Spain Travel Logistics

September 24, 2014 5:55 AM

We are leaving from Madrid airport at 1:25pm on a Wednesday to go back to the United States. We’ll be in Barcelona on Tuesday. How and when should we get back to Madrid? Please let me know what you think of our options, based on our travel itinerary inside.

1.Fly back Wednesday morning to Madrid airport. Flights will be within same Alliance. This is the cheapest and least transit time.
2.Take high speed train back Wednesday morning. Train is more expensive.
3.Take high speed train back to Madrid on Tuesday. Train is more expensive, and we’ll need to figure in checking into another lodging transit time
4.Take high speed train back to a city/town near Madrid, then take train to airport on Wednesday

posted by sandmanwv to Travel & Transportation around Spain (9 answers total)

Response by poster: This is a quick trip Spain with the following itinerary:
Thursday-Saturday afternoon: Madrid
Saturday afternoon – Wednesday morning or Tuesday: Barcelona/Sitges for Carnival
posted by sandmanwv at 5:55 AM on September 24, 2014

If option 1 is the cheapest and has the least transit time, why are you still considering the list of other options? Is there an upside to them that you didn't post??
posted by DarlingBri at 6:06 AM on September 24, 2014 [3 favorites]

Honestly I'd lean towards train; it's only about three hours, and trains are less likely to get canceled than budget flights. UNLESS THERE'S A STRIKE. Or some act of God! Or any number of things.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 6:10 AM on September 24, 2014

I'm confused. It sounds like you are going home so taking the train is more expensive and requires a transfer from atocha to the airport?

Fly. The flight being cancelled is a non concern. That route had a crazy number of flights.
posted by JPD at 6:25 AM on September 24, 2014

Response by poster: Since I'm flying award tickets, they are only available round trip from Madrid. These have already been bought.

The Barcelona- Madrid flight would be a separate ticket on a separate airline (they may allow us to interline our bags).
The downside of the flight is:
1. Spending full morning in airports. Because risk of flight delayed/cancelled, we'd probably take an earlier flight than really necessary-- we'd have several hours probably to kill in liklihood in Atocha.
posted by sandmanwv at 6:34 AM on September 24, 2014

I would do the flight. At least then you're already in the airport. When I flew out of Madrid (back to the US), the airline told us to get there 3 hrs before, which seemed absolutely outrageous. But it really did take almost that whole time to get through check-in and customs and all that nonsense. We barely had time for a sandwich before the flight started boarding.
posted by something something at 7:30 AM on September 24, 2014

Normally, AVE tickets are cheaper when bought with time beforehand (e.g. "tarifa estrella" or discounted first class tickets). Even so, check if there are offers on the MANY trains between BCN and MAD. There's a dozen trains a day, there has to be some with discounted seats.

You're using RENFE's website, right?

After arriving to Atocha station, the simplest way to reach the airport is to take a taxi, because you have to change metro lines twice if you use the underground. A taxi will take 30-40€ in my experience.
posted by sukeban at 7:51 AM on September 24, 2014

Also, if you decide to take the plane, take into account that you might arrive at a different terminal. T4 is a bit far away from T1-T3.
posted by sukeban at 7:58 AM on September 24, 2014

Best answer: It sounds like you are worried about eventualities. I'm guessing thats why you aren't immediately going with option 1.

Fly back Tuesday night. Have a late dinner in Madrid - which is the custom anyway. Find a cheap hotel. Get up the next morning, have an idle breakfast and head out to the airport when you are ready.

It is your holiday. Take the option that gives you less worry.
posted by vacapinta at 8:28 AM on September 24, 2014 [3 favorites]