My cousin is studying in Sevilla this semester (she is LOVING IT!) but she is a bit nervous about her trip home at the end of May. I was hoping to pick your brains a bit to see if you could help me advise her about the 11 hour stop over she has in Barajas.

She will have some baggage that will not be checked. Is there a place to store baggage if she were to try to get into the city for the afternoon?

What would you suggest she do for a few hours. She is a timid speaker of Spanish. (although I have assured her that she will improve and be speaking much better by the end of May)

I was thinking of suggesting a cab ride to the Reina Sofia or the Prado. She could visit the museum(s) and have a little bite to eat and head back to the airport by cab. Any other suggestions from those who perhaps have done this before?

thanks!

By the end of May, the T4 metro station will be operative (apart of the current Airport station), so she can use metro to go downtown. If she is into art museums, and considering the season, I would recommend her to take metro from the Airport to Colombia station, there transfer to line 9 and go to Ibiza station. The whole ride shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

Ibiza station is just East of Retiro, so she can cross it towards Prado. A walk in Retiro in May is a wonderful way to stretch one's legs. Then, she can visit Prado Museum, have some tapas in the bars near Palace Hotel, and visit either Thyssen Museum or Reina Sofia after is she still feels like museeing. If she is a bit in a hurry at the end of the day, that is the time to take a taxi to the airport.

And there are baggage lockers in the airport for sure. Visit the English version Website of Barajas Airport for details on the precise location of these lockers.

perfect! Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it, and I know that is exactly what she needed.

From the English version Website of Barajas Airport, if you click through the "luggage" link at the left in the menu, then pull down the "choose a category" and choose "other" ( ), that takes you to the "left luggage offices" page (which, at first, I thought they meant "LOST luggage", but it's not). There, you can see WHERE they have these left-luggage offices/lockers on maps according to the terminal. Also, if you click the "Further Information" link below you get a popup regarding lockers. I'll copy/paste that information here:

Regarding what to do with what little precious your friend has, Torrales always has excellent suggestions as he's stated above.

Yours is a common question which I see posted around on the internet's message boards, "What can I do with a 12-hour layover in Madrid?" My answers are usually the same but yes, it was depend on the season too. Always figure about about 2-hours total from the time you get OFF the plane, pass through customs and get checked luggage (if necessary), get the taxi, and get to your destination in Madrid. Also figure 2.5-3.5 hours total return trip BY TAXI (fastest way), to re-check-in, pass through security, and be at your gate with time before departure. All totalled, figure about 5.5 hours for time TO/FROM time to/from the city, leaving you with a precious 5.5 hours of leisure time IN Madrid itself. This is a not A LOT of time but if it's nice weather you can certainly enjoy yourself in a relaxed manner.

I always suggest going STRAIGHT to the Plaza de Cánovas del Castillo (a.k.a. PLAZA NEPTUNO) on the Paseo del Prado. From there, walk through Huertas neighborhood to/through the Plaza Santa Ana. Then walk through through the many pedestrian and bar-filled streets on the way to the Puerta del Sol. From there, walk to the Plaza Mayor, walking around the galleries and peeking in the windows. Then walk to Opera and then to Palacio Real. From there one can easily walk up to Gran Via seeing the Plaza de España. From there, walk up the Gran Vía all the way to Plaza de Cibeles. From there, one can walk UP the Paseo de Recoletos a short distance and return to the Plaza de Cibeles and taking a left up the Calle de Alcalá to see the Puerta de Alcalá. There, enter the Retiro park on the right and walk around. You can then continue on down the Paseo del Prado to Atocha train station and see their botanical garden inside. This is a good place to get a taxi back to the airport. She could have a sit-down bocadillo de calamares at the famed El Brillante bar's terraza (either in front or in back) across from Atocha. Oh, and if she's in Madrid on Sunday she could dart into the Prado Museum for free for a quick walk-through.

Sound like a busy itinerary? IT IS! One would be exhaused after so much walking, possibly not even breaking for a sit-down meal but rather short stops for tapas or sandwiches, and drinks and then using their restroom before venturing out again. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it all!

Saludos, MadridMan