Europe - Landing in MAD on morning of general strike, how worried do I need to be?

Wouldn't you know it, the unions in Spain have called for a one-day general strike on March 29 - the day my dad and I land in MAD for a two-week vacation... We were going to go straight on to Seville that day, but I see that the RENFE site has temporarily suspended train reservations for the 29th, so I am already having to re-shuffle a bit (and go on to Seville the next day). I am a bit worried that 1) our flight to MAD will be canceled (flying US out of PHL), and 2) if we do fly as scheduled, we may have trouble even getting into Central Madrid and/or getting money... How worried do I need to be about either of these things?

There are several ATM machines inside Terminal 1 as you exit the baggage claim area. You will also find an abundance of taxi cab outside the terminal.

Well I was worried about taxis striking too, but the general feeling I'm picking up is that they will be running - they don't want to lose the wages. As far as the ATMs I was just wondering about them running out of cash if the people refilling them are on strike. But again, the feeling I'm picking up is that will be OK. I managed to drop a night from my Seville reservation, and booked a hotel for Madrid the first night, and then leave for Seville first thing the next morning. Now I just hope the flight goes out and doesn't get canceled..

If I were arriving in Madrid (or anywhere, for that matter) on a day that I know would coincide with a general strike, I would certainly take some local currency (euros) with me, for just the reason noted above: machines could run out of cash. Probably not likely, but you don't know what will happen, especially if people panic. The slight extra cost and nuisance of getting some euros before departure would be outweighed, for me, by increased peace of mind.

Probably not likely, but you don't know what will happen, especially if people panic.

:rolleyes: It's a one day general strike, not a revolution... No need to panic. :cool:

:rolleyes: It's a one day general strike, not a revolution... No need to panic. :cool:

I wasn't suggesting that the OP would panic; I was really thinking of other people.

I was in Rome during the Icelandic volcano –.again, no need to panic, but it was very difficult to get money out of ATMs at one point because they had been bled dry by – presumably panicking – tourists.