Hello,
I need some suggestions as to what to do while I wait for my friends to join me at the Madrid. I am arriving in the morning around 9 am while my friends are coming in the afternoon flight around 4ish. We have hotel bookings. My first time going alone and visiting Spain. Any tips, suggestions would be highly appreciated!
I was planning to leave my luggage at the airport and go around town nearby and come back join my friends and continue..
Thanks !
I don't think stowing your luggage at the airport for that many hours instead of collecting it is a good idea (assuming it's even allowed). I would take your luggage to the hotel, check-in if you can, explore the city/get your bearings, and finally meet your friends at your hotel at least 2-3 hours after their flight gets in. That will give them time to go through passport control, collect their things, and make it down to the hotel.
When I travel with a friend internationally, it's not possible to line up our arrival times because we come in from different cities, so we always meet later (at some predetermined time) at the hotel. That really works best.
I agree. Is there a reason that you can’t just meet your friends at the hotel? That is what I have always done when meeting up with friends.
Head to the hotel, drop off your luggage (they might even let you check in early) and plan to meet your friends back at the hotel in the evening. If you are sharing a room and the booking is in your friend’s name, ask your friend to add a note to the booking with your name indicating that you will arrive early.
You can store your luggage at the airport, here is the link with the information: https://www.airwise.com/airports/europe/madrid/luggage.
I agree with the other responses. It would be easier for you to go to your hotel and have your friends meet up with you when they arrive. That reduces the amount of travel you need to do back and forth and waiting if their flight is delayed.
Sandy
I would check into the hotel and relax there. What if you friends are delayed for a couple of hours. You don't hang around the airport for 8 to 10 hours. And there is very little too do at the chairs are not comfortable. Hit the hotel and take nap.
Thank you all!
Planning to leave to luggage at the airport and leaving it for my friends to pick it up when they land while I go take a tour of the city.
Thank you all so much!
So your plan is that your friends will collect your bags and haul them to the hotel along with their own ? Have they agreed to this ?? Will they have better transportation options than you will ? (As I remember, the metro runs to the Madrid airport.)
Potential problems: if you put bags in a locker, your friends will need the key. If you store bags with left luggage, they will need the ticket. If you just don't pick up your checked luggage, you risk someone else walking off with it or if the airport has tight security they might need to show something indicating ownership.
I would do as others have suggested and carry your own bags to the hotel, either check in to the room or leave the bags at the hotel until your friends arrive.
You need to make certain you can store luggage at the airport. Airports in general are very cautious about stored luggage. I do not remember, but wasn't looking for it either, a stored luggage facility at the airport. Is your hotel booking somewhere other than Madrid? Because what you are suggesting does not make a lot of sense.
The hotel isn't doing early check-in so the only way I can fully utilize my time would be to put away my luggage at the airport and then take a city tour. My friends are aware of this and willing to pick up my luggage. Also contacted the storage company at the airport, they say I need to some paperwork for my friends to pick up my luggage.
This is what Ive come up with so far.. unless the hotel lets me check in early then things change... Thank you all for your input, advice. I really appreciate it...
Even if a hotel doesn't let you check-into your room, they typically will store luggage for you until you're allowed to check in. I haven't heard of a hotel that won't do this, since this situation is common for hotel guests.
Agnes is right. I've never come across a hotel that won't store luggage before check-in time. A few charge for this, but most do it for free. Note that apartments are another story; it's common that an apartment rental will NOT have a way to store luggage before check-in, although this varies.
Also, while they will never guarantee that you can check in before the official check-in time, if a room is available early, most hotels will let you check in early. Again, a very few charge extra for this, but most don't.
So, I agree with going right to your hotel. If the room is ready, check in, and leave your bags in the room. If it is not ready, leave your bags at the front desk (be prepared to remove what you need for the day, such as maps, umbrella, etc).
For either you or your friends, there are multiple methods of getting from the airport to central Madrid. While many are fans of the bus, metro, or train, I took a taxi. It's only 30 euros, fixed price, and no tipping is needed beyond this. So it's a good deal for a group, and if someone is tired or unsure or schlepping big bags, it's worth it even for a solo traveler.
Every hotel I have ever stayed at has allowed me to leave my luggage early even if they would not let me check in early. Most even do it for free.
I would trust the hotel a lot more than the airport storage company as far as the security of the luggage.
Thank you Ill check with the hotel and if possible drop it over there and catch a city tour guide.
Do you think it's safe to take Uber in Spain? Would love to take public transport but starting right off the bat, is making me nervous about taking the bus. Check on google maps - the hotel is about 20 min away from the airport.
Thank you all!
People routinely take buses all over the world, there is no reason to be nervous. Airport Express buses and metro rail are good options for getting into the city center. How could a professionally licensed bus driver be less safe than an unlicensed independent contractor working for Uber?
I felt that Aerobus was more organized, more professional and cleaner than any greyhound bus I've taken anywhere. Aerobus was just as nice or nicer than the airport to city center buses I took in Vienna and Reykjavik. In general I'm more comfortable on a bus than taxi/uber.
Maybe I'm not as good a friend, but I would want a friend to deal with their own luggage, and let me deal with my own, especially after a long flight. Especially if you each have two pieces of luggage........so a friend should wait for their own bags, then shlep them to wherever bag storage is, then deal with getting yours, then shlep them to a taxi or bus or shuttle to the hotel? Nope, i would not expect a friend to do that for me, and I would not do it for them, unless it were an emergency of some sort.
I would recommend taking care of your own bags, taking them to the hotel, and then go enjoy your day, and meet up with your friends later at the hotel.
