Air
Flights from Europe to Madrid can be remarkably cheap, especially if you book well in advance. The Spanish national airline, Iberia, has direct flights from most major European cities and British Airways offers direct flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and other airports. Madrid is also served by several ‘no-frills’ airlines, including EasyJet and bmi. Delta, United, American Airlines and Iberia all offer flights from most US and Canadian cities. A cheaper alternative would be to take a low-cost flight to London and get a ‘no-frills’ flight on to Madrid.
Madrid airport is in Barajas, about ten miles northeast of the city. The Madrid Metro subway system links the airport with the centre and the Metro station is located in Terminal 2. A journey into the city centre takes about 40 minutes and a ticket is 1.10 Euros. You might have to change lines at least once to reach your hotel. A bus (No 200) departs from the arrivals level of each Terminal every fifteen minutes and travels to Avenida de America for 1 Euro, which you pay as you board the bus. The journey time can be anything from 30 to 50 minutes depending on the traffic. There are taxis outside each arrivals area. Expect to pay around 15-20 Euros plus tip for the journey. Full details of transportation and other information on Madrid airport is available at www.aena.es/csee/Satellite?pagename=Aeropuerto_MAD
Train
Trains from London to Madrid take at least a day with a change in Paris. Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) takes three hours from Waterloo Station to Gare du Nord in Paris. Then the direct train for Madrid leaves from Gare d’Austerlitz and takes about 14 hours for the journey. Trains arrive at Atocha Station in the city centre, which is on the Metro line. Book at least 14 days in advance for the best fares. For more information, contact Rail Europe (www.raileurope.com)
Road
Barcelona is more than 900 miles from London, or a good two to three days of steady driving. It’s not only time-consuming, but also costly. Motorways charge expensive tolls in France and Spain and ferry fares can be high in peak season. Two ferry services link the UK direct with Spain: Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.com) operate a Plymouth to Santander service, while P&O Ferries’ (www.poferries.com) crossing is from Portsmouth to Bilbao. Driving in Madrid has been described as ‘a nightmare’ and entirely unnecessary as the city has an excellent transport system. In addition, parking is banned on many streets in the city centre and cars with foreign plates and rental vehicles are particular targets for thieves. It’s possible to get to Madrid by coach from London. Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) offer a service, but you’ll be on the bus for between 26 and 36 hours. The main bus and coach station in Madrid is the Estacion Sur de Autobuses, where the nearest Metro is Mendez Alvaro.
