Spain: AVE train from Madrid
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Spain: AVE train from Madrid
Had a question about where we would get the AVE train from Madrid. We are landing in Madrid but are thinking of going straight to Sevilla and staying in Madrid on our way back. Is it easy to get from the airport to the train station? It will be Christmas Day which might further complicate things.
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Cabs in Madrid are relatively inexpensive when compared to other big European cities. There's a Metro link to the airport, but it will involve at least two train changes to get to Atocha, the train station. Plus, I don't know if the metro runs on Christmas Day (it doesn't in London.)
If there are only 2 of you, you might want to take one of those shared ride shuttles to Atocha.
If there are only 2 of you, you might want to take one of those shared ride shuttles to Atocha.
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similar inquiry!--also going straight from Madrid airport to AVE train to Seville, but I don't want to buy tickets in advance since the plane could be late.
Anyone have recent experience/knowledge that would indicate buying a reserved seat for the same day (say buying at 8 am for a 9:00am or 10:00am) would be a problem on a weekday in November?
Anyone have recent experience/knowledge that would indicate buying a reserved seat for the same day (say buying at 8 am for a 9:00am or 10:00am) would be a problem on a weekday in November?
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Yes,
You can usually purchase your AVE tickets on the Tiknet feature of RENFE's web site (Spanish National Railroad) at
www.renfe.es
However, it hasn't been working lately!
If they don't fix the problem before your departure, you can purchase tixs at Madrid's airport at the RENFE counter, which is located downstairs in T1, the international arrivals area, to the right of customs exit door 1, next to the Replay news store. It opens at 8 a.m.(but I don't know what their hrs. will be Xmas day), and there's hardly ever a line.
It's where I always pick up our train tickets.
Unless I'm traveling on the AVE to or from Seville immediately prior to, during or after Holy Week or Seville's April Fair (variable dates)or the February bank holiday (puente de Andalucia) I can usually find seats available a couple of days ahead of time for the departure I want and in a the non-smoking car.
Renfe has elimiated AVE's old 3 tier pricing system. All daily Madrid-Seville departures cost 64 euros tourist class and 95, first class
EXCEPT for the 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. departures which cost 57/86.
There are also 2 daily Altaria train departures (takes 3 hrs. 15 min. compared to the AVE 2 1/2 hr. run) that cost 50/78 euros.
The quickest way from the airport to the AVE station (Puerta de Atocha) is to take a taxi. There are over 15,000 taxis in the Madrid metropolitan area, so you'll find some on Xmas day at the airport.
Your fare to Atocha on a light traffic day should run under 20 euros, including the 4 euro obligatory supplement for any airport run. And on Xmas day it should take about 20 min., particularly with a lead footed taxi driver.
(The mid morning airport to Plaza Colon bus run on a normal workday only takes 20 min.)
Another option which many posters have fond dependable is to arrange a transfer by the airport shuttle, Aerocity. The price is 17 euros for from 1-3 passengers. If you forget to do this ahead of time, Aerocity also mans a booth in the airport in the international arrivals section of terminal 1.
See www.aerocity.com
The third option, cheapest but most time consuming and requiring the most walking and climbing steps is the metro. And while the airport line 8 has luggage racks, the others do not. I recommend it only for those carrying backpacks.
To avoid 2 metro line changes, first to line 6 at Nuevos Ministerios and then to line 1 at Cuatro Caminos, you can also do a metro/train trip from the airport (metro station at end of Terminal 2) to Atocha train station which requires only 1 change.
From the airport, take metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, where you then change to a Cercanias train (commuter rail) which runs directly to Atocha with an intermediate stop at Recoletos.
The Madrid metro runs on holidays.
Hope this info helps.
You can usually purchase your AVE tickets on the Tiknet feature of RENFE's web site (Spanish National Railroad) at
www.renfe.es
However, it hasn't been working lately!
If they don't fix the problem before your departure, you can purchase tixs at Madrid's airport at the RENFE counter, which is located downstairs in T1, the international arrivals area, to the right of customs exit door 1, next to the Replay news store. It opens at 8 a.m.(but I don't know what their hrs. will be Xmas day), and there's hardly ever a line.
It's where I always pick up our train tickets.
Unless I'm traveling on the AVE to or from Seville immediately prior to, during or after Holy Week or Seville's April Fair (variable dates)or the February bank holiday (puente de Andalucia) I can usually find seats available a couple of days ahead of time for the departure I want and in a the non-smoking car.
Renfe has elimiated AVE's old 3 tier pricing system. All daily Madrid-Seville departures cost 64 euros tourist class and 95, first class
EXCEPT for the 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. departures which cost 57/86.
There are also 2 daily Altaria train departures (takes 3 hrs. 15 min. compared to the AVE 2 1/2 hr. run) that cost 50/78 euros.
The quickest way from the airport to the AVE station (Puerta de Atocha) is to take a taxi. There are over 15,000 taxis in the Madrid metropolitan area, so you'll find some on Xmas day at the airport.
Your fare to Atocha on a light traffic day should run under 20 euros, including the 4 euro obligatory supplement for any airport run. And on Xmas day it should take about 20 min., particularly with a lead footed taxi driver.
(The mid morning airport to Plaza Colon bus run on a normal workday only takes 20 min.)
Another option which many posters have fond dependable is to arrange a transfer by the airport shuttle, Aerocity. The price is 17 euros for from 1-3 passengers. If you forget to do this ahead of time, Aerocity also mans a booth in the airport in the international arrivals section of terminal 1.
See www.aerocity.com
The third option, cheapest but most time consuming and requiring the most walking and climbing steps is the metro. And while the airport line 8 has luggage racks, the others do not. I recommend it only for those carrying backpacks.
To avoid 2 metro line changes, first to line 6 at Nuevos Ministerios and then to line 1 at Cuatro Caminos, you can also do a metro/train trip from the airport (metro station at end of Terminal 2) to Atocha train station which requires only 1 change.
From the airport, take metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, where you then change to a Cercanias train (commuter rail) which runs directly to Atocha with an intermediate stop at Recoletos.
The Madrid metro runs on holidays.
Hope this info helps.
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