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Train from Toledo to Madrid Airport

Posted by (USA) on

Hey all,

I will be flying home from Madrid after 15 days traveling around Spain. Based upon my research, I think that I may not spend any time in Madrid, rather spending more days elsewhere. That being said, my plan as of now, is to spend my last two nights in Spain in Toledo and then on my last morning travel from Toledo directly to MAD. My flight is around 1 PM on a Sunday, so im hopeful, that it should not be super difficult to get from Toledo to the airport. My iniital thought is to take the high speed train from Toledo to Madrid Atocha (50 minutes). From there, i would likely take an uber/cab to the airport (30 minutes??). All-in, i figure i could conservatively do the trip in 2 hours.

I know that there are buses and other trains/metros that run from Atocha to the airport, but I have never been in that train station, and I dont want risk getting lost/confused and missing my train. That's why I would just uber/cab.

Let me know if you think this is a reasonable plan. If not, any other suggestions on how to make the trip? I would be willing to spend my last night in Madrid, but I would prefer not to.

Thanks

Posted by
8166 posts

That works. Just give yourself more than enough time for unforeseen snafus.
It looks like any train from Toledo to Madrid between 625am and 925am would be the best

Posted by
502 posts

I just took a 1:00 p.m. flight from Madrid to Philadelphia last week and I would strongly recommend having at least three hours to navigate the long lines.

Posted by
29 posts

Thanks. That is the exact flight that I will be taking, albeit in October. I guess I will plan on getting to the airport around 10 AM, so i will likely need to be on a 7 AM (ish) train out of Toledo. I appreciate the insight from you both.

Posted by
28085 posts

I'm sorry, I'm risk-averse and would not do it unless I was prepared to pay for a taxi all the way from Toledo ($$$$) in the event of a problem with the train. And what if the train has a problem out in the boondocks and there are no taxis immediately available to rescue you?

Besides which, unless I'm missing something, the first train out of Toledo on Sunday departs at 9:25 AM and will not permit you to reach the airport by 10 AM.

ALSA has a bus at 7:59 AM that's due in Madrid at 9 AM, but it goes to the bus station at Plaza Eliptica, not to Atocha Station. I don't know what choices you'd have for getting to the airport from Pl. Eliptica, but I think there's a nearby Metro station. Still, the bus, like the train, could experience delays.

The schedules I cite are for February and are subject to change, but the lack of early-morning trains from Toledo to Madrid has come up before, and I don't think the late start on Sundays is peculiar to winter.

You shouldn't cut the recommended 3 hours at the airport short. I flew home from Barcelona in 2016, and the security situation is even tighter these days. I stood in line at the United check-in counter for about an hour. I could have missed my flight if I hadn't been in line 3 hours before my departure time, because they took a very special interest in me, for some reason.

Posted by
5294 posts

Acraven is correct when she wrote this:

the first train out of Toledo on Sunday departs at 9:25 AM and will not permit you to reach the airport by 10 AM.

I'd also suggest arriving to the airport at least 3 hours prior to your flight's departure time.

Another option would be to stay in Toledo till late afternoon, then stay in a hotel near the airport, specifically in one that offers a courtesy shuttle to/ from the airport.

Let me know if you need an airport hotel recommendation.

Have a wonderful trip!

Posted by
11294 posts

First, I'm someone who actually preferred Madrid to Toledo, so of course that colors my advice. But even if I hated Madrid, in your situation, I'd travel from Toledo to Madrid in the late afternoon or early evening, so that I could check into my hotel, have a last meal in Madrid, and get to bed comfortably knowing that there's no way I would miss my plane. The next day, after a leisurely breakfast, I would make my way to the airport, planning to be there by 10 AM.

Of course, if you arrive in Madrid earlier than dinnertime, you can see a sight or two. Even if you hadn't planned to spend time in Madrid, surely you can find something of interest for a few hours there - one of the museums, or a neighborhood walk? Rick has a walk through La Latina (hipsters and Bangladeshis); I also enjoyed seeing Chueca (gay) and Salamanca (purring with wealth). There's Parque Retiro as well, if you get there when it's still daylight.

Madrid airport is HUGE; as everyone else is saying, don't underestimate how long it can take to get through it.

Posted by
29 posts

I genuinely appreciate all of your advice. What I think I am going to do is completely reverse my trip (fly into Madrid and fly home from Barcelona). With this new itinerary, I will land in Madrid early in the AM, go through customs etc, take bus to the Atocha train station, and then on to Toledo for my first 2 nights of my trip. This will allow me to still get two nights in Toledo and see all of the other places that I am interested in. I am going to update my other post on this forum with my new planned itinerary. Let me know what you think.

Thanks again, this has been super helpful.

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