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Travel to Madrid

Flying to Madrid

Carriers offering flights to Madrid include national airlines such as British Airways and Iberia. There are also a wealth of budget airline choices, including EasyJet, Air Europa, Ryanair and BMI if you’re looking for cheap flights to Madrid. The warmer, summer months are peak season, so look for cheap flights to Madrid in the autumn or winter.

Flight times: 

From London - 2 hours 15 minutes; New York - 7 hours; Los Angeles - 11 hours; Toronto - 7 hours; Sydney - 27 hours 30 minutes.

Travel by road

Summary:

Traffic in Madrid drives on the right. Speed limits are 120kph (75mph) on motorways and 50kph (31mph) within towns.

Foreign visitors require a valid driving licence to drive in Spain. National licences from EU countries are accepted, while nationals of other countries are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. Third-party insurance is required and documents should be carried at all times. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors and is compulsory for those from outside the EU.

Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: 90 240 4545; www.race.es) has reciprocal agreements with the AA and RAC in Britain and the AAA in America.

* The speed limit on motorways in Spain has temporarily been reduced to 110kph (68mph). The new limit will remain in effect until the end of June 2011 at the earliest. The slowdown is intended to save energy in response to the surge in oil prices sparked by the unrest in Libya and elsewhere in the Arab world.

Emergency breakdown service:

RACE (tel: 90 240 4545). Alternatively, drivers in distress can contact the Ayuda en Carretera (Help on the Road) (operated by the Guardia Civil) on the roadside SOS telephones, who will contact the breakdown services.

Routes:

Motorways radiate outward from Madrid. The NI links Madrid to the French border (via Burgos and Irún), the NII to Barcelona (via Zaragoza) and the French border. The NIII weaves its way to Valencia and Alicante, the NIV to Seville and Cádiz, the NV to Badajoz at the Portuguese border (where the A6/E90 continues to Lisbon) and the N401 to Toledo. There are also three ring motorways, M30 and M40 and M50.

Driving times:

From Barcelona - 7 hours 30 minutes; Seville - 7 hours 45 minutes; Lisbon - 8 hours 45 minutes.

Coaches:

Estación Sur de Autobuses, Calle Méndez Alvaro 83, is Madrid's most important bus terminal for long-distance coach travel. Destinations served include Albacete, Avila, Alicante, Toledo, Barcelona, Benidorm and Santiago.

ALSA (tel: 91 327 0504; www.alsa.es) provides coach services to other Spanish cities. Eurolines (tel: 91 506 3360; www.eurolines.es) has services to major cities throughout Europe and further afield, including Basel, Berlin, Fez, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Lisbon.

Travel by rail

Services:

Mainline services in Spain are frequent, reliable and efficient. It is essential for travellers to book ahead for long-distance trains. Tickets are available for purchase online, from stations or from travel agents.


Madrid has two main railway stations - Estación de Chamartín (Chamartín Station), Calle Agustín de Foxá, in northern Madrid, and Estación de Atocha (Atocha Station), at Avenida Ciudad de Barcelona, in southern Madrid.

Madrid's rail network includes services to provincial capitals in Spain and connections to the European railway network. Chamartín Station serves trains from France and northern Spain, including Bilbao and Oviedo. Atocha serves trains from Andalusia, Extremadura and Portugal, including Malaga and Valencia. Many trains stop at both Atocha and Chamartín. Atocha is the arrival and departure point for AVE trains, high-speed services between Madrid and Seville via Córdoba; between Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid-Valencia.


Operators:

The national Spanish railway network is operated by RENFE (tel: 90 224 0202; www.renfe.com). RENFE also operates the Cercanías suburban network. Atocha Station is the hub of the Cercanías suburban rail network.

Journey times:

From Valencia – 1 hour 35 minutes; Córdoba – 3 hours; Malaga – 5 hours; Bilbao – 6 hours; Oviedo – 6 hours.

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