|
| |
|
ARRIVAL |
| |
If Madrid is your first stop in Spain, by air, train or bus , you
are likely to arrive a little way from the centre. Transport into the
centre, however, is relatively cheap, easy and efficient.
By air
The Aeropuerto de Barajas (tel 913 058 343) is 16km east of the city, at
the end of Avenida de América (the NII road). It is in the process of
being extended and modernized and now has three interconnecting
terminals: T1 for nearly all international flights ( vuelos
internacionales ); T2 for domestic flights ( nacionales ) plus some of
Iberia's flights from continental Europe; T3 for the Puente Aéreo (the
air shuttle with Barcelona).
From the airport, the new metro link takes you from T2 via Line 8 into
the centre in about thirty minutes (daily 6am-1.30am, 2.30am on Fri &
Sat; ¬0.90), with a change at Mar de Cristal (Line 4). A more direct
route straight to Nuevos Minsterios, where check-in facilities are
planned, is in the works and will cut the journey time to about fifteen
minutes. The route by road to central Madrid is more variable, depending
on rush-hour traffic, and can take anything from twenty minutes to an
hour. Outside the terminal, there is a shuttle bus every ten to fifteen
minutes (5.17am-1.51am; ¬2.40) to an underground terminal in the central
Plaza Colón, with pedestrian entrance from the c/Goya or Metro Serrano.
If your plane arrives outside these times, there should be additional
special connecting bus services. Taxis are always available outside,
too, and cost around ¬12 to the centre, unless you get stuck in traffic.
Half a dozen or so car rental companies have stands at the airport and
can generally supply clients with maps and directions. Other airport
facilities include 24-hour currency exchange, a post office, left
luggage lockers in T1 and T2, a RENFE office for booking train tickets (daily
8am-9pm), a chemist, a tourist office and hotel reservations desk.
By train
Trains from France and north/northeast Spain arrive at the Estación de
Chamartín , a modern terminal isolated in the north of the city; it has
all the usual big station facilities, including currency exchange. A
metro line connects Chamartín with the centre, and there are also
regular connections by the commuter trenes de cercanías with the much
more central Estación de Atocha; just take any cercanía headed in that
direction.
The Estación de Atocha , expanded and imaginatively remodelled back in
the early 1990s, has two separate terminals: one for Toledo and other
local services, the other for all points in south and eastern Spain ,
including the high speed AVE trains.
If you're coming from local towns around Madrid, you may arrive at
Príncipe Pío (aka Estación del Norte), fairly close to the centre below
the Palacio Real.
By bus
Bus terminals are scattered throughout the city, but the largest - used
by all of the international bus services - is the Estación Sur de
Autobuses on c/Méndez Alvaro on the corner of c/Retama, 1.5km south of
the Atocha train station (Métro: Méndez Alvaro)
By car
All the main roads into Madrid bring you right into the city centre,
although eccentric signposting and even more eccentric driving can be
very unnerving. The inner ring road, the M30, and the Paseo de la
Castellana are all notorious bottlenecks, although virtually the whole
city centre can be close to gridlock during the peak rush-hour periods
(Mon-Fri 7.30-9.30am & 6-8.30pm). Be prepared for a long trawl around
the streets to find parking , and even then you will need to buy the
coupons available at estancos if you want to avoid the threat of a fine.
A better, and safer, option is to put your car in one of the many
signposted parkings . Your own transport is really only of use for
out-of-town excursions, so it's advisable to find a hotel with or near a
car park and keep your car there during your stay in the city. If you
are staying more than a couple of weeks, you can get long-term parking
rates at neighbourhood garages.
|
| |
|
