New 24 hr. Madrid-Atocha Express Airport bus
 

There will be a new bus connecting Atocha and the airport starting mid October. It is yellow and will be at the yellow bus stops outside the terminals 1,2, and 4. It costs 2 euros. It will stop in Atocha, Cibeles,and O'Donnell. The 22 km. journey from Atocha to T4 should take 40 minutes.

It seems Atocha will not be included on the stops at night when there are no trains. The exact timetable does not seem to be published yet, but will be every 30 minutes.

Current buses 200 and 204 will not be discontinued from the airport to Avenida América Intercambiador.

Even though taking the metro to Nuevos Ministerios and then taking the Cercanias is not so bad as the old way of taking three metro lines, I'd still be very happy for this bus service. Although I never had pickpocketing problems on the metro, I know many people have, and perhaps this bus will be safer (of course, be careful regardless).

The metro option to Nuevos Ministerios and Cercanias...has any stairways (long or short)?

Josele, there are stairways (1 level from line 9, if I am not wrong), both normal and automatic, but there are also lifts on the metro side. Not so many people get the lifts, which is quite useful.

Once out of the metro you have to find out which train to get to Atocha, and yes, buy the ticket, because it is on a different trip and you cannot use your ticket from the airport (and viceversa).

Bye, Cova

Thanks Cova

Cova,
Just to give you a head's up, we'll be in Madrid between the 17th and 19th of October. I think a tapa is called for...

Robert, just saw your note. I think that I don´t have anything planned for those days, so yes, we could meet.

Drop me an email, OK?

Josele, I have to go to the Corte Ingles in Castellana this afternoon, so I will check for you if there are lifts for the Cercanías. I think there are, but I am not very sure right now. I´ll let you know.

Bye, Cova

This was a LONG time in coming! The bus will run 24 hrs and 365 days-what a bargain for 2 euros!

We are arriving Madrid (via Heathrow) on 10/23 and will be staying at Hotel Prado. This would be a better option than taking the taxi, I hope as this is our first time in Spain. Anyone has any more information, i.e., a website? We are travelling with children and would like more information as to whether this is ideal option for us.

My point of view:

1. A red-eye flight from the US with transfer in London. How many hours altogether?
2. Your first time in Spain.
3. Next bus stop (Cibeles) still some 600 meters from your hotel. It's no rocket-science to find the way, but do you want that with luggage and kids, and x hrs flights under your belt?
--> I'd cut the cost-cutting for a moment and spend appr. €25 on a taxi.

On your way back to the airport you can still try out the bus when you'll feel much more awake and know the city a bit.

Does anyone know if this new bus service has started yet? We will be arriving on the morning of October 19, 2010. Our hotel is, I believe, a few blocks from Atocha and we pack lightly.

Pat

Does anyone know if the bus will have space available to store luggage?

I recently took the Bilbao airport bus to the Termibus station (Bilbao's main bus station) and this worked great - the bus had alot of space to store luggage and it was a much less expensive alternative to a taxi. It would be incredible to have this same option in Madrid!

Cathy, the bus is supposed to have an space for storing luggage, similar to the one in Bilbao.

There isn´t yet a fixed date, I called last week and I was told that it should begin running anytime after El Pilar (that´s tomorrow), but that they couldn´t tell me exactly when.

Bye, Cova

OK, the bus has begun running this friday, and by all accounts is working fine and people sound happy with it.
More tomorrow.

Rgds, Cova

For passengers transferring from the airport to Atocha (AVE trains station). THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND:
* Time for baggage collection & customs clearing in the airport, then seeking the signs for getting the airport express bus and catch it! Airport website (bus stops):
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?ci...Language=EN_GB
* Buses will pass every 15 minutes by day, but the SAME vehicle will cover the whole airport (leave from T4, then T2 and then T1). They will only reach Plaza Cibeles by night when the AVE tranis don't operate in Atocha. Bus line map:
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5030/1emtaer.jpg
* Buses seem inadequate for heavy baggage, they are urban buses without a baggage hold beneath the passenger level. See the vehicles:
http://guias-viajar.com/madrid/wp-co...to-barajas.jpg
* Buses will take 40 minutes from the airport (from terminal 1?) to Atocha "depending on the state of traffic". Who know how long in rush hours…
* Check-in time in Atocha. Baggages will be x-ray checked before boarding the train. Probably queueing. Atocha station map:
http://www.adif.es/en_US/infraestruc...OCHA_plano.pdf

Revulgo, it doesn´t seem that you listened last Friday to the peoplr using the buses. They explained that there is place inside the bus to put the luggage (I guess it will be similar to other airport buses in other places), so they are not the same as an urban bus.

Also, the spokesperson talked of 45-50 minutes for the trip.

There has been another announcement regarding the 200 and 204 buses, that used to run from the T1-T2 to Avda de America and the T4 to Avda de America. They have been merged and will run from T4 to T1-T2 and then Avda de America every 12 minutes.

The best thing with the Express bus is that it runs 24h, allowing to get to those very early cheap flights ...

Rgds, Cova

OK, the bus has begun running this friday, and by all accounts is working fine and people sound happy with it.
More tomorrow.>

Wow talk about misinformation given out in Madrid - friends landed Nov 4 in Madrid and were told 'that this bus was not running and would not be up and running for some time' - and then as this report says it was running the next day!

Hi to lincasanova and I'm resurrecting this post about Madrid airport express bus. When looking for bus transport, this came up. According to the site, it started in 2010 and the latest update was June 2013.

So, has anyone used it recently? It looks like it would be an easy walk to Prado.

I took it from the airport to Atocha in Septemer 2012. Very convenient and easy. Bus entrance is basically at curb height so not even any steps to climb with luggage.

I use it all the time. For a nice stroll get off at Cibeles and cross the street towards the spectacular City hall. Bear right, along the Paseo against the traffic and you will come to the Prado. You will also pass the interesting Naval Museum for those of you who like ship models, etc. I'm not "into " ship models and paraphenalia but have been here twice I found it so interesting.

It now costs 5E. Cibeles, the second stop the bus makes ( the first is McDonell) is probably the most central one IMO. The Atocha station is a bit at the end and further. You will also pay a train station supplement there for taxi to your hotel that you should not be asked for on the street near Cibeles.