Madrid · Europe » Travel Tips

By Air

Several major airlines have regular flights from the United States, and others serve London and other European capitals daily. With the exception of those connecting Madrid and Barcelona, local flights tend to be expensive. There are three airlines covering this route (Iberia, Air Europa, and Spanair), and if you buy the ticket in advance (there are also good last-minute deals) you can fly to Barcelona for almost the same price as the train or even the bus.

Spanair usually has the best discounts, and their Web site is the one that's easiest to use. Internet flight aggregators like

By Bus

Madrid has no central bus station; buses are generally less popular than trains (though they can be faster). Most of southern and eastern Spain (including Toledo) is served by the Estación del Sur. From the Estación de Avenida de América two companies, Continental Auto and Alsa (which also has buses departing from the south station), serve mostly the north and the east, respectively. Alsa, for instance, runs two buses to Barcelona daily from Estación del Sur, and almost 20 from Avenida de América). Buses for much of the rest of the peninsula, including Cuenca, Extremadura, Salamanca, and Valencia, depart from the Auto Res station.

Estación de Avenida de América and Estación del Sur are both near subway stops (Avenida de América and Méndez Álvaro) that leave you right at the station. The Auto Res station is within a two-minute walk from the closer subway stop. If you intend to go to Segovia, walk a few dozen yards to La Sepulvedana from the Paseo de la Florida exit (even-numbered side of the street, or impares) once at Príncipe Pío subway stop. There are several smaller stations, however, so inquire at travel agencies for the one serving your destination.

The La Sepulvedana bus company serves Segovia, Ávila (the Larrea bus company, with buses that depart from the Estación del Sur, also serves this destination), and La Granja. Herranz goes to El Escorial (it leaves from the Intercambiador de Moncloa; that is, the Moncloa bus station) and from there to the Valle de los Caídos. La Veloz has service to Chinchón, and Aisa goes to Aranjuez and from there to Chinchón.

Bus Companies

Aisa (Estación Sur, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 902/198788, Metro: Méndez Álvaro). Alsa (Avenida de América 9, Salamanca, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 902/422242, www.alsa.es, Metro: Avenida de América). Herranz (Intercambiador de Moncloa, Moncloa, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 91/896-9028, Metro: Moncloa). Continental Auto (Avenida de América 9, Salamanca, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 91/745-6300, www.continental-auto.es, Metro: Avenida de América). La Sepulvedana (Paseo de la Florida 11, near Estación del Norte, Moncloa, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 91/559-8955, www.lasepulvedana.es, Metro: Príncipe Pío). La Veloz (Mediterraneo 49, Atocha, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 91/409-7602, Metro: Conde de Casal).

Bus Stations

Auto Res (Fernández Shaw 1, Atocha, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 902/020999, www.auto-res.net, Metro: Conde de Casal). Estación del Sur (Méndez Álvaro s/n, Atocha, Madrid, Spain. PHONE: 91/468-4200, www.estaciondeautobuses.com, Metro: Méndez Álvaro).

By Train

Traveling by train is comfortable and safe, but for some lines, especially the regional ones, it''s sometimes better to take the bus. This holds true for Segovia (the train runs half as frequently and takes twice the time, and the train station is farther from the city center than the bus station) and Toledo (buses run every 30 minutes, but trains only leave every two hours). If you''re planning to reach Barcelona, be sure to check air rates being offered by Iberia, Air Europa, and Spanair.

For train schedules and reservations, go to any of Madrid''s major train stations, visit a travel agent, go to the RENFE office on Alcalá 44 across from the Círculo de Bellas Artes, or call RENFE number -- they will transfer you to an English-speaking representative who can guide you through the procedure. If you use the phone to reserve a ticket, RENFE will hold your ticket for the next 72 hours, providing you go buy your ticket at least one day before departure -- otherwise your reservation will be cancelled. You can get the ticket from an automated machine at the station, if you pay with credit card, or at the service counter -- you will have to take a number and stand in line.

The best option is, however, the RENFE Web site (www.renfe.es), which has an English-language section. Click on TIKNET, RENFE''s online ticket sales service. Despite being on the Internet, TIKNET works only 7 AM-11:30 PM (Spanish time). You can buy regional destination tickets up to 15 days prior to departure, but long distance and the fast-speed train tickets can be bought up to two months in advance.

Unfortunately, at this writing, not all train tickets are available online. This includes cercanías(commuter trains), international trains, night trains, and some regional trains.

To buy a ticket online, you must register and provide credit card information. There''s a 15% cancellation fee if you cancel more than two hours after making the purchase -- if you wish to reschedule your ticket after buying it, you must do so at the stations'' counters. After you buy the ticket, you will be given a car and seat assignment and a localizador (translated as "localizer" on the English version of the site). Print out the reservations page or write these three pieces of information (car number, seat number, localizer) down.

If it''s the first time you''ve bought a ticket online through this service, you''ll have to retrieve the tickets at the venta anticipada (advance sale) counter. Take a number and stand in line. Be sure to bring the credit card you used when buying the ticket. If you''ve bought tickets online before, you may bypass the counter and instead go directly to your assigned seat on the train. When the conductor comes round, give him the localizer, and he will issue the ticket on the spot. You will need your passport and, in most cases, the credit card with which you made the reservation.

The AVE trains work a little differently: there''s a check-in gate before you get to the platform. In this case, you provide the localizer at the gate.

Commuter trains, which travel to El Escorial, Aranjuez or Alcalá de Henares -- run frequently throughout the day. The best way to get a ticket for such trains is to use one of the automated reservation terminals at the station (they''re in the cercanías area). For the regional lines that run less frequently,but which go to popular destinations such as Segovia or Toledo, you''ll have to resort to the phone reservation system, tickets counters at the station or in RENFE offices, or the automated reservations terminals at the main train stations.

Train Stations

Madrid has three main train stations: Chamartín, Atocha, and Norte, the last primarily for commuter trains. Remember to confirm which station you need when arranging a trip. Generally speaking, Chamartín, near the northern tip of Paseo de la Castellana, serves destinations north and west, including Barcelona, San Sebastián, Burgos, León, Oviedo, La Coruña, and Salamanca, as well as France and Portugal. Atocha, at the southern end of Paseo del Prado, serves towns near Madrid, including El Escorial, Segovia, and Toledo, and southern and eastern cities such as Seville, Málaga, Córdoba, Valencia, and Castellón. Atocha also sends AVE (high-speed) trains to Córdoba, Seville, Zaragosa, and Lleida. For some destinations, however, you can depart from either Atocha or Chamartín. This is the case for Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial, or Alcalá de Henares.

Train Information

Estación de Atocha (PHONE: 91/528-4630). Estación Chamartín (PHONE: 91/315-9976). RENFE (PHONE: 902/240202, www.renfe.es/ingles).