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Hi- considering a weekend in Madrid to use my Marriot free night at the Aloft. Is it easy to get from the airport to Gran Via using the metro? Is it worth purchasing a 2 day pass before going? Any suggestions for an outdoor seating tapas bar nearby? thanks
Sorry can’t help on metro (I always use the 30€ fixed fare taxi) but a word of warning about the Aloft – great location but right beside a nightclub that stays open very late, especially weekends, and echoes through the Aloft walls
Yes, easy to get to Gran Via from the airport using the metro, though note there are 1 or 2 changes, depending on which route you take. And not all of the changes have escalators. I ended up carrying cases up/down some stairs when we did the trip last November.
Hi thanks for the advice – we will only have hand luggage and minimal – i understand traffic can be very bad hence my reluctance to use a taxi but we may do this on the return.
noted re noise – will take my ear – plugs!
any advice on 2 day pass if we do catch the metro and outside tapas nearby?I’ve found taxi from the airport quick and easy, though I gather the metro links are also decent. You could also look at each buying a 10 journey metro ticket for getting around the city.
Not sure about tapas bars near there, but Chocolateria San Gines does amazing churros and has outdoor seating. Bar La Campana has no outdoor seating but you can get a sandwich and take it to the square – calamari sandwiches are excellent.
I’ve found taxi from the airport quick and easy, though I gather the metro links are also decent. You could also look at each buying a 10 journey metro ticket for getting around the city.
Not sure about tapas bars near there, but Chocolateria San Gines does amazing churros and has outdoor seating. Bar La Campana has no outdoor seating but you can get a sandwich and take it to the square – calamari sandwiches are excellent.
+1, taxi to Grand Via is the way to go. Prebook a car with Viator, Amex, holiday autos, whichever you prefer. Much easier that way as you get met at arrivals and dropped off right outside your property. It’s one of the few cities I’d do that.
On past visits, the easiest way to get a taxi was just walking up to the taxi queue at the airport – very well organised, and took a minute or two to get in a cab. Not been since travel demand picked up post-covid, though
Local train T4-Recoletos or Nuevos Ministerios is fastest way to the centre.
Without wanting to state the obvious, July will be v hot, and in Aug. no-one will be there/bars will close!
Pez Tortilla is pretty decent for what it is.Cannot help with the Hotel as I used to live in Madrid so stay with relatives when I am there.
For transport, I recommend you use Uber and/or Cabify (the Spanish Uber) to move around town. FreeNow also allows you to order normal cabs and check the fare before.
Be careful with the €30 flat fare to the airport. It is supposed to include everything but drivers are known to add “extras” (luggage, late pick up, etc. ) which are not real.
For food, avoid anywhere with brits or tourists (sorry guys) and go where you see Spaniards haha. If you want a more local experience, move away from the touristy centre of Gran Via (basically don’t sit in Plaza Mayor) and go out in Calle Ponzano or Doctor Castelo. Any place there will be good.
Enjoy Madrid!
On past visits, the easiest way to get a taxi was just walking up to the taxi queue at the airport – very well organised, and took a minute or two to get in a cab. Not been since travel demand picked up post-covid, though
When I was there this March the taxi queue was insane – hundreds of people. As was the immigration queue for non-EU as several long-haul flights had landed from the Americas at the same time.
On past visits, the easiest way to get a taxi was just walking up to the taxi queue at the airport – very well organised, and took a minute or two to get in a cab. Not been since travel demand picked up post-covid, though
When I was there this March the taxi queue was insane – hundreds of people. As was the immigration queue for non-EU as several long-haul flights had landed from the Americas at the same time.
Wow – noted for next time I’m back there
On past visits, the easiest way to get a taxi was just walking up to the taxi queue at the airport – very well organised, and took a minute or two to get in a cab. Not been since travel demand picked up post-covid, though
When I was there this March the taxi queue was insane – hundreds of people. As was the immigration queue for non-EU as several long-haul flights had landed from the Americas at the same time.
Wow – noted for next time I’m back there
That’s why I said prebook a transfer 🙂
thanks everyone
Just resurrecting this as I’m still trying to decide between an internal flight and the train later this year. Train seems better for spending a day in Madrid, but we will have luggage and also Chamartin station looks to be quite a way out of the city centre.
Or would we be better flying into MAD, dropping our bags at the CP MAD where we’re staying before an early flight home the following day, then heading into town by bus or taxi?
Ryanair seems to have ditched the VLC-MAN route after October so there doesn’t seem to be a direct way home any more!
Could you get a taxi/uber/cabify from Chamartin station to the CP MAD?
Probably, but it would add significant extra time and cost when we’re only going to have half a day in Madrid to start with.
Probably, but it would add significant extra time and cost when we’re only going to have half a day in Madrid to start with.
What time would the train arrive compared to a flight into MAD?
The Metro from Chamartin to the CP is about 12 to 15 minutes from memory. From MAD it’s 25 to 30 minutes plus the airport fee.
Pretty much depends on your preferences.
The Metro from Chamartin to the CP is about 12 to 15 minutes from memory. From MAD it’s 25 to 30 minutes plus the airport fee.
Not sure what you’re talking about. There aren’t any metro stations near the airport CP.
The CP Retiro is certainly not 15 minutes from Chamartin either
That’s because I was thinking of Atocha not Chamartin to Retiro.
There are plane and train options which get us to Madrid for late morning. Plan is to spend the day in Madrid then stay at the CP MAD before the 08:50 MAD-MAN. It’s not insanely early, so another option would be to stay somewhere more central then we could just drop the bags there before heading out, but prices seem very high that night, double what they want for somewhere at the airport.
but prices seem very high that night, double what they want for somewhere at the airport.
Yes I found the same in January, all my nights were ridiculously priced, not sure how Madrid is sustaining that. Felt a bit like Dublin prices in summer but it wasn’t summer!
I believe the airport CP has a paid shuttle which needs to be prebooked, that just put me off but I managed to get a sensible price for points somewhere central
I think it’s only 5 euros or something for the shuttle. Summer prices are actually ok, though probably because Madrid in August is scorchio! I’ve got 3 nights booked via Emyr at the IC for about 200 euros per night.
I’ve booked the CP Retiro as a back up and hope there’s an Amex offer in the meantime, then we can dump the bags before we go out and get an Uber to the airport the next morning.
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