I took a look at Iberia's webpage again:

http://tinyurl.com/2o9jlr

"Times are calculated to enable the transport operator to fulfil all the requisites that must be met prior to the aeroplane gaining clearance.

In the event of a passenger not having completed the necessary formalities within the specified deadline, they will not be admitted to their flight, in which respect the transport operator will not be held liable."

According the webpage, checkin time limit should be 45 minutes for MAD-BCN.

Arrive at the gate 20 minutes prior. With an advance boarding card the passenger is supposed to go to an Iberia checkpoint 1/2 hour ahead of time -- not quite sure what that means. Usually I go to the desk at the gate anyway to make sure my boarding card is fine.

I'll decide what to do when I arrive in Madrid next week. According to flightstats, the flight today arrived about 9 minutes early. The one yesterday arrived slightly late.

I also studied the terminal maps in greater detail. T4S handles international flights and non Schengen. However the M series gates in T4S also handle Schengen and domestic. I'm not sure how Iberia decides which MAD-BCN flights go to T4S. It looks like T4 will be more convenient. If my flight takes off there I can shave another 5 minutes from my connection time. I've checked the online gate information for MAD-BCN flights today and some definitely do take off from 4S.

By the way, my story about Athens wasn't quite true.

Now that I think about it, I had time to use an internet cafe for a few minutes. I can't recall how much time I had between flights though but I think it was also around 4 hours. However if I remember right the Athens airport is further away from the city than Barajas. I also recall panicking slightly on my return to the airport because I couldn't find a taxi.

I was in Athens last December and it was my first time using the new airport -- I'm not sure how far it is in kilometers, but the train makes it an easy trip to the city. I wouldn't chance a trip from the Athens airport to the city unless I had six hours -- for Athens, with only four hours, I'd stay at the airport (at least, there's a relatively small museum in the airport with disoveries from the area found while constructing the airport).

With four hours, for any urban airport, I'd be nervous leaving (the only times I've left an airport is when I've had double redeyes into CDG or Malpensa, and was able to spend 10 hours or so in Paris or Milan).

I Googled and I think that Athens airport is about 32 km from the city. Barajas is about 12 km. Definitely Barajas is a lot closer.

Maybe I had more than 4 hours. I don't recall for sure. But I don't think it was much more. If I remember right, I was in a wedding in Greece and I took an early morning flight from Crete. In Athens I switched to Brussels Air and flew to Brussels. I seem to recall my flight to Brussels was around noon.

111op, the traffic can be very bad. 8:00-10:00 is still opening time for businesses.

Sometimes I go to Madrid for work and from the city (Castellana area) to the workplace and what is normally a 15-minute drive can take over an hour in the morning traffic.

Barajas can be a madhouse but that has been expanded on above....

111op, Sign of being obsessed with one's trip, when you start responding to yourself again and again! Hope it works out.

I am in Oslo now. I made it to Prado with no problems and spent about 25 minutes at the exhibition.

Flight was silghtly late (touched down at 725 am), but I was upgraded to Business (lord knows why) and got out quickly. I was out of the airport at 8 am and at Prado at 820 am. I arrived at the airport at 952 am for my 11 am flight.

I counted twice, and I think that there were 21.5 paintings (0.5 because this one was jointly attributed to Patinir and Massys). They also counted all the ones attributed to Patinir and workshop (studio?). One was attributed to Circle of Patinir. One unusual painting came from Boijmans called Destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah. Unlike the others this one had a very reddish background.

Bravo! At least I have to say I am impressed AND happy for you.

Glad you made it!

Glad you made it !! ;)

111op (and others) - help me do what you did!

I am looking at flights to possibly accompany my husband on a trip to Barcelona. He'll be laying over in Madrid. Flight lands in madrid at 10:10am.

I could book myself on a connecting flight that leaves at 5:30pm to Barcelona, leaving me about 7 hours total. Ideally, I'd like minimum 2 hours in Prado. (He will deal with luggage, I won't have any to worry about).

So, you made it from airport to Prado in an hour?

Would leaving at 3pm from Prado put me in traffic back to airport?

Any problems getting a taxi from the Prado?

Did you do this jetlagged? I hope I don't fall asleep in front of Bosch!

What were security lines like at airport? I'll probably be flying Spanair to Barcelona (USAir to Madrid).

Thanks for any insights!!

Hi, I've already responded to your other thread.

But let me answer your more specific questions....

Prado is closed on Mondays. So be sure you're not flying in on Mondays. It's also closed on public holidays.

http://museoprado.mcu.es/ificha.html

Otherwise you should be set. You've an advantage over me already. I left the airport at 8 am and arrived at 8:20 am, and the museum didn't open until 9 am.

By the time your flight arrives, the museum has already opened.

You should have way more than 2 hours at Prado unless your flight is seriously delayed. In fact you'll have time to visit Thyssen, if you want to go, and maybe even Reina Sofia.

As I mentioned, under normal traffic conditions, cab should take about 20 minutes. I think it costs about 20 euros. If feel like you have a lot of time you can probably take the Metro instead. But that will take longer and the Metro can be inconvenient depending on which terminal you fly into.

I didn't notice unusually long lines at the airport, but when you're in a rush things will seem to move more slowly than they really are moving.

No problems with taxi. Actually I crossed the street to the Palace Hotel side. But acutally it probably would have been better had I stayed on the Prado side -- the cab driver had to make some turns to get back to the airport.

I do these kinds of trips a lot, so I don't get jet-lagged easily. Plus I bet you'll be really excited and you'll be awake.

As I mentioned on the other thread, you'll want to check to see that Bosch painting is on view.

Also, I'd spend some time on the Patinir show.

Other things worth looking for in Prado:

Rogier van der Weyden

Descent from the Cross (make sure you don't miss this one -- it's amazing what Rogier did in the 1400s)

Velazquez

There're some very important paintings here -- among them, Las Meninas, Fable of Ariadne

Raphael

There's a very beautiful portrait of a a cardinal (?) along with various Holy Family paintings.

Goya

Family of Charles IV, May 3

Here's a list from Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ma...xml&page=1

While looking at it, I am reminded of the Patinir painting. Also very nice.

Some photos to show I made it:
http://tinyurl.com/32rcwz

Good luck and have a great trip!

bm