john183

I have booked a 2 week trip in and out of Madrid from Atlanta in October using frequent flyer miles. We had planned to stay with friends in Madrid at the beginning and end of the trip but work committments have interfered and our friends will not be there at the beginning of our trip. This has given us more time to see things outside of Madrid than we had planned. We originally were only going to see Madrid and Andalucia but with a few extra days to use we now want to see Barcelona too (I have tried to change my tickets to arrive in Barcelona but all the frequent flyer seats are gone so we are stuck arriving in Madrid). We arrive at 9 AM and my question is would it be better to fly on to Barcelona first or catch a train to Sevilla to see Andalucia first followed by Barcelona and Madrid back-to-back? I have found an Iberia flight to Barcelona at noon - is 3 hours enough time to clear customs, get our luggage and find our flight on Iberia? Is it easy to catch the high speed train to Sevilla from the airport? My guess is either option should work but if anyone has an opinion of which would be better or if you know of any reason one would not work, I would appreciate the feedback.

Robert2533

My advice is to stick with your original plan. Spend the first 3, 4 or even 5 nights in Madrid. Explore and enjoy the city. It has a lot to offer. I'd save Barcelona for another day.

If you do decide to fly to Barcelona, 3 hours should be enough time if you are arriving in Terminal 4S. Remember, you'll have to go to the ticket counter to check in and pick up your boarding pass. If the lines are long, then there could be a problem.

If you are arriving in Terminal 1 then it may be a tight connection

nessundorma

Are you doing carryon? If so, the 3-hr layover should be sufficient. If you are checking luggage, it could be tight.

It isn't difficult to get Atocha station to catch the AVE to Sevilla, and best yet: Taxis are not exepnsive. So it would make sense to me to spring for a taxi from the airport.

Bear in mind, however, that you'll be quite jet lagged, so think about beginning your trip in Madrid as planned. Then either fly to Barcelona or train to Sevilla. Have you checked out Sevilla/Barcelona air connections? You might also look at going from Madrid to Sevilla to Granada to Barcelona, then flying back from Barcelona to Madrid.

john183

Our original plan was to spend a few days with our friends in Madrid at the beginning of our trip and a few more days at the end of our trip. I think we are going to wait to see Madrid until the end of our trip when our friends can show us around and, more importantly, we can stay with them for free (HA!!!). So it becomes a question of Barcelona or Andalucia first, finishing in Madrid. I think you have convinced me to not try to catch the flight to Barcelona. I looked at a map of Barajas airport and it looks like a long ways from terminal 1 (our arrival) to terminal 4 (Iberia departure). Is there an easy and quick way to get from 1 to 4? I also looked at a train schedule and there is an AVE train on the hour. Should I try to get train tickets in advance or just buy them when we get to the station? Unless there is a quick way to get from T1 to T4, I think we will taxi to the train station and go to Sevilla (2.5 hours I think). After seeing Sevilla for a few days, we will rent a car and travel around Andalucia, drop the car off and fly to Barcelona from one of the Andalucian cities. Thanks for the advice.

nessundorma

Your plan sounds good to me. FYI, there is a regular "loop" bus that connects T1 to T4 in Barajas, but getting from curbside to the gates at T4 isn't quick. (Mysteriously, the new ultramodern T4 has no people-movers.) The even bigger problem is the understaffed check-in counters in Spanish airports which can mean standing on long lines to check into your connecting flight.

I'm sorry I can't give you an answer about booking your ticket in advance, other than to say I always try to avoid doing it since there is always the chance your overseas flight will experience delays. I don't know how the Spanish system works if you miss the train for which you were holding a ticket.

Perhaps if you post what day you would be traveling it would help.

If you are planning to see Cordoba (whose mosque is stunning) I recommend to it as a day trip by train from Sevilla, rather than making it part of your car travels.