We will be arriving at Barajas Airport at about 6:45 am and need to transfer to the AVE at Atocha Station. Ani ideas on how much time will be required to do that? The last time we went to Spain we essentially walked out of the terminal with no Customs or Immigration (?) to delay us. The reason for the train is because I cannot take multiple flights in one day dues to severe ear pain so air is not an option.
Many thanks
It really depends on how many international flights arrive at the same time. If you arrive in T4, then you are likely to be ok. T1 can be somewhat chaotic. However, it's really hard to predict.
We will be arriving at Barajas Airport at about 6:45 am
Arriving from where?
Checked bags?
Atocha Station is a wonderful place to visit and also catch a train.
https://www.seat61.com/stations/madrid-atocha.htm
Madrid is a huge city and subject to big traffic woes especially on workdays.
Recommend allowing yourself two and a half hours from departing the airport to boarding the train.
I assume that a 6:45 arrival is from the Americas, which is the peak international arrival time, especially in T4 via Iberia or AA. I'd book a train at least 3 hours after your scheduled arrival.
Tip: First class, or 'Preferente' on an AVE train includes lounge access at Atocha, in case you end up with a bit of time to kill.
We usually give ourselves 3.5 to 4 hours to make a train connection. The Cercanias commuter train from the airport to Atocha is included in the Ave ticket, so that’s my suggestion for getting to Atocha. And if you buy a first class train ticket, you will also have access to the Sala Club lounge at Atocha, which is a very pleasant place to await your train.
I’d add that I don’t usually spring for first class, but I wanted this ticket to be changeable. But the Sala Club and lunch on the train were so nice, I felt it was money well spent after a long flight.
You need to be careful about the station your train will depart from. Don't assume it will be departing from Atocha without checking. They moved many of the AVE (high speed) trains to several destinations around Spain from Atocha to Chamartín station. They are doing a lot of work on the tunnels in Madrid. Chamartín is only 15 minutes by RENFE cercanías train from T4 airport station. The trains leave every 15 minutes throughout the day. All cercanías trains leaving the airport stop at Chamartín. Check the low cost high speed providers in addition to AVE (Avlo, Iryo, Ouigo). Iryo is the best IMHO. Ample luggage allowance, nice trains, good meal service. You can get tickets as cheap as 9 euros one way to Valencia now for example. Book on their websites. They are now in English.
We are doing something similar in early December and we have 4 1/2 hours from when we land at 9:25 am from the U.S. until our train departs from Atocha at 2:00 pm.
What about landing in Madrid (T4) on a flight from Paris (in the late afternoon)? We were thinking of heading straight to Barcelona by hi-speed train, spending 2 nights there, then traveling back to Madrid for 3 nights, before flying back to the U.S. Reading about how long it takes to get to the train from the airport is giving me angst, though. We wanted to end this part of the trip in Madrid, because of the return flight from there. Additional thoughts about logistics?
Hi snyderprosky, Welcome to the Forum. I haven't been in the Madrid airport, only Barcelona in Spain. I think the issue is such that you have to go through passport control, collect your luggage, walk to the C-1 train, take the 30-minute train to the Atocha train station and then get on your train. It sounds easier just to change planes and fly. Can you fly straight from Paris to Barcelona, then take the train to Madrid?
snyderprosky, I know the Madrid airport's T4 very well, and I agree with CaliMom. Getting from the plane to a train isn't horrible, and in some cases, it's the smartest or only option. In your case, I would definitely try to fly straight from Paris to Barcelona.
If you can change the ticket, even for an added cost, great. I'd even consider throwing away that old ticket and buying a new, one-way from Paris to BCN. (But ONLY do that if that leg is not part of a ticket that will continue with, say, your flights home. Abandoning a leg will cancel all legs after it.)
I'd also add that splitting 5 nights between both cities is undercutting both of them—adding unnecessary travel time only makes that worse. Moving at a rushed pace in Spain may let one see more sights, but it makes it nearly impossible to experience a sense of place. I'd suggest you look at spending 5 nights in Madrid with a day trip to, or even one night in, Toledo.
