We are a group of 4 and will be arriving by plane at 8:30 am and need to go to Seville. I cannot find a flight for late morning or early afternoon. The train seems like good option but can anyone help with the logistics? How long does it typically take to get through customs and what is the most efficient way to get to the Atocha train station. Any advice or suggestions would be welcome. Thank you.
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Washington DC
27122 posts
I can't tell you how much time you need to allow for clearing the airport; I was brain-dead upon arrival following my transatlantic flight. Of course, there's no predicting whether the flight itself will be on time. Buying a rail or train ticket in advance is very risky. The bargain fares are usually completely non-refundable and non-changeable.
This website summarizes you options for getting into the city. Your guidebook probably has similar information. I used the Airport Express bus, which was rapid and convenient. It terminates at Atocha Station. However, I was not moving on from Madrid that day.
In your case, since you haven't found attractive flight options, I'd strongly consider getting the train from the airport because you can buy rail tickets to Seville at the airport station. I think you don't pay for the trip into town if you buy AVE tickets to Seville. This approach avoids both the risk of choosing a departure time before you know when you'll be ready to hop on a train and a possibly-long ticket line at Atocha.
You will have to switch from the local (Cercanias) train to the AVE once you get to Madrid-Atocha. The AVEs depart from a separate area at Atocha. That station is largish and sort of confusing, so look for a Renfe employee when you get off the train from the airport and ask where to go for the AVE to Seville.
For four people traveling together, I think the second-best option would be a taxi from the airport to Atocha, if you can snag one that accommodates all of you and all of your luggage. Barajas is quite close to the city, so the fare should be reasonable. But now you're potentially looking at that Atocha ticket line (if you haven't rolled the dice and bought your Madrid-Seville tickets ahead of time).
To check on how much extra it may cost to buy your Seville tickets at the last minute, look at the fares for trains leaving later today and tomorrow on the Renfe website. Use Madrid-Puerta de Atocha as the origin and Sevilla-Santa Justa as the destination. By comparison, the fares for the latest-available date at the moment (June 6) are a good bit lower, though not tremendously so.