5 hours in Madrid ... can we see anything?
 

Tomorrow, we are landing in Madrid (if all goes well) at 2:30 from America (Terminal 4S) and then leaving at 7:30 for Ibiza (Terminal 4). Can we take the metro and go sit in a cafe in an interesting part of town instead of wandering around the airport for 5 hours or is it too risky? I'd sure hate to miss that flight to Ibiza ...

Thanks in advance!

Julie

You may have an hour or two, but that's it! Lunch in Madrid is generally from 1:3-4:00', so plan on having lunch at the airport.

Not including the time to deplane, clear immigration and customs and get to the airport train station, getting to Plaza Mayor would take at least 50 minutes by public transit (and at least 20 min by taxi). Factor in the time needed to check-in, at best you have around 2-3 hours max <b>if</b> everything goes well.

It's certainly possible but I wouldn't do it.

The forecast for Madrid tomorrow says nice and sunny and not too hellishly hot.

I suggest you take take a taxi (some 25 mins) to emblematic Café del Oriente in quite spectacular Plaza Oriente just in front of the Royal Palace. Also a huge outdoor terrace. They serve meals here all day, so you could have a light or hearty lunch or just some tapas and the fabulous views. Several other nice restaurants/cafés in the same Plaza. You could be here at about 3.30 and wouldn't have to leave before about 6. Taxi stand just off the plaza, close to the Madrid opera. Both ways you will be out of the main rush hours, but count in some extra 15 minutes to the airport to be on the safe side.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/madrid/D3433.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...te-Madrid.html
http://www.eltenedor.es/restaurante/...e-oriente/3049

About Plaza de Oriente: http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-de-oriente.html

You guys are AMAZING! I can't believe I wasted time trying to research this last night when the full brain trust was right here!

If our plane is on time and immigration isn't hellish, we're going to go for it! Thank you, @kimhe, for the clear and definitive destination.

I'll post the results when we get back so future wanderers can benefit (or learn!) from our experience.

Thanks again,
Julie

Plaza OrIente is one of my favorite spots in Madrid....several elegant cafes / restaurants
AND the view of the Palace.
Enjoy.

I agree w/sparkchaser-I wouldn't take a chance!Immigration can be hellish but worse is getting back to the airport in rush hour traffic! The security can also be hellish-long lines!
If you want to leave the airport go to Barajas by metro-it's one stop and relax for an hour in a cafe for an hour at the most.
Kimhe leans towards the romantic and not practical!

Chapla,

He-he, good observation, but I think this should be perfectly doable although as a Norwegian I have no experience of American immigration prosedures at Barajas. If this takes too long, then the plan obviously fall. But taxi from Teatro Real/Ópera at 6pm on a weekday should not take any longer than max some 35 minutes (my guess will be 25 minutes). Much traffic through most of the day/evening, but 6pm is not rush hour out of the city.

If you are comfortable with trains you could get from the Airport Terminal 4 to the Royal Palace by getting to train station OPERA, a 5 minute walk to the Palace. Get yourself to TERMINAL 4 first. Then, from Terminal 4 you can take the METRO TRAIN LINE 8 (3 Euros). Switch to LINE 10 at NUEVOS MINISTERIOS, then switch to LINE 5 AT ALONSO MARTINEZ to station OPERA. You are 5 minutes from the Royal Palace. This route should take 45-50 minutes.

If you want to simplify you can do the above (T4; Line 8) and take Line 10 Nuevos Ministerios to station PUERTA DE ESPANA, where you will come up to one of the most beautiful squares in Spain and easy walking to Gran Via, Plaza Mayor, Royal Palace. Then just take the metro back to T4 from station OPERA by the Royal Palace (this train route is about 35-40 minutes).

If good weather and not within rush hours, I think I would go for it by metro from T4. You can always take a taxi back to the airport. I found the Madrid metro attendants very helpful, just watch your belongings (like anywhere else...).

Kimhe, if they listen to you and catch a taxi at 6,they will certainly miss the flight at 7 PM!
I would stay in terminal 4-it's unique,quite a show place.

Cercania train from T4 takes 30 min to Recoletos stop.( if you are at T4)
I would not go any further ...you don't really have five hours.
From Recoletos stop you can get to Serrano street in 5-7 minutes.
..beautiful stores, restaurants, and Parc Retiro.
Since you don't know the city, I would not attempt to start changing metro stations.