From experience or calculated estimates what is the minimum time to allow from the plane landing in Madrid to getting to Atocha via taxi.

Don't know exactly what you mean. That trip takes exactly one half hour if there is little traffic and the driver goes straight there. Allow at least one hour, then. And tell the driver to go directly there!

Hi

What I’m getting at is I’m arriving in Madrid and going straight to Sevilla and I want to take the earliest train possible for my arrival conscious of the fact that I have to book the AVE in advance and yet allow sufficient time to get to the train. Currently I’m exploring all other options for example car hire one-way etc
That’s another point does anybody know how long the car journey is between Madrid & Sevilla?????

In December two friends and I flew to Madrid and then took two taxis to Atocha. It took us about one hour to get our luggage and then go through customs. There were five or six planes that all arrived at about the same time. Normally it only takes about 30 minutes.

We had to take two taxis because our luggage did not fit in one taxi. The ride to Atocha took about 20 minutes. One taxi charged 2,200 pesetas and the other charged 4,000 pesetas.

I hope that this information proves helpful. Have a nice trip.

Nice illustration of two taxis, same route, same time, totally different price!!! god. Well, yes, as for timing: you have to allow for delay in plane, luggage time, all that. If that's your plan, then I'd say give it at least 2 hrs between arrival time in Barajas and departure from Atocha. Or three-- Atocha is lovely, you can have a cafe and hang in the jungle they have going there.

Factor in Finnagle's first law: If anything can possibly go wrong, it will. In July'99 it was 45-minutes before the checked baggage from our flight BEGAN arriving at the carousel (We missed our connecting flight). Another time our checked baggage went to an adjacent area.

Then there may be a queue at the AVE ticket counter at Madrid's Puerta de Atocha. Check the Renfe Office at Barajas airport; it may be better to buy your reservation & ticket there if there is no waiting.

I haven't driven that route since they put in all the autovias; but before that it took me the better part of a day (6-hours plus).

If everything goes well, 2-hours connection time should be adequate (30-min taxi).

Nice one Eddie you’ve given me an idea: I can book the AVE allowing a reasonable time from landing and if we are badly delayed I can change the AVE departure time in the airport. This, I understand, is allowed upto 5 minutes before departure.

[This message has been edited by steveaqui (edited 01-20-2001).]

[This message has been edited by steveaqui (edited 01-20-2001).]

When I took the AVE to Sevilla, I walked into RENFE Atocha and purchased the ticket for the next train out. That was after arriving in Madrid and taking a taxi to the train station. I was lucky to have gotten the seat. The return trip from Sevilla to Madrid was not as easy finding a seat on a train, but there were three of us together on the return trip. I was alone heading south.

I was detained leaving the airport... Boy, was I searched at customs upon arrival! If you are watching the clock, do like the person above says, count on delays.

One more thing, I had not intended to take the AVE. I was planning to purchase a flight to Sevilla upon arrival in Madrid, but before leaving NY state I found out via internet that the flights to Sevilla were sold out. I would have more than cut the price of the Madrid-Sevilla flight in half by purchasing the ticket at Barajas. As it ended up, the train was a great experience. AVE was plan B.

Think I’ve got it all ‘sorted’ now. I’m going to book the AVE, via internet, allowing 2 hours from intended touch down and if we are running really late I’ll change the time in the airport. My main concern was that because its Semana Santa there might be high demand for movements into Sevilla. Incidentally its true about the prices, for accommodation, in Sevilla at Easter Week, they do double and seem to approach full capacity about now. I’ve managed to book an apartment at a good price in preference to a Pension.
I’ll be there all Semana Santa and a few days beyond so should have some interesting reports. Anybody else going to be there?

The AVE web booking service is great fun to use a laugh a minute in fact. Seriously though its set up for input from Spain residents. If you try to give details relating to, for example, England it’s not happy with the inputs. Once you’ve figured it all out though and a couple of phone calls later everything is easy.