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Cercanias Ticket

OxfordHiker

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances pt 1, 2022, pt 2, 2023, pt 3 in 2024
OK I have booked my train ticket with Renfe fro Madrid to Leon for about a months time.
The ticket info say I have a Cercanias ticket, can anyone explain what this is.
Also I seemed to have booked catering and assume that's on the train.
Is that a separate carriage or a Trolley person.

Laurence
 

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The cercanias ticket means that you get a free trip on the city transport (local train) in addition to your intercity ticket.
 
Cercanías is the commuter rail line. When you buy certain train tickets on Renfe, they throw in a free Cercanías ticket in case you need to make your way on public transportation to the train station. If you are arriving in Madrid on the plane, that means you get a free ride from the airport to the train station. Cercanías is a terrific service, it leaves every 15 minutes from the Madrid airport and gets you to Chamartín in about 15 minutes.

(Thanks to Elle for correcting my mistake - I had originally given info on getting to the Atocha station, but trains to León leave from Chamartín).

The Cercanías trains run only to T4 (terminal 4) at the Madrid airport. The other terminals are about a 15 minute bus ride away. It’s easy to know which terminal you will arrive in — if you fly on Iberia or a One World Alliance partner (American, BA, etc), you will arrive in T4. All other airlines arrive at the old airport, T1-T3.

Good luck.
 
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If you have a premium ticket, lunch and drink will be served at the seat.
 
In the top right hand corner of your printed ticket is a QR code and a 5 digit code - or if you have an e-ticket, one central QR code.

That entitles you to one Cercanias trip before and one after your journey (within 3 hours) to and from the train stations by ‘Cercanias’ - commuter light rail.

You scan the QR code at the ticket barrier. Not all barriers have scanners (look for the red light) but usually those on the right of the line of barriers have them.

The 5 digit code is irrelevant now that scanners are rolled out but can be used at a ticket machine to get a physical cercanías ticket if you have boundless patience.
 
Your ticket is good not only to the Airport, but anywhere the Cercanías train travels. We used ours this winter to travel from Chamartín station to our AirBNB on the Gran Via for a couple of nights. It does also go to the airport, but is only good for 3 or 4 hours after your train arrival. You couldn't use it the following day for example.
 
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QUOTE="peregrina2000, post: 1283049, member: 537"]
The other terminals are about a 15 minute bus ride away.
[/QUOTE]
Air Canada comes in on the T1 terminal, and I also need to get to T4 and the Cercanías. By bus ride, do you mean airport shuttle bus? Or public transpiration? No metro?
 
Elle Bieling said:
QUOTE="peregrina2000, post: 1283049, member: 537"]
The other terminals are about a 15 minute bus ride away.
Click to expand...
Air Canada comes in on the T1 terminal, and I also need to get to T4 and the Cercanías. By bus ride, do you mean airport shuttle bus? Or public transpiration? No metro?
[/QUOTE]

There is a very frequent, free, intra-airport shuttle bus. You could take the metro, but it’s two stops (T1 - Barajas pueblo - T4) and would be slower and more complicated.

Here’s all the info from the airport website:

Madrid Barajas Airport - Transfer and connections between terminals

Transfer and connections between Madrid Airport terminals T1, T2, T3, T4, T4S, visitors and passengers. Shuttle bus and remote-controlled train between terminals
www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas.com
 
Many thanks one and all, the information you have posted is brilliant.

Ill try to remember to post my journey experiences once I've got to Leon

Laurence
 
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Yeah I know henrythedog , I've been reading peregrina 2000posts, she's been a great help with loads of
info on this issue.
Worst case is I have to take a taxi but the chances of flight delay from UK are always a possibility
so taxi might be the best option.
I will see when I get through customs and baggage claim before I decide what to do

Thanks again for all the help

Laurence
 
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