Barajas Airport

[celia s]

I have just been looking at photos of the new terminal at Madrid-Barajas Airport.What an incredible state-of-the-art terminal.I particularly like the bamboo-lined roof and the colored steel beams.It really is quite beautiful and innovative and provides a very warm and welcoming space.(Have you taken any photos yet Ben?)This type of design would never work in England.Conversely,the new Scottish Parliament building,by Catalan artist,Enric Miralles is a step in the right direction!


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f237/barajasinauguracion/T4s8.jpghttp://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f237/barajasinauguracion/T4s7.jpghttp://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f237/barajasinauguracion/100_8861.jpghttp://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f237/barajasinauguracion/100_8839.jpg

[richardksa]

It's a wonderful place, but unless things have improved, it takes ages to get through. Your baggage arrives as an afterthought. There's no metro yet and the direction signs, last time I went through, almost non-existant. But I used it only a few days after it opened. Perhaps it's better now. I'll find out next month.

Ben, what's the news on the metro connection?

[Ben]

Still non-existent I believe... Marina may know more (he says, shamelessly passing the buck....):rolleyes:

[Marina]

As you can see Ben does not like the metro very much.
From T4 you can take a bus that apparently runs just every few minutes and takes you to the airport metro station. I've heard that it works very well... BUT is of not much use at the moment as the airport metro line is cut:(:(:(

Two weeks ago I took the plane from Luton at 6:45 am:eek: and when I arrived I took the metro to go to "Nuevos Ministerios" to then take the train to go to "Tres Cantos" to work. Well the metro only got to "Mar de Cristal" and went all the way back to the airport!!! I could not belive it. In the end I went to "Barajas" town metro station and took a bus there that took me to "Tres Cantos" stopping in every possible town in the middle.

I would recommend to anyone planning to take the metro from the airport to check the metro web page (http://www.metromadrid.es/) for Works details.
While line 8 is cut I would recommend to take the bus to Madrid and then the metro from Colon. They have a bus in service for the stations that are shut but if you come from T4 it would be one bus to the airport metro station. Then metro for a few stops, back in the bus and then metro again!!!! MAD!!!

[Marbella]

T4 is an amazing building but I liked arriving at the old terminal. It had a distinct tobacco'ey smell to it. I could have been taken there blindfold on a mystery trip and identified it easily.

The route we use from T4 is to get the bus 204 (next stop along I think to the bus that goes to the metro), which takes 20 minutes in good traffic to get to Avda. de America. With a bono it costs only 66 cents. Avda. de America has a metro station at the intersection of 4 lines, many choices of other buses or you are only 5/6 euros in a taxi away from say Gran Via.

A word of warning - we arrived last on a fairly cool day in Madrid and the underground bus station at Avda. de America was like an hot oven. Horrible.

The new metro at T4 is planned for completion later this year.

[richardksa]

What is a bono?????

Marina, thanks for the warning about line 8. It's still a month before my next trip to Madrid, but I'll check the metro website. What a wonderful time to close the line; just as the tourists start arriving.

[richardksa]

Oh! Closed until September. Fantastico! But if it still goes up to Mar de Crystal it is possible to get into town via line 4, no?

[Marbella]

What is a bono?????



It's a ticket that will give you 10 journeys on bus or metro. Costs about 6.6 euros. You can buy it at the station or in many quioscos.

[gary]

T4 is an amazing building but I liked arriving at the old terminal. It had a distinct tobacco'ey smell to it. I could have been taken there blindfold on a mystery trip and identified it easily.


strange you should say thar - the tobaccoey smell was the first thing that hit me as the plane door opened after landing in Madrid!! I thought it was just me....!

[Marbella]

strange you should say thar - the tobaccoey smell was the first thing that hit me as the plane door opened after landing in Madrid!! I thought it was just me....!

That'd be the two blokes standing by their fully laden refuelling truck puffing away on Ducados.

[Marina]

The route we use from T4 is to get the bus 204 (next stop along I think to the bus that goes to the metro), which takes 20 minutes in good traffic to get to Avda. de America. With a bono it costs only 66 cents. Avda. de America has a metro station at the intersection of 4 lines, many choices of other buses or you are only 5/6 euros in a taxi away from say Gran Via.

A word of warning - we arrived last on a fairly cool day in Madrid and the underground bus station at Avda. de America was like an hot oven. Horrible.



Ok. The route that Marbella explains must be the most efficient from T4 to Madrid centre.

Also note that a taxi from the Airport to the centre of Madrid should be between 24 or 30 Eur. So if you are 3 or 4 people it could be worth it. Note that the taxi airport fare is about 4.50 then 1.75 to start the trip and the rest is by km with a taximeter. You don't need to pay suplements for suitcases or per person.

Marbella,

The bus station in Avenida de America has been in all the news papers as it was built no more that 5 years ago and it has no air conditioning:eek:. In summer temperatures sometimes reach 50 C

[Marbella]

The bus station in Avenida de America has been in all the news papers as it was built no more that 5 years ago and it has no air conditioning:eek:. In summer temperatures sometimes reach 50 C

Really Marina, will look out for that story thanks. Glad we weren't the only ones who noticed it. Imagine leaving a cool bus (it was wearing Ray-Bans:cool: ) and then entering a sauna. Horrible. We made a dash for street level where we were amazed to find it was only 23 degrees.