Getting There By Air:Madrid Barajas Airport Tel: 90 240 4704.
Website:
www.aena.es Barajas airport is located 12km (8 miles) northeast of Madrid. The award-winning terminal 4, which consists of a new terminal building, a satellite building and two new runways, opened in 2006.
Airport facilities: Facilities include two banks, several bureaux de change, ATMs and a post office. There are more than 30 restaurants, cafes and bars, and over 100 shops (including duty-free) at the
airport. There are information and help desks located throughout the airport, as well as two left luggage offices, pharmacies, nurseries and a medical service center in terminal 1. Travel agencies and tour operators are also represented. There are five fully-equipped meeting rooms, as well as a conference and business center, located in terminal 4 and VIP lounges in all terminals. Car hire companies include
Avis,
Europcar,
Hertz and
National Atesa.Transport to the city: The Madrid Metro Line 8 connects the airport with Madrid's city center station Nuevos Ministerios in the heart of Madrid's financial district; the metro also provides links to stations on the Spanish railway network. A public bus service also runs between the airport and Madrid (Avenida de América station): bus 200 (red bus) stops outside the baggage reclaim area of Terminals 1 and 2; bus 204 (red bus) stops outside the baggage reclaim area of terminal 4. Taxis are available from the airport (journey time - 15-30 minutes); passengers should make sure that the meter is turned on at the beginning of the journey. Passengers are advised not to accept any offers of taxis made inside the terminal building. Taxi ranks are situated in front of the Arrivals areas of all terminals.
Approximate flight times to Madrid: From London is 2 hours 15 minutes; from New York is 7 hours; from Los Angeles is 11 hours; from Toronto is 7 hours and from Sydney is 27 hours 30 minutes.
Getting There By Road:Autopista (motorways)
are prefixed by the letter ‘A', national multi-lane roads connecting towns and cities are prefixed by the letter ‘N' and Madrid ring roads by the letter ‘M'.
Autovía (highways) and
Carretera Nacional (other major roads) are indicated by two Roman numerals or, more commonly, three digits. Many motorways incur a toll charge.
Traffic drives on the right. No person under 18 years may hire or drive a vehicle over 75cc. Seat belts are compulsory for front-seat passengers in cars and crash helmets must be worn on motorcycles. After sunset, sidelights must be used, while spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. The speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within towns. Fines for traffic offences are strictly enforced. The legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%.
Foreign visitors require a valid driving license to drive in Spain. National licenses from EU countries are accepted, while nationals of other countries are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. Third-party insurance is required and documents should be carried at all times. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors and is compulsory for those from outside the EU.
Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: 90 240 4545;
www.race.es) has reciprocal agreements with the
AA and
RAC in Britain and the
AAA in America.
Emergency breakdown services: Spanish Royal Automobile Club (
RACE) (tel: 90 240 4545).
Alternatively, drivers in distress can contact the
Ayuda en Carretera (Help on the Road) (operated by the
Guardia Civil) on the roadside SOS telephones, who will contact the breakdown services.
Routes to the city: Motorways radiate outward from Madrid. The NI links Madrid to the French border (via Burgos and Irún), the NII to Barcelona (via Zaragoza) and the French border. The NIII weaves its way to Valencia and Alicante, the NIV to Seville and Cádiz, the NV to Badajoz at the Portuguese border (where the A6/E90 continues to Lisbon) and the N401 to Toledo. There are also three ring motorways, M30 and M40 and M50.
Approximate driving times to Madrid: From Barcelona - 7 hours 30 minutes; from Seville - 7 hours 45 minutes; from Lisbon - 8 hours 45 minutes.
Coach services: Estación Sur de Autobuses, Calle Méndez Alvaro 83, is Madrid's most important bus terminal for long-distance coach travel. Destinations served include Albacete, Avila, Alicante, Toledo, Barcelona, Benidorm and Santiago.
ALSA (tel: 90 2327 0540;
www.alsa.es) provides coach services between Spanish cities, operating from this station.
Eurolines (tel: 91 506 3360;
www.eurolines.es) has services to major cities throughout Europe and further afield, including Basel, Berlin, Fez, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Lisbon, Marrakech, Munich, Naples, Prague, Toulouse and Warsaw.
Getting There By Rail:The national Spanish railway network is operated by
RENFE (tel: 90 224 0202; website:
www.renfe.es). Madrid has two main railway stations - Estación de Chamartín (Chamartín Station), Calle Agustín de Foxá, in northern Madrid, and Estación de Atocha (Atocha Station), close to Paseo del Prado, at Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona, in southern Madrid. Both stations have exchange facilities, including cafés and car hire on or near the premises. Chamartín also has a post office, tourist information, hotel reservation center, InterCity Club Room and a large shopping center.
Mainline services in Spain are reliable and efficient. It is essential for travelers to book ahead for long-distance trains. Tickets are available for purchase online, from stations or from travel agents. RENFE also offers a national telephone information and ticket sales service.
RENFE also operates the
Cercanías, the suburban network connecting outlying towns beyond the metro (see
Public Transport). Trains are frequent and reliable and there is less overcrowding than on the metro. Atocha Station is the hub of the Cercanías suburban rail network.
Rail services: Madrid's rail network includes services to provincial capitals in Spain and connections to the European railway network. Chamartín Station serves trains from France and northern Spain, including Bilbao (journey time - 6 hours) and Oviedo (journey time - 6 hours). Atocha is Madrid's largest station, serving trains from the regions of Andalusia, Extremadura and Portugal, including Malaga (journey time - 5 hours) and Valencia (journey time - 3 hours 30 minutes). Many trains stop at both Atocha Station and Chamartín Station. Atocha is the arrival and departure point for
AVE, the high-speed Madrid-Seville service calling at Córdoba (journey time - about 3 hours) and the high-speed Madrid-Barcelona service (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes).
Getting Around:Public TransportCentral Madrid is served by a comprehensive network of around 200 city bus routes, a modern and extensive metro system and local trains to the neighboring cities and towns. The main hub is Puerta del Sol.
The
Consorcio de Transportes de Madrid (
www.ctm-madrid.es) offers maps and information on Madrid's metro and buses.
The
metro (tel: 90 244 4403;
www.metromadrid.es) system covers more than 227km (141 miles) and is good value, clean and efficient, although crowded during rush hour. Trains run regularly until 0130. Each of the 12 metro lines is distinguished by a color and number (at stations and on maps).
EMT (tel: 90 250 7850;
www.emtmadrid.es) runs Madrid's
bus service. Night buses, known as
buhos (owls), depart from Plaza de Cibeles for the suburbs, between 2330 and 0600. The
buho metro service replaces the metro by night. Although the timetables depend on the line, in general it runs between 0045 and 0545.
The local
train network, operated by
Cercanías (tel: 90 224 0202;
www.renfe.es/cercanias/madrid), comprises 12 lines in the Madrid area and provides a fast link between Charmartín Station and Atocha Station - as well as to destinations such as Toledo and El Escorial (see
Excursions).
You can buy single tickets for the metro and city buses on board and at stations.
Metrobús tickets (a carnet of 10 tickets) are available for purchase at metro stations,
estancos (tobacconists) and
EMT information kiosks at Plaza de Callao and Puerta del Sol. The
abono transportes pass, for which a passport photo is required, offers unlimited trips on any combination of public transport (metro, bus and train) within the zone and period of time (month or year) chosen.
Tourist passes, which allow unlimited travel on all public transport, are also available (concessions are available for both). Passes are also available for one, two, three, five and seven days.
TaxisOficina Municipal del Taxi (tel: 91 588 9632) is the governing body for taxis in Madrid. City taxis (white with a diagonal red stripe and a green light on the roof) are available for hire at ranks or on the street. Travelers should always check that the meter is not already running, as this is an occasional scam to overcharge passengers. There are surcharges for additional passengers, luggage and telephone or airport pick-up. Taxi touts should be avoided. For tipping, rounding up to the nearest euro is appreciated.
Major private taxi companies include
TeleTaxi (tel: 91 371 2131;
www.tele-taxi.es),
Radio Taxi Independiente (tel: 91 405 1213/5500) for long-distance trips and
Radio Teléfono Taxi (tel: 91 547 8200;
www.radiotelefono-taxi.com), which also provides a service for the disabled, offering wheelchair ramps and spacious interiors.
Driving in the CityDue to frequent traffic jams, aggressive drivers and problematic parking, driving in central Madrid is not recommended to tourists. Visitors who ignore this advice should make use of centrally located car parks (including Plaza Santa Ana, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de Oriente).
The city center is subject to the
Servicio de Estacionamiento Regulado (SER) (Regulated Parking Service) (Mon-Fri 0900-2000, Sat 0900-1500, not applicable Sun). This means that bays marked by green lines are for residents (whose car will bear a badge), and non-residents for a maximum of one hour and paying at the parking meter. Bays marked with blue lines are fine for parking for a maximum of two hours after paying at the parking meter. Parking meters take the full range of coins and have operational instructions in English and other European languages.
Illegally parked cars might be towed away by the
grúa municipal. Impounded cars should be recovered as soon as possible as the fines rise every hour (tel: 91 345 0666).
Car HireCars can be hired by drivers aged 21 years and above, on presentation of a passport and valid driving license held for at least one year. A valid international insurance policy is also necessary and full insurance is advised. Providers include
Avis, Gran Via 60 (tel: 91 548 4204;
www.avis.es),
Europcar, Paseo de la Castellana (tel: 91 559 886;
www.europcar.es) and
Hertz, Plaza de España 18 (tel: 91 542 5805;
www.hertz.es).
Bicycle HireThere is no better way to get around Madrid than by rushing along on a moped, thus avoiding the parking problems that car drivers often suffer.
Blafer Motos, Calle Clara del Rey 17 (tel: 91 413 0047;
www.blafermotos.com), offers a choice of vehicles. Bicycles are best reserved for trips out of town.
Ciclos Otero, Calle Segovia 18-20 (tel: 90 288 4985;
www.oterociclos.es), hires out bikes (a returnable deposit is required) and organizes excursions.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related Madrid Content
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Related Spain Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Spain Airport Guides:
|
Spain City Guides:
|
| Spain Attraction Guides: |
|
|
Available Tours to Spain:
|
