Combinado Cercanias (RENFE question)
 

Hi. Just wondering if anyone has ever tried to use the combinado cercanias.

I'm traveling on the AVE from Cordoba to Madrid and plan to use the free cercanias ticket to go to the airport.

I know I have to go to the cercanias ticket machine to get a ticket. But am a bit confused about a 3-hour window to use this.

Is this I have to leave the station before the 3-hour elapses? Can I get the ticket as soon as I arrive for a train leaving 3 hours hence so I can still walk around Madrid some? Or is it that I have before 3 hours to claim the cercanias ticket even if my travel is about 4 hours after I arrive.

Please advise.

Thank you.

You have 3 hours, starting from the arrival time of your AVE train, to get the Cercanías ticket and to get to the airport. So if you arrive at 13.30hrs in Atocha (probably?) you have until 16.30 to arrive at the airport Terminal 4 station.

If you want to spend more time to walk around in Madrid, the price you have to pay extra for a new Cercanías ticket or the bus or metro is quite modest (I think the express bus is the most expensive at €5 or so).

Forgot to say: If you opted for a longer walk around Madrid, you could use your free transfer to take a Cercanías train from Atocha to Sol - which would put you right in the central spot to explore the sights (assuming that you don't plan to see one of the big museums).

Oh thank you very much Cowboy1968.