CommunityBuzz! - Madrid, Spain (MAD) 8 Mar 2003

Anyone going to be in MAD that Saturday?

Would also appreciate any cheap, safe hotel suggestions that are easily accessible from the airport.

I love Madrid. I've never stayed at the airport. IIRC, the cab ride to the Gran Via was about 20-25 euros.

There is a pretty good subway system there also. http://www.metromadrid.es/

Check out the Sol Melia website, http://www.solmelia.com I've found rates that are pretty cheap that include breakfast.

Wish I could join you, but my wife would kill me if I took a run to Spain without her. Have fun and some good tapas. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Spiff:
Anyone going to be in MAD that Saturday?

Would also appreciate any cheap, safe hotel suggestions that are easily accessible from the airport.</font>

No need to stay out by the airport, there is a new, fast subway into town, takes 15 minutes to Nuevos Ministerios, easy connections to anywhere from there. It's a quick connect on the 10 down the Castellana where most hotels are. I imagine on the weekends you could get a good deal.

What is the city to airport transportation like for very early (like 6 am) outbound flights?

IIRC, the metro opens at 6am. Your best bet would be a cab.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by techgirl:
What is the city to airport transportation like for very early (like 6 am) outbound flights?</font>

Spiff, unfortunately I will miss you by a week as I will be in Madrid next weekend. How much are you wanting to spend for your hotel? The Travelbuzz and East/West Europe sections of FT Travel have several threads on Madrid hotels. Also, the Madridman website has alot of budget info on Madrid and is run, I think, by a FT member. http://www.madridman.com I am using 3 Hyatt FFNs at the Park Hyatt for free. I was originally going to spend an extra day in Madrid and did a little research on cheap Madrid hotels with good connections to the airport. I found a good deal on this website. http://www.clickinternational.com/spain/?source=overture The Gran Versalles Hotel for $83 including taxes and breakfast seemed like a great deal. The hotel is next to the Alonso Martinez Metro stop which will get you to the airport with one change of train. It looks like a nice hotel but don't know if it really is. Jen, the Metro starts up at 6AM and the airport bus from Plaza de Colon begins at 4:45AM so a taxi is probably your only option.

Spiff, I live in MAD so I'll be here. drop me a line (my email is in my profile).

Getting to the airport at 6am - take a cab. There won't be much traffic at that hour and the cab should be aprox 25€ depending on where you are going. Cabs cruise pretty much the whole city all the time, or I could give you a couple of numbers to call for one. I like to call Taxi Mercedes. They are standard priced licensed city cabs but all the cars are Mercedes - more room and comfort 91 593 20 20 or you can try Radio Taxi at 91 547 86 00

As for hotels - what price range are you thinking? I used to stay at the Westin Palace before moving here when the company was paying and then would move to the Hotel Atlantico (Best Western) on Gran Via when it was my dime. Gran Via is quite central to everything that you might want.

The metro is quite efficient if you are coming into the airport during daylight hours. It runs from 6am - midnight (1 am some stations) and is 0,95€ if you buy a single ticket or 5€ for a ten trip ticket.

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I Love New York -- Viva España

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Redhead, I arrive early in the afternoon so I think I will be using the metro. As for hotels, I'd like to stay below 70€ or so if at all possible since I don't plan on spending very much time in the hotel.

The Atlantico is pricing out about 100€ but the Tryp Capital Gran Via is coming in about 88€ and the Confortel Pio XII (near the metro but not walking distance to centre) is coming in about 80€

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I Love New York -- Viva España

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Redhead:
...and is 0,95€ if you buy a single ticket or 5€ for a ten trip ticket.</font>

Really? I've been paying 1.10€ my last few trips. Am I paying too much?

When I left Madrid last Monday morning I had a Radio Taxi pick me up at 0545 for a 0640 Lufthansa flight. I was staying at an apartment across the Castellana from the Bernadu Stadium. The trip took ~15 minutes and cost 20€ with tip. There was no line and I think you could push checking in for that flight all the way to 0615 with carry on only since it's Schengen. The duty free stores are all open at 6am should you be connecting that same day back to the States.

By the way, I ended up missing my connect to my AA flight to DFW from FRA because of holding over Frankfurt. Quite frustrating and quite common I believe. AA was able to reaccommodate me on the ORD flight, but I ended up waiting at FRA for 3 more hours and arrived home late. I think I got lucky however because if the ORD flight were full I'd have been screwed.

I stayed at this "hostal" (not hostel!) near the Plaza Mayor.

Turned out to be the best pleasant hotel surprise I've ever had. I would definitely stay there again. It only cost me 7000 psts. (quick, how many euros??)

Cruz Sol **
Pza. Santa Cruz,6 28012 Madrid
E-Mail : info@hostalcruzsol.com
Tel : 34-91-532-7197
Fax : 34-91-532-7197

Quick euro calculation is "6 por mil" or 6 Euros per 1000 ptas so 7000ptas is 42Euros - great price for a hostal/pension

maybe the single trip price for the metro has gone up. i always buy the 10 trip.

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I Love New York -- Viva España

We will miss you by a few days Spiff http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

We arrive into Madrid Thursday 12th after 24 hour plus of lonnnng flights from SYD-BKK-ROME. Then we go on to the FT deal on the weekend in Valencia.

Anyone know if there some kind of nice comfy train that will let us go to Valencia on the Friday? Seems silly to rent a car and leave it at hotel for 3 days and not be used and run up a parking bill as well. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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~ Glen ~

Come and visit (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum13/HTML/000502.html) the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!

They have trains... the ride, I am told, is about 3.5 hours.

Still, much better than driving... my plan all along has been to just take the train!

Yes, train does seem like a more leisurely option. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The train systems site is http://www.renfe.es

It has both an English and Spanish option.

The 1º class ticket is about 56€ one-way and 36€ in tourist class on the Alaris trains (express about 3.5 hours) or just 18€ in tourist on the regional trains which is a 5.5 hour trip. (Go Alaris - must better trains and faster) The Alaris leaves every hour 20 mins past the hour. You can buy tix online or at the Atocha train station in Madrid.

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I Love New York -- Viva España

Thanks Redhead. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

If we are starting at the airport is there a connection to Atocha for folks with a suitcase ..... which I guess from your post is the Central Railway Station downtown?

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~ Glen ~

Come and visit (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum13/HTML/000502.html) the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!

Hi Glen,

On the metro from the airport would require several connections. With luggage it could be a pain. But here are the instructions:

From the airport you'll take the pink #8 line to Nuevos Ministerios.

Change at Nuevos Ministerios to the grey #6 line in the direction of Pacifico.

At Pacifico change to the light blue #1 line in the direction of Atocha Renfe. This is your stop.

There may be slightly shorter permutations on the metro but this is the least number of connections.

A cab would, depending on traffic, be about 45 min and 35 Euro from Barajas (MAD)

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[URL=http://www.benjaminwagner.com
[/URL] Great music!

Merci Redhead. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I assume the "First Class" travel is just a nicer type seat? Any other "perks" you know of?

And assume that we can only catch this train to Valencia from the downtown 'Atocha' Station? Sorry for the questions, but all new to us!

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~ Glen ~

Come and visit (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum13/HTML/000502.html) the most ** FRIENDLY FORUM ** on FlyerTalk. No flame wars, no personal abuse, no substance abuse. Not much of anything really!

Happy to help.

The first class seats will be bigger and have more room for luggage.

I know that first class on the AVE train (btwn Madrid-Sevilla) has food. I'm not sure on this train since I normally drive to Valencia. I would assume that first will prbably have some type of food or drink service while tourist most likely will not.

One more comment - be careful with your bags and wallets in Atocha. It tends to have a lot of pickpockets.

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http://www.benjaminwagner.com
Great music!

Redhead, looking forward to meeting you this Sat. Will forward my 411 soon.