We arrive in Madrid Airport from Australia so we will be jet lagged to the max.
We will then need to get from there to the Madrid Station where we will take the AVE direct to Barcelona. We are not staying in Madrid.
I would appreciate info on how to do this. Is there a direct mode of transport from the airport to the station, other than taxi?

Many thanks!

When we were in Madrid a year ago, I pre-booked a transfer with a shuttle service called Aerocity. We were very pleased with this service and I suggest you look them up. Here is an excerpt from my trip report :


We landed at Barajas airport at 8:45 local time and it was still light out!! Madrid airport HAS to be the biggest and most spread-out airport I ever did see. Nothing is marked well, i.e. we could not find any signage or information regarding where our suitcases would be, the place looked completely deserted even at such a regular normal time. We had to walk forever to get to the place where we had to take a 4 minute train ride to another area where we got our luggage. We walked out and found our shuttle (Aerocity) desk easily and within 10 minutes or so were in the shuttle mini-van along with another couple. This is a shared service with a maximum of three stops along the way so we only had one other stop before ours to drop them off. The whole ride took less than half an hour and cost 23 Euros for both of us. Very worthwhile and HIGHLY recommended.

I'm not sure where the station you need to get to is, but we took a taxi from the airport to the center city and it was about 25€ and about 25 minutes during the early am.

Flame,

Did you made a reservation with Aerocity prior to arriving? If so, did you do it via e-mail or did you have to fill out an online form with credit card info? Thanks.

Cruiseluv, yes I made a reservation with Aerocity prior to arriving. I went onto their web site and followed their instructions. I did NOT pay anything up front, everything was paid in Madrid (I cannot remember whether I paid at the Aerocity desk at the airport or directly to the driver of the shuttle). It was very civilized, easy and convenient.

Regular taxi is the best - takes about 30 min and the fare will be around 25 to 30 euro. It takes a little longer from the newer Terminal 4 (via a tunnel). No need to book, plenty of taxis waiting outside. I don't recommend going by public transport - metro to Nuevos Ministerios and Cercanía commuter train to Atocha. Several flights of stairs, a large, confusing station and usually crowded trains, but only costs a few euro. Only advisable if you aren't jet-lagged and have carryon luggage only.
You could of course have taken the air shuttle service direct to Barcelona.

Use a taxi at your own risk. We used one to go back to the airport at the back end of our trip and did not have a good experience. It is appalling to me that in many large European cities the taxi drivers are unscrupulous and try to rip off tourists. Yes there are many more drivers who are NOT rip-off artists than those that are. It just seems that I get stuck to those that do? In any case, whenever I can I use a shuttle or transfer service that has been recommended, on this board and/or others, and I have not been disappointed, neither in Madrid nor in Rome.

We had bad experiences both getting from the airport to Atocha station in Madrid using Aerocity and then using a taxi to get from our Madrid hotel back to the airport 10 days later. If time and our backs permit, we'll try the metro next time.

If you take a taxi, keep in mind there are 2 supplements added to 30-35 euros cost: one is leaving from the airport , the other train station destination..it is NOT a rip-off , it is allowed by the taxi fares rules; some people are not aware of this. This would add almost 10 euros
We used taxis several times in Madrid this April and never had a problem.
I would not attempt metro with luggage .

take a look ( I am not sure if this is for 2010, but it gives you an idea)
http://www.madrid-tourist-guide.com/...i-service.html

it may not be clear there, but the supplement applies to and from airport and to and from train stations.
One can often seen it in the taxi, but people don't speak ( read) Spanish

one more: there will be a supplement charged from the train station in Barcelona as well PLUS, in Barcelona they charge one euro for each bag in the trunk!

There is a train available check this site: www.gomadrid.com/transport/. But if you like something more relaxing take a cab (maximun 2 pax) the fare is in the range of €25, it depends on the traffic.