We are returning a rental car in Madrid and then staying in Madrid for two nights before flying to France. I thought it would be more convenient to return the car in the city at the Atocha station than to take it to the airport.

Am I right? Does anyone know whether the car returns at the station are easy to locate? We will be looking for Europcar.

Depending on the time of day and day of the week, you shouldn't have any problem with returning the car, but remember, it can be busy around the station. It also helps if you are familiar with the traffic patterns approaching the station.

Dropping the car off at the airport and taking a taxi to your hotel may end up being the easiest way to go. There is no additional charge for dropping it off at Barajas.

Thanks Robert. I guess my main question is whether the rental returns are right in the station and well marked. Or whether there's a secret location around the corner or something.

It just seemed out of the way to drive past Madrid, go out to the airport and take a taxi back to the hotel. We will be coming in the late afternoon or early evening of August 15, a Wednesday.

I can look at a map, will that be sufficient to learn the traffic patterns around the station? Any advice about that?

The rental car facilities in Atocha are well indicated, you cannot miss them.

Thanks Josele, I think we'll keep our reservations to return the car at the station then, and assume we won't get too terribly confused.

We returned our car to Barajas AutoEurope. It was easy to find, no problem. There were however a shortage
of baggage carts if you happen to need one.

As Josele says return area are well marked in Atocha. I choose Atocha to return the car when I am coming from the South, to avoid long extra driving. Another consideration is your hotel near Atocha ?
Lately however we have chosen to return our car the first day we arrive to the last place we are going to visit before coming back to Madrid. For instance we returned in Salamanca, stayed there a few days and then took the train into Madrid, which was very inexpensive like 18 euros or something like that, cheaper than a days rental of the car for sure.

Of course, we also saved the parking in Salamanca, to the 38 eu train t ickets (2) we had to add the taxi in Salamanca some 7 eu + plus the taxi from Chamartin trrain station some 9 euro. But of course taxi expenses depends of location of hotels.
Also on the saving side the driving effort of getting into Madrid, the gas for the ride.

Hi We returned a car to Europcar at Atocha last summer after returning from the south. We chose a hotel not too far from the station so we checked in to the hotel, dropped off our bags, returned the car, and walked back to our hotel. It was very easy!

We're planning on renting from Atocha in October, however, in another post the area is described as a "nightmare" in terms of traffic but obviously some of you have done it and made out okay?

We will be driving from Portugal and won't be able to return the car anywhere near where we are staying, so we can't easily return it and then take the train to Madrid. And my reason for choosing the station instead of the airport was because the airport is so far out of our way, as Graziella says.

Glad to hear Daydreamer's experience, I hope ours is similar.