Madrid: A Little Help
Jun 5th, 2004, 01:26 PM
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Madrid: A Little Help
I am going to be in Madrid from the 21st to the 30th of June. It's going to be my first time, so I was just wondering if anyone could help me with a few things:
1) The March attacks are still pretty recent, so I am a bit unsure what it will be like to arrive by rail. Are some stations under tight security, or closed all together?
2) Can someone give me a walkthrough for using the metro, eg how much per ride, do you need to keep your ticket, ect.
3) I have penciled El Esorial and Aranjuez in for day trips. Any tips on how to get there?
4) People here in France tell me the Spanish aren't so good with foreign languages. I've got French and English up my sleeve, will this be all right?
Any thoughts, comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
1) The March attacks are still pretty recent, so I am a bit unsure what it will be like to arrive by rail. Are some stations under tight security, or closed all together?
2) Can someone give me a walkthrough for using the metro, eg how much per ride, do you need to keep your ticket, ect.
3) I have penciled El Esorial and Aranjuez in for day trips. Any tips on how to get there?
4) People here in France tell me the Spanish aren't so good with foreign languages. I've got French and English up my sleeve, will this be all right?
Any thoughts, comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Jun 5th, 2004, 03:35 PM
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1) People have moved on, and improved security measures are in place - things don't stay closed permanently.
2)Inexpensive, we're talking loose change. Keep your ticket until you exit - otherwise what would be the point of tickets?
3) Coach tours or you can hire a driver.
4) Will usually suffice. Even it wouldn't you can't overcome that problem so deal with it.
Any further silly questions?
2)Inexpensive, we're talking loose change. Keep your ticket until you exit - otherwise what would be the point of tickets?
3) Coach tours or you can hire a driver.
4) Will usually suffice. Even it wouldn't you can't overcome that problem so deal with it.
Any further silly questions?
Jun 6th, 2004, 02:21 AM
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1. I doubt you'll find any "closed" stations which would be disrupting the rail system. Any "security" you encounter may, or may not be, very effective especially if it is done UPON ARRIVAL...kinda late to be thinking about it at that point.
2. Metro is easy to use. Fares vary but are not terribly expensive. You can use small change as has been mentioned. Doing a Google for "Madrid Metro" will bring you more extensive answers and maps of ther system.
3. You might check with your hotel re organized tours or rail/bus connections
4. I'm not convinced ther Spanish are any "worse" at foreign languages than are the French. I doubt you'll have any trouble finding you way around...people who speak English don't seem to and if you speak French you'll probably have even less trouble.
Enjoy your trip.
2. Metro is easy to use. Fares vary but are not terribly expensive. You can use small change as has been mentioned. Doing a Google for "Madrid Metro" will bring you more extensive answers and maps of ther system.
3. You might check with your hotel re organized tours or rail/bus connections
4. I'm not convinced ther Spanish are any "worse" at foreign languages than are the French. I doubt you'll have any trouble finding you way around...people who speak English don't seem to and if you speak French you'll probably have even less trouble.
Enjoy your trip.
Jun 6th, 2004, 08:14 AM
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I was in Spain during the end of March shortly after the attacks and during the subsequent problems and finding the bomb on a rail line, and it didn't impinge on my rail plans at all. They did close down the rail line between Madrid and Seville one day because of that, but I took the train the next day or so, and had no problems. I arrived in Madrid by rail from the south on that day, and it was like arriving anywhere else by rail -- noneventful. They did screen my bags like at the airport to get on the AVE train, but it didn't take that long.
The metro is pretty much like any other metro, you go through turnstiles to get to the quays, compost the ticket, there are maps of lines on the walls, etc. YOu can get a metro map from the clerk, if you don't have one. The metro in MAdrid is very extensive with a lot of stops. I think you should always keep tickets on transportation like that in any city, until you leave the station.
The metro has zones, like in Paris. For central Madrid, you need tickets for zone A. I really don't recall the exact price, but it was in the line of most metro systems, around one euro per trip for a single ticket. I bought a ticket for ten trips which is a good bargain -- it's a little over 5 euro for that one. Ask for the Metrobur 10 journey ticket.
There are buses to Escorial, I know that, because I took a bus to Segovia and saw many of the other bus lines listed on the schedules. The public bus station I used for that was called the Norte Station, I believe, and is right near the Principe Pio metro stop (I think on paseo de la Florida, but don't quote me on that). This station is called La Sepulvedana. I know you can take a train, also, but I think the bus system may be better for some of these day trips.
Here is one page I found that seems to do an okay job of describing the various bus stations best for certain destinations. It lists Moncloa for Escorial --- that is in that same general direction of Madrid, as I remember getting off the bus from Segovia at Moncloa to take the metro to my hotel since it seemed quicker than staying on to the final point on Florida. It also lists the bus station for trips to Aranjuez.
http://www.madridinsider.i8.com/travel/buses.html
I spoke Spanish a lot in Madrid, even though I don't know it as well as French, and it was helpful, particularly outside major cities. I don't think you'll have a problem, though. Sometimes, I actually spoke French with several people (a cab driver, someone I met in Cordoba)because they knew French, my French was better than Spanish, and they didn't know English. So, I don't think you'll have any major problems communicating. French and Spanish have a lot of similar words and grammatical structure.
The metro is pretty much like any other metro, you go through turnstiles to get to the quays, compost the ticket, there are maps of lines on the walls, etc. YOu can get a metro map from the clerk, if you don't have one. The metro in MAdrid is very extensive with a lot of stops. I think you should always keep tickets on transportation like that in any city, until you leave the station.
The metro has zones, like in Paris. For central Madrid, you need tickets for zone A. I really don't recall the exact price, but it was in the line of most metro systems, around one euro per trip for a single ticket. I bought a ticket for ten trips which is a good bargain -- it's a little over 5 euro for that one. Ask for the Metrobur 10 journey ticket.
There are buses to Escorial, I know that, because I took a bus to Segovia and saw many of the other bus lines listed on the schedules. The public bus station I used for that was called the Norte Station, I believe, and is right near the Principe Pio metro stop (I think on paseo de la Florida, but don't quote me on that). This station is called La Sepulvedana. I know you can take a train, also, but I think the bus system may be better for some of these day trips.
Here is one page I found that seems to do an okay job of describing the various bus stations best for certain destinations. It lists Moncloa for Escorial --- that is in that same general direction of Madrid, as I remember getting off the bus from Segovia at Moncloa to take the metro to my hotel since it seemed quicker than staying on to the final point on Florida. It also lists the bus station for trips to Aranjuez.
http://www.madridinsider.i8.com/travel/buses.html
I spoke Spanish a lot in Madrid, even though I don't know it as well as French, and it was helpful, particularly outside major cities. I don't think you'll have a problem, though. Sometimes, I actually spoke French with several people (a cab driver, someone I met in Cordoba)because they knew French, my French was better than Spanish, and they didn't know English. So, I don't think you'll have any major problems communicating. French and Spanish have a lot of similar words and grammatical structure.
Jun 8th, 2004, 06:16 AM
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1. We also were in Madrid soon after the attach. We didn't use their rail system but did visit Atoche station (which was open and I didn't notice any major security). We did take a bus to Toledo which was quick and easy.
2. I don't remember the costs but we purchased multi-ride passes from the machines in the stations. It eas very inexpensive and easy to navigate. Teh same passes can be used on the buses. Madrid is fairly compact so it's easy to get to most places.
4. Each in our faily is different level of Spanish expertise. We managed with Englisg and Spanish, but did notice less English is used here as comapred to other major European cities. We even went to an Italian restaurant that had the menu in Spanish and Italian (no English). I wouldn't worry about it. The people are quite pleasant and accommodating.
2. I don't remember the costs but we purchased multi-ride passes from the machines in the stations. It eas very inexpensive and easy to navigate. Teh same passes can be used on the buses. Madrid is fairly compact so it's easy to get to most places.
4. Each in our faily is different level of Spanish expertise. We managed with Englisg and Spanish, but did notice less English is used here as comapred to other major European cities. We even went to an Italian restaurant that had the menu in Spanish and Italian (no English). I wouldn't worry about it. The people are quite pleasant and accommodating.
