Can someone please tell me which metro stop in Madrid is closest to the actual Atocha station (i.e. less of a walk!). We will be taking the AVE from Madrid on two occassions, once to Toledo and once to Sevilla.
Reading the book I THINK it means I should get off at the "Atocha" station, and that "Atocha RENFE" is a father distance. However, I'm not convinced I don't have this mixed up and would welcome some clarification. Thank you!
Either is close for RENFE's national or international runs. But I find Atocha RENFE more convenient, because you come in at station level, and don't have all the stairs (and the traffic) when you try to get in from the Atocha metro stop. At Atocha RENFE, it's a straight run off the metro platform....keep on going straight through the underground mall there (you'll see the Cercanias commuter train turnstiles passing on your left) and you'll enter the massive older part of the station. There are signs above. Turn right towards the wonderful garden they now have there, and the ticket office is on your right....be prepared for lineups if you don't buy them on line first. The escalators take you up to the second floor where you'll go through a "departure gate" to get back down to your train.
Hi Jenny,
My answer might just complicate things further, but...
We were just there in May and ran into the same perplexing situation. We got off the metro at Atocha RENFE and wandered for quite a while. We eventually purchased our tickets in the main hall (which would have been easier to access from the Atocha metro stop right outside) and went straight up the escalators (again, in the main hall) to our AVE train to Toledo. So from what we could deduce, it would have been simpler to get off at Atocha.
However, if you do a Google search, most answers maintain that Atocha Renfe IS closest to the high-speed train platforms. In our on-the-ground experience, that wasn't true, but perhaps it is if you already hold a ticket.
My personal suspicion is that the metro folks wanted to reduce human traffic at the train station/metro stop, so they divided it into two and labeled one "Renfe" to divert some of the crowd flow. Ultimately, neither one is too much of a walk from where you need to end up.
Jenny, We will be going to Toledo from Madrid in October. Did you purchase your tickket ahead of time?Does anyone know if we should wait to arrive in Madrid and purchase our ticket the same day or preferably the day before. Enjoy your vacation
Nancy...you don't get any savings by purchasing Madrid-Toledo on-line. But it is a very popular train...and if you want to maximize your time by taking specific trains to-from Toledo, then book them on the RENFE website. The ticket office at Atocha station can be a zoo, so if you do purchase in Madrid, do it as soon as you arrive.
Nancy, Norm's right -- when we were there in May, trains from Toledo were filling up, so if you wait to get tickets within a few hours of your desired departure time, you might be out of luck. A day ahead of time is probably plenty.
Enjoy Madrid and Toledo!
Thanks everyone for your great input! It looks like we will take the Atocha RENFE stop to avoid the stairs.
We booked our tickets to Sevilla online awhile ago to get the half off discount - but we were planning on getting the Sevilla tickets the day of.. Now I'm a bit worried. I think what we'll end up doing is going to the station the day before and purchasing them - fingers crossed!
To supplement H-J's posting, just come out of the Toledo station, turn right and walk up the street a few meters....you'll see the stop right there. It's the #5 bus that takes you up to Plaza Zocodover, the best starting place for your tour of Toledo. And, since American fast food comments have been cropping up all over the place recently, the Plaza's the site of the only McDonald's in Toledo. ;)
I have taken the taxi or shuttle to the train station, but from what I have been told, the answers above are correct as to how to get there via the metro. This time I will take the metro to the Atocha Renefe exit, per the advice of a native....when you arrive in Toledo, a few 30 minutes from the time of your departure, there are tour buses at the Toledo Station, or if you walk outside the station lot proper, you can take the local city bus to town for only an euro or such..Get off at Plaza Zodocover and go from there. A great city for exploration!! I was there in March for three days and am returning in October for two...You might check out www.madridman.com for more information.
