Madrid Transportation

Planning a Trip

In spite of the fact that the city has six million inhabitants, traffic congestion as bad as in any major European city, and 2 main summer months that are as hot as you know what, Madrid is a remarkably easy and (yes!) relaxing city to visit and get around in.

For a start, there are no messy customs requirements like visas to arrange before you go; and once you've arrived and settled in, there are plenty of well-informed tourist offices in both the city and its surrounding province to give you the lowdown on what to do and where to go. Transport by metro (subway) and bus is extremely efficient and frequent, with an increasing number of facilities for travelers with disabilities.

The currency is the euro (€), common now throughout practically the entire European continent -- with a few stubborn exceptions, like Norway -- and it's easy to combine visits to other countries, such as England and France, without having to worry about changing currency. (The only downside at the time of writing for American travelers is the poor exchange rate of US$1.60 per euro.)

Getting There

By Train

If you're already in Europe, you may want to go to Spain by train, especially if you have a Eurail Pass. Even if you don't, the cost is moderate. Rail passengers who visit from Britain or France should make couchette (bunk beds in a sleeper car) and sleeper reservations as far in advance as possible, especially during the peak summer season.

Since Spain's rail tracks are of a wider gauge than those used for French trains (except for the TALGO and Trans-Europe-Express trains), you'll probably have to change trains at the border unless you're on an express train. For long journeys on Spanish rails, seat and sleeper reservations are mandatory.

The most comfortable and the fastest trains in Spain are the AVE, ALTARIA, TER, TALGO, and Electrotren. However, you pay a supplement to ride on these fast trains. Both first- and second-class fares are sold on Spanish trains. Tickets can be purchased in either the United States or Canada at the nearest office of French Rail or from any reputable travel agent. Confirmation of your reservation will take about a week.

If you want your car carried, you must travel Auto-Expreso in Spain. This type of auto transport can be booked only through travel agents or rail offices once you arrive in Europe.

To go from London to Spain by rail, you'll need to change not only the train but also the rail terminus in Paris. In Paris, it's worth the extra bucks to purchase a TALGO express or a "Puerta del Sol" express -- that way, you can avoid having to change trains once again at the Spanish border. Trip time from London to Paris is about 6 hours; from Paris to Madrid, about 15 hours or so, which includes 2 hours spent in Paris changing trains and stations. One-way fares fluctuate between £140 and £500 ($224-$800) depending on the time of day and year. Check with www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.com for exact timetables and fares.

Madrid has two major railway stations. Trains from London and Paris sometimes arrive at the interconnecting northerly station of Chamartín , but usually at the largest Atocha station, Av. Ciudad de Barcelona, next to the Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V (Metro: Atocha RENFE). Trains to and from here connect mainly with southern and eastern Spanish destinations. New fast rail services, introduced between 2007 and 2008, include the Barcelona to Madrid TALGO, which now takes 3 1/2 hours (though slower trains still take up to 5 hr.); the Valencia ALTARIA, which takes 3 1/2 hours; and a Málaga TALGO, which covers the journey to the capital in 2 1/2 hours. (The Córdoba-Madrid part of the trip only lasts an hour!). The pioneer quickie service -- launched back in 1992 -- was the Seville AVE, which takes 2 1/2 hours. You check in for all these trains in a comfortable airport-style lounge, with airport-style luggage security checks -- stricter since the Al Qaeda Madrid railway bombings of March 11, 2004.

The other main station, Chamartín, just above Plaza Castilla at Augustín de Foxá (Metro: Chamartín) expanded in 2007 into an immaculately spacious combined metro, train, and bus intercambiador, or junction. It also has cercanías (suburban train line) links with Atocha and Nuevos Ministerios (which in turn has a further metro connection with Barajas airport). Long-distance trains from here run to northerly cities such as Santander, Burgos, Bilbao, San Sebastian, and Barcelona (a slower service than from Atocha) and to many European capitals.

For information about connections from any of these stations, call RENFE (Spanish Railways), at tel. 90-224-02-02, daily from 7am to 11pm. For a Eurail Pass to travel from Madrid to other European countries, including neighboring Portugal, visit www.eurail.com.

For tickets, go to the principal office of RENFE, Alcalá 44 (tel. 91-506-63-29; Metro: Banco de España). The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 8pm.

Like the Wind -- The Spanish railway system is getting faster and more efficient by the year. The quickest way to get to Toledo is now by train (30 min.). The high-speed AVE service, opened in 2007, between Madrid and Burgos, includes 30km (19 miles) of tunnels through the Guadarrama Mountains and now does the 200km (124-mile) trip to Valladolid in 55 minutes (reaching Segovia en route in a mere 22 min.!). A further AVE connection with Barcelona (also started in 2007) takes 3 hours, stopping en route at Zaragoza and Lleida -- a big reduction from the (still-operating) standard TALGO service of 5 hours -- and if you want to head for the sunny shores of Andalusia, another TALGO now covers the 500km (310-mile) trip to Málaga in 2 1/2 hours. Fastest of all will be the ALVIA service to Valencia, projected for 2010, which aims to cover the 300km (186 miles) in just 90 minutes!

By Bus

Long-distance buses run regularly from major capitals of Western Europe to Madrid, but the service is not popular, as it's quite slow. (And, at certain bargain times in spring and autumn, it's actually cheaper to fly.) The busiest routes are from London and are run by Eurolines Limited, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU (tel. 0990/143-219 or 020/7730-8235; www.eurolines.co.uk). The journey from London's Victoria Station to Madrid is provided by two services. The faster one is the Express Service 180, which departs from London daily at 9pm, and arrives at Madrid's Estación Sur the following day at 9:30pm. (This station is also known as Mendez Álvaro -- see more on this station and others below if you want to explore either the immediate area or Spain in general from there.) The slower one is Service 181, which leaves London at 9pm on the first day and arrives at Estación Sur at 12:30am on the third day.

By Car

If you're touring the rest of Europe in a rented car, for an added cost, you might be allowed, to drop off your vehicle in a Madrid.

Highway approaches to Spain are across France on expressways. The most popular border crossing is near Biarritz, but there are 17 other border stations between Spain and France. If you plan to visit the north or west of Spain (Galicia), the Hendaye-Irún border is the most convenient frontier crossing. If you're going to Barcelona or Catalonia and along the Levante coast (Valencia), take the expressway in France to Toulouse, then the A-61 to Narbonne, and then the A-9 toward the border crossing at La Junquera. You can also take the RN-20, with a border station at Puigcerdà.

If you're driving from Britain, make sure you have a cross-Channel reservation, as traffic tends to be very heavy, especially in summer.

The major ferry crossings connect Dover and Folkestone with Dunkirk. Newhaven is connected with Dieppe, and the British city of Portsmouth with Roscoff. Taking a car on the ferry from Dover to Calais on P & O Ferries (tel. 800/677-8585 in North America, or 08705/20-20-20; www.poferries.com) costs £40 ($80) one way and takes 1 1/4 hours. This cost includes the car and two passengers.

Another ferry option is the Norfolkline (tel. 0844/499-0824; www.norfolkline.com), which operates an 1 3/4 hour ferry service from Dover to Dunkirk for £20 to £40 ($40-$80) one way for a car and two passengers. The drive from Calais, Boulogne or Dunkirk to the Spanish border will take about 15 hours.

You can take the Chunnel -- the underwater Channel Tunnel linking Britain (Folkestone) and France (Calais) by road and rail. Eurostar tickets, for train service between London and Paris or Brussels, are available through Rail Europe (tel. 800/EUROSTAR; www.eurostar.com). In London, make reservations for Eurostar at tel. 0870/530-00-03. The tunnel also accommodates passenger cars, charter buses, taxis, and motorcycles, transporting them under the English Channel from Folkestone, England, to Calais, France. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, running every 15 minutes during peak travel times, and at least once an hour at night. Tickets may be purchased at the tollbooth at the tunnel's entrance. With "Le Shuttle," gone are the days of weather-related delays, seasickness, and advance reservations.

Once you land, you'll have about a 15-hour drive to Spain.

If you plan to transport a rental car between England and France, check in advance with the rental company about license and insurance requirements and additional drop-off charges. And be aware that many car-rental companies, for insurance reasons, forbid transport of one of their vehicles over the water between England and France.