Hello all

First time on here so please be gentle!

We (an elderly couple from the usa)are making our 1st visit to madrid in September, sadly on a budget.
We have an apartment rental about 15 mins walk from atocha
I was reading about the 'Yellow bus' that runs direct from Barajas to Atocha. Just wondered if anyone had used this
option? Is it easy to find the stop at the airport? Also does it drop you off outside the railway station. We are in no rush on arrival (early) but on our retutn flight (9.30am) I suppose we have to be at the airport at maybe 7.30am, would we be better using another form of transport to get back to the airport?
Sorry if this is a bit long winded but am not a regular computer user. Have many more ? but will not pester you with them - lol
regards
josey

MadridMan Edit: Website "Línea Exprés Aeropuerto"

Hi Josey!
I just used the bus 2 weeks ago when my husband went to the airport and I accompanied him and then took the Atocha bus back to Atocha and walked home. The buses come every 20 minutes and there are only 4 stops between Atocha and The Airport.
I'm assuming you are arriving at Terminal 4 (the international terminal), follow the signs to autobuses, you will cross the car lanes and see the green buses, find the bus to Atocha. The cost is 2 euro and is the best deal! The ride took about 35 minutes from Terminal 4 to Atocha!!!! There is also a space for your luggage on the bus.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Madrid!!!!!

We used this bus to go back to the airport in May.

We did catch it at the souteast side of Cibeles, just a bit north (?) of the Prado.

It does stop at terminals 1,2, and 4.

They do move fast. If you do not speak Spanish, have someone write out something about 'please do not go until I have my luggage secured and have sat down' to give to the driver. Maybe someone on the forum can give you something to that effect. Save it for your trip back to the airport, also.

Possibly your hotel could give you more detailed directions.

If you are going to be riding the bus around the city, it can be used as 1 trip on your 10 trip pass, I think.

EMT Madrid may have more information and it will have a picture of the bus (yellow and black) to help distinguish it from the other busses.

Have a great trip!

Josey ... plese DO ask more questions ! It helps everyone looking at these conversations , especially those visiting Madrid for the first time .
I've only used the airport bus once and it was efficient , but have preferred the Metro train ( this can involve long walks at station interchanges , and lots of steps ) .
However during my 6 years in Madrid , if ever I had a flight early morning or late night I always relied on the taxis . From the airport to the centre of Madrid is €25-30 . The metre will show mayb €20 but there is an official airport surcharge of about €6 . The journey takes about 25-30 minutes depending on traffic .
Madrid taxi drivers , in general , do NOT speak English so it would be worth clearly writing down the address of your destination to give to the driver . Maybe it would be a good idea to contact the owners/managers of the apartment you'll be staying at and ask them to send details of the location ( maybe directions) in Spanish just to give you peace of mind .
As far as knowing the city , the drivers are very very good normally ( I never had a problem ) .
Have a great time , and keep asking questions .... The message board community will do it's best to help i'm sure .
Steve .

You might want to consider the aero city van service...they will take you directly to the hotel front door. You will find them at your termainal, (if you are arving from the US at terminal 4 (?)exit to the right as you leave the customs area, travel about 200 feet or so and you will see the "Pharmacia" and a restaurant on your right...their booth is located across from there. Will make it easier navigation for you after a long flight.

Hi

Thanks for all the advice. We are flying by US air from charlotte it is supposed to be Terminal 1 in madrid.
Sorry but confused does the bus stop at Atocha station or near the Prado? We are going to try & walk to our apartment from the bus We are staying in a small apartment near Lavapies metro station

Another ? if anyone can advice - we want to buy a couple of those '10 trip metro tickets' not being used to public transport am feeling a little uneasy about the public transport, but being on a tight budget etc. Is there a ticket office at the airport or at Atocha we can buy these from? Not had good experience with ticket machines in the past, probably my stupidity!
Also if we go to El escorial will it be easier for us (non spanish speakers) to go by train, i read that the bus is nearer to the site?
Thanks again for all your help
regards
josey

Josey,

The Madrid Metro is safe, clean and easy to use. Just use common sense by being aware of your surroundings. You can buy the 10 trip ticket at a kiosk in the airport or in the subway itself. I think it is around 8 or 9 euros. I traveled by myself many times by metro. Also, the ticket is good for the bus, which is nice because it gives you a good view of the city while you are traveling.

I'm not sure about the bus or train to El Escorial. Hopefully someone more qualified will answer that question. (Also, I haven't taken the airport bus, either so I can't comment on the stops)

Have a wonderful time in Madrid! It is a magnificent city. You should ask as many questions as you need. Your questions might be helpful to someone else.

Susan

ten trip metro tickets 9,30€
for to go the escorial, take C8 to El escorial " cercanias renfe" for example, from Atocha single ticket 4,40€, relax is easy to use public transportation.

The bus drops you off at the entrance to the Atocha station. You then can walk into Lavapies from the station. You may want to take a quick taxi from Atocha to your apt if you have never been there. You can also buy the 10 trip ticket at any Tabac store. It is good for the buses too.
I take the buses everywhere I go as they are easier and closer to my house.

As far as the Atocha/airport bus, it stops at Cibeles and then on to Atocha, you are best tojust go all the way to Atocha if your apartment is in Lavapies.

I took this "Madrid Airport Express Bus" from Barajas Airport to Atocha a couple months ago and it was great, but did fill up immediately. I was happy to be towards the front of the line and one of the first on. I was also happy I didn't have any luggage as, once you stow your luggage in one of the racks you're not likely to be near it as you'll get pushed back by the crowd. This isn't a big problem, I'm sure, but you always like to keep an eyeball on your belongings whenever possible. There are a number of seats near the racks, though.

So you get the bus just outside the luggage claim area of T1/T2. You'll see a kind of pole with the Express Bus information and schedule. The bus itself says EXPRESS down the side and also on the front/top of the bus in LED lights.

And yes, it drops you off right in front of Atocha station, actually right next to it at the AVE entrance, next to the circular structure.

Let us know how it goes/went! Saludos, MadridMan