I was reading threads from 2000 and 2001 on this messageboard about how taxi drivers located at Barajas would sometimes rip off passengers when driving them to their hotels. Has the situation gotten better since the subject was discussed last year? Does anyone have any new tips on not getting ripped off?

Also, does anyone have a rough idea of how much it should cost to go from Barajas to the Hotel Carlos V near the Plaza de Callao? I looked up a website which I think is the official one. It had a page on taxi fares ( http://www.aena.es/madrid-barajas/en/docs/access/bytaxi.html ) which was a bit confusing. By assuming that the distance to be traveled is 15 kilometers, I figured out that with the airport supplement, the cost would be 17,5 Euros. However, I will be there on a Sunday morning. The site mentions a Festive Supplement of 0,81 Euros per kilometer. Is that in addition to or in lieu of the normal 0,63 Euros per kilometer rate? Does 30 Euros seem more likely for a taxi ride on Sunday?

I am trying to decide whether to take a taxi, take the hotel shuttle, take Aerocity , or take the Metro . I have taken the hotel shuttle on my trips in the past, but every time, I had to wait about an hour for it to arrive. I can't bear to wait as I am so excited about getting to my hotel so that I can start enjoying myself in Madrid!

Thanks!

I have only been to Spain once and we used Aerocity. I did not want to start the trip with a problem and I must say that they were a great solution for us!! Our plane arrived more than 2 hours late, yet Aerocity was waiting for us when we found their location. It cost 20€ for myself and two kids, 3€ more than the internet says, but the price and reservation was confirmed in advance by e-mail. There were no surprises!! The driver was pleasant even though my Spanish was dysfunctional, and we were delivered to the door of our hostel. We also used them to return to the airport. Aerocity is easy, dependable and efficient!! I am curious about the metro though and would love to hear a detailed how-to-do-it from an expert!! I am returning in February for trip number two!!

We arrived Madrid at 9:00 am at the height of the rush hour and took the next cab in the taxi line. It was our first trip to Madrid so we figured a taxi was the most trusted way of getting to our hotel near Plaza del Sol. Our decision was almost a good one except for the fact the cabbie did not know the whereabouts of Intur Palacio San Martin hotel. We learned to carry a note showing the name and address of where we wanted to go from that point on..and that worked great.
Our cost to the Intur Palacio, around the corner from the Carlos V, was 34 Euros including the supplement. The return trip from the Palacio to the airport ..same time of day but less than half the traffic was 26 Euros..
Knowing now how easy the Metro is to use I would would probably try the Aerocity service only for a change. Climbing the stairs at Metro switching stations could be physically demanding.

As far as saving goes.. what you pay to arrive at your hotel almost doesn't really matter because vacationing in Spain is so affordable you might pay more for this and less for that.. it all evens out.. (I think)

My experience from Barajas to around Sol is average $25 per taxi. Time of day does make a difference, too. I have used taxis 3 trips (5x), but have heard such great things about AeroCity that I am going to use it next year. But the ripoffs are still out there!

I can't remember EXACTLY how much it was, but I think I paid something like $24 Euros from Alcorcon! So from Madrid center it should be cheaper than that.. but then again, I didn't travel on a weekend either!

The Metro. Well, you follow the signs in the airport to the Metro, buy a ticket like you would anywhere else for the Metro, and hop on! :p Then switch lines when you get to the brown line or #4, and take it to where you're going, or until you need to make another switch! I wouldn't recommend it for somebody traveling with lots of luggage or if it doesn't have wheels (but who doesn't have wheels on their luggage these days?!)I've only used the metro to go to and from the airport (with and without luggage) but I haven't tried booking my luggage from the Metro terminal in Nuevos Ministerios (I think, somebody correct me if I'm wrong!)to go to the airport. I don't trust it, and don't think I really will ever feel comfortable with that... maybe trying to do a documentary and following the luggage to the airport would help, but until then... And it sure beats having to find parking!

Keep in mind though... if you're taking the metro, give yourself plenty of time, as there are some long hallways (yes, they have the moving walkways also) to go through to connect to the airport. I've tried running them, and well, I'm not THAT out of shape but JEEZ!

Thanks Espe3!!

I travel with just a carry on so I am going to try the Metro when I return in February!! Time won't be a factor so it will be an interesting experience!! I still highly recommend Aerocity to anyone with much luggage. They are a bargain and very efficient!!

Anytime sel! And since I've heard so much about Aerocity, (I unfortunally DO travel with a lot of luggage.. gifts and stuff... but soon because I'll be MOVING ) it seems to be a much better option than a cab. Especially because my apt. is not in the center of town. This is easier for my family too, since that way they won't have to take off work to get me Its a winning situation all around!

I think you should check with your hotels (for those of you who will stay in a hotel), because sometimes they will have a shuttle from the airpot to the hotels at certain times during the day.

I Stayed at the carlos v in 98, it is in a great location. This is my third time in spain(I am currently studying at the university of sevilla) we were in madrid before the program started(sept 8).The taxi driver drove me from the airport and he ripped me off 40€. I took down his license. This is a major problem in spain because not only do tourists get ripped off but spaniards as well. They even had a report on this topic on the television here in spain.They said the taxi drivers here are like the mafia.There is a train that runs from the airport to the area close to where you are staying my friend took it and it was only one euro.As far as the airport there are usually two girls at the information desk and usually they have good friends that are taxi drivers, ask them(i did this the second time i was in spain and though it was night time, I remember that it cost me 12-15 euros from the airport.Good luck!

I had a nasty shock when I went to Madrid back in Oct. Taxi from Barajas to Plaza Mayor cost 40 euros! Needless to say, on the way back, I got the metro..........

Well, 40$ seems to be the standard rate FOR tourists.

Guys, it should never cost you more than 25 euros, believe me. Even if you get in a very bad traffic jam.

Anyway, Matador. What did you do with the drivers licence? Did you go to the police? Just curious.

I was going to make a complaint at the desk at the airport, but now I am in sevilla. Someone told me that you can call the license board and make a complaint. I have the number in my wallet as I am writing this.

Next time also make a fuss about it (if your spanish is good enough) and let the driver know you're taking his number and what for and who knows, maybe you'll get him to regain his senses and give you the fair price! :p

In most bus/train stations and airports in Spain there are information desks / tourist offices. It's a good idea to go and ask them which is the best / cheapest way to go to your hotel / final destination. They can also tell you how much a taxi should charge you approximately.

In Madrid Baraja's airport, there are even leaflets with information on how to go from there to the city centre by bus/subway/taxi. They list all the supplements and the estimated price for common journeys. Prices are in normal traffic conditions and during the day. A taxi shouldn't be much more than that.

Anyway, if you think you are being ripped off, then start by asking the driver for an official receipt. Make sure that receipt has all the information on it (license number, name of the driver, origin/destination of the journey, price and date). Taxi drivers won't like it and I doubt they are willing to fully fill in such a receipt with his information. If he does it, you can also fill in a claim form available in the vehicle and send it to:

Oficina Municiapl del Taxi
Concejalía de Movilidad Urbana
Vallehermoso,1-2º
Madrid - 28015
91 5889632

If the driver doesn't have complain forms (it is compulsory to have them) or don't want to give it to you, you can also go to that office and fill in the complain there. But remember always to ask for the official receipt. This will be the only prove of the rip off.

I am back now from my trip to Madrid from last week.

I decided to take the Aerocity shuttle in lieu of a taxi or the hotel shuttle. My flight was scheduled to arrive at 8:15 am, and I noticed that my reservation indicated that pick-up would be made at 9:00 am to give me time to get through customs and get my luggage. However, my flight came in earlier, and so I was at the bus stop waiting at 8:40 am. I saw an Aerocity bus at the bus stop too and was happy. However, the bus driver got into the bus and started to move away without me! So, I rushed up to the door and pounded on the window with my widdle fists trying to get in! The bus driver, appalled, gave me a card and told me to call the office.

So, I sat down and waited somewhat embarrassed about the widdle fist pounding on the wrong bus. I waited about 5 or so more minutes when a guy carrying an Aerocity notebook came up and, I guess, wanted to check out the situation. I gave him my email reservation, and he called the office looking for my bus. He seemed so full of angst about my bus not being there early, and I was content that someone knew where I was. At about 8:55 am, he said that the bus was 10 minutes away.

At 9:20 am, another Aerocity bus came, but it was not my bus. A few minutes later, another one came, and the Aerocity guy who called for me told me to get in. I got in, and I swear, it was the same driver from the widdle fist pounding incident!

Anyway, we drove, and it seemed like 10 minutes later, we pulled over to a bus stop across from the Atocha railway station. The driver told me to wait there. He got out and spoke at length to a guy standing at the bus stop. I figured that we had more passengers. However, the driver got back on the bus and started calling the office, I guess. He started whining and, I think, saying bad words, but no one from the office would respond. Suddenly! He pounded his widdle head on the dashboard and moaned and moaned!

After he banged his head for awhile, he got out his map. It turns out that he didn't know how to get to my hotel. I did, so I showed him, and we got there quickly with no further head pounding on the dashboard or pounding of widdle fists on the window.

The bus trip made me laugh and got me to the hotel so it all worked out.

I took the Hotel Carlos V shuttle back to the airport. It was 5 minutes early and got me to the airport in 20 minutes.

I've had visitors to Madrid who don't speak Spanish and, sadly enough, that seems to bring out the avarice in our Madrid taxistas waiting at the airport. They were charged about 30 Euros for what should have been a 20 Euro ride, surchages included. My recommendation, even for people with luggage is to take the Metro. The station at the airport is modern (with elevators)and even has a customer service office. Just go to the ticket window and buy your "bono de diez" multi-ride ticket, and the ride in from the airport will cost you all of 50 cents. The #8 train has plenty of space for luggage. You can ride the train all the way to the last stop at Nuevos Ministerios and grab a taxi from there, where anywhere in town shouldn't be more than 5 or 6 Euros, or transfer to another Metro line to your final destination. On your way back, if you are flying on Iberia or Spanair or some of the other airlines represented, you can in fact do your check-in at Nuevos Ministerios. I've only done that with one friend who only had carry-on luggage and it worked fine. (I think most people don't want to risk checking their luggage though that's probably just a psychological barrier.) I have never found either Barajas or Nuevos Ministerios that crowded that I really had to think about pickpockets approaching, etc.

Haha :p , that story reminded me of my own little fist pounding aerocity story. The morning my flight left out of Madrid, I had requested to be picked up at 7am. I went downstairs to wait at around 6:50 and was happy to see that the van was already there. However, as I approached the van, I didnt see anybody inside, so I peeked in the window. The driver had is seat leaned back and looked like he was sleeping. Unsure what to do since I was early, I just decided tap lightly on the window and see if he would let me go ahead and get into the van. However, when I did this, he did not move. Anyways, in short after about 3 minutes of uhh "fist pounding" on the window he finally woke up and let me in the van . From there it was great. He got me to the airport in plenty time, made sure I knew where my flight was leaving out of, etc. I will use aerocity again next semester, as it was was very convenient worth the money!

we also used Aerocity to and from the airport on our last trip....had reserved by email and it was all confirmed although you must pay the driver in cash...14 Euros for two people was our fare. Our flight was early into Madrid and the van was waiting as promised however the driver seemed unwilling to let us on and to depart. He didnt speak any English and our Spanish is elementary. Fortunately a gentleman with a clipboard was nearby and turned out to be an official from Aerocity...he did speak English and in due time, our driver unlocked the doors and let us and three other passenger on and then careened madly into the misty morning rush hour traffic. We made it to the Gran Via without incident (or accident) but he didnt know where our hostal was...and so there were many calls to the dispatcher and waving of notes and instructions on our part and finally we found the hostal hispano argentino. Hostals and hotels in Europe do not necessarily flaunt large neon billboard signs...in fact many have tiny small little signs that you must peer into doorways to find. Upon our return the van came promply on time and we were at the Airport with no problem. I can certainly recomment Aerocity and they are prompt and affordable but make sure you have your hostal address written down so your mispronounced Spanish doesnt confuse the driver. Adios.