. I have no way of knowing whether my flight will arrive on time, but I really want to take advantage of buying a ticket early and getting a good Promo fare. So even thought trains leave Madrid's Puerta De Atocha station frequently, I purchased a ticket at a Promo price for a train departing at 13:00 (1:00 PM). I got it for euro 37.25. I am not sure what the full fare (Flexible) price is, but fares over the next couple of days for that same train are running around euro 71.00. This makes my savings between 45 and 50%, and I feel comfortable with the 4 hours and 30 minutes I MAY HAVE between arrival at the airport and the departure of my train. I'll go through immigration, reclaim my luggage and exit the secure terminal area. I'll go outside terminal and catch the free airport shuttle bus over to Terminal 4. I'll walk to the RENFE area of that terminal and collect my free cercanias ticket, then ride the commuter train over to the Puerta De Atocha. Once there I will have a nice early lunch. Then I will go to the platform and board my train to Cordoba. I could have purchased tickets for the 11:00, 11:35, or 12:00 trains, but I really am not sure I could have made the connection for any of them. I hope this narrative helps in your decision making.

Wow, I'm so appreciative of the fantastic info you have all provided. Thank you!! There is much to consider. To be honest, I'm not looking forward to the jet lag and lugging luggage around upon arriving. Maybe taking a cab from the airport to Atocha would be the least stressful option. I need to investigate via the links provided.

And I need to research more about the ATT passport vs a Spanish SIM card, too.

Thanks everyone!