Getting through immigration and customs at Madrid airport

[Lisi]

To those who had recent experience : roughly how much time did it take for you to get through immigration, customs and Covid related controls at Madrid airport. I'm trying to figure out transport to Pamplona, specifically whether I can catch a 15:15 bus from T4 if my flight touch down on time at 12 noon. Thanks

 

[peregrina2000]

To those who had recent experience : roughly how much time did it take for you to get through immigration, customs and Covid related controls at Madrid airport. I'm trying to figure out transport to Pamplona, specifically whether I can catch a 15:15 bus from T4 if my flight touch down on time at 12 noon. Thanks

Hi, Lisi,

Welcome to the forum. Things would have to go very very wrong for you to miss a 15:15 bus with a noon arrival. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but there would have to be many things combining to go wrong at once. Are you checking luggage? Are you arriving in T4 on the plane? Those are two factors that will determine how long it takes. But even if you check luggage and arrive in T1, I think you will have ample time. Good luck! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Lisi]

Hi, Lisi,

Welcome to the forum. Things would have to go very very wrong for you to miss a 15:15 bus with a noon arrival. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but there would have to be many things combining to go wrong at once. Are you checking luggage? Are you arriving in T4 on the plane? Those are two factors that will determine how long it takes. But even if you check luggage and arrive in T1, I think you will have ample time. Good luck! Buen camino, Laurie

Thanks Laurie ! i should have mentioned that my flight is internatIonal landing at T1. And yes with checked baggage. Thanks again for the info, it helps a lot!

 

[Connie Ramage]

To those who had recent experience : roughly how much time did it take for you to get through immigration, customs and Covid related controls at Madrid airport. I'm trying to figure out transport to Pamplona, specifically whether I can catch a 15:15 bus from T4 if my flight touch down on time at 12 noon. Thanks

Fyi-we arrived at MAD at 9:05 am on Thurs. Customs went smoothly, lots of walking, escalators, tram, down to luggage retrieval, which we had our QR code scanned before entering. We took a taxi to Atocha, 30 euros and approx 15-20 min. Arrived an hour early for out 11:35 train to Pamplona. We are now in Zubiri after our 3rd day of walking. So happy to be back! The magic is still here!

 

[Lisi]

Fyi-we arrived at MAD at 9:05 am on Thurs. Customs went smoothly, lots of walking, escalators, tram, down to luggage retrieval, which we had our QR code scanned before entering. We took a taxi to Atocha, 30 euros and approx 15-20 min. Arrived an hour early for out 11:35 train to Pamplona. We are now in Zubiri after our 3rd day of walking. So happy to be back! The magic is still here!

Great info. Thank you and Buen Camino!

 

[Frank Wortley]

Great info. Thank you and Buen Camino!

I am wondering whether catching a plane to Pamplona might be another option. It is easy to get from the airport to the Old City Centre and costs about 1.50 Euros by bus. You can see the bus stop from the airport entrance.

 

[Lisi]

I am wondering whether catching a plane to Pamplona might be another option. It is easy to get from the airport to the Old City Centre and costs about 1.50 Euros by bus. You can see the bus stop from the airport entrance.

Thanks Frank. Flying is actually my first choice but the two flights on that day leave 12:20 and 7:Xxpm. I won't be able to catch the earlier one since my international flight touches down 12:05. The later flight means I Arrive later than the 15:15 bus.

 

[Frank Wortley]

Thanks Frank. Flying is actually my first choice but the two flights on that day leave 12:20 and 7:Xxpm. I won't be able to catch the earlier one since my international flight touches down 12:05. The later flight means I Arrive later than the 15:15 bus.

Yep! Bus is best. Have a gr8 Camino experience.

Frank

 

[The Camino Calls]

Fyi-we arrived at MAD at 9:05 am on Thurs. Customs went smoothly, lots of walking, escalators, tram, down to luggage retrieval, which we had our QR code scanned before entering. We took a taxi to Atocha, 30 euros and approx 15-20 min. Arrived an hour early for out 11:35 train to Pamplona. We are now in Zubiri after our 3rd day of walking. So happy to be back! The magic is still here!

Connie, I think I'm going to be arriving on that same plane in the middle of September. Did you check any luggage? How do you recommend getting to SJPdP from Pamplona?

 

[Clover]

Fyi-we arrived at MAD at 9:05 am on Thurs. Customs went smoothly, lots of walking, escalators, tram, down to luggage retrieval, which we had our QR code scanned before entering. We took a taxi to Atocha, 30 euros and approx 15-20 min. Arrived an hour early for out 11:35 train to Pamplona. We are now in Zubiri after our 3rd day of walking. So happy to be back! The magic is still here!

We will arrive in T4 at 9:05 am and are considering taking the 12:00 noon flight to Pamplona (also in T4 or T4S). Sounds like that will work. Does checking a bag make a big difference in the customs/immigration timing, do you think? We are traveling mid-September. Thanks!!

 

[peregrina2000]

We will arrive in T4 at 9:05 am and are considering taking the 12:00 noon flight to Pamplona (also in T4 or T4S). Sounds like that will work. Does checking a bag make a big difference in the customs/immigration timing, do you think? We are traveling mid-September. Thanks!!

Since you are arriving in T4, that means you are on a One World Airline (Iberia, BA, American, etc.). It sounds like you already have the international ticket into Madrid and are going to buy a second ticket to Pamplona. The times should work, but it would be much better for you to have this all on one ticket. Then you would not need to pick up and re-check your bag in Madrid, it would be shipped directly from the US to your final destination (Pamplona). It would also mean that if your flight into Madrid was so delayed that you missed your connection, you would not lose your ticket to Pamplona, but would be rebooked by the airlines. If they are separate tickets, and you miss your connection, you will lose that ticket. If it’s all on one ticket, you do not need to leave the airport terminal. You would take the train from the satellite terminal of T4 (international arrivals) to the main T4 terminal, go through the internal security (for transit passengers) and get to your departure gate.

With separate tickets, that means you are going to have to leave the secure part of the airport, go to baggage claim and pick up your bag, and then start the check-in process all over again. That is more complicated and much more time consuming.

Is there any way to add the Madrid-Pamplona leg onto your existing ticket? (Or maybe you haven’t yet bought your ticket, which would be the best situation!).

 

[Clover]

Since you are arriving in T4, that means you are on a One World Airline (Iberia, BA, American, etc.). It sounds like you already have the international ticket into Madrid and are going to buy a second ticket to Pamplona. The times should work, but it would be much better for you to have this all on one ticket. Then you would not need to pick up and re-check your bag in Madrid, it would be shipped directly from the US to your final destination (Pamplona). It would also mean that if your flight into Madrid was so delayed that you missed your connection, you would not lose your ticket to Pamplona, but would be rebooked by the airlines. If they are separate tickets, and you miss your connection, you will lose that ticket. If it’s all on one ticket, you do not need to leave the airport terminal. You would take the train from the satellite terminal of T4 (international arrivals) to the main T4 terminal, go through the internal security (for transit passengers) and get to your departure gate.

With separate tickets, that means you are going to have to leave the secure part of the airport, go to baggage claim and pick up your bag, and then start the check-in process all over again. That is more complicated and much more time consuming.

Is there any way to add the Madrid-Pamplona leg onto your existing ticket? (Or maybe you haven’t yet bought your ticket, which would be the best situation!).

Yesterday, I called American Airlines to see if I could do just what you suggest. The only way I could would be to redo my whole ticket, and chances are the costs would have gone up (already paid for the Sept. flight to MAD and home in late Oct). So, I am sort of stuck with one ticket ending and the other starting in the same airport! It would be lovely not to have to leave a secure area. If I do only carry-on luggage, do I avoid that problem? Do you know? Thanks so much!

 

[Grousedoctor]

For what it’s worth, I would recommend that you don’t check your pack. If your pack doesn’t arrive with you in Madrid, you have another slate of problems to deal with. We travel with a 36L pack which is plenty large enough for our camino needs plus it has never been a problem taking it inside the cabin on our internationsl flights (in fact, it’s smaller than most of the roller bags people bring on board). When we flew into SdC a couple of years ago, our pole bag didn’t arrive. It was no real problem replacing poles, but had it been one of our backpacks, that would have been much more serious as we were traveling up to Ferrol immediately. Although it might also save you some time at MAD, the bigger issue is that with your pack in the cabin with you, you’re assured of having it when you land in Spain.

 

[peregrina2000]

Yesterday, I called American Airlines to see if I could do just what you suggest. The only way I could would be to redo my whole ticket, and chances are the costs would have gone up (already paid for the Sept. flight to MAD and home in late Oct). So, I am sort of stuck with one ticket ending and the other starting in the same airport! It would be lovely not to have to leave a secure area. If I do only carry-on luggage, do I avoid that problem? Do you know? Thanks so much!

You should ask the agent to check flight prices and give you some dollar amounts. I have an April ticket that I am going to have to bump up to September, and the flights are much cheaper than what I paid for the April ticket, even from my little commuter airport. I bet it won’t cost you more.

If you only bring carryon luggage, you will not need to go to baggage claim and can do the security clearance for transit passengers. But if you are carrying on hiking poles, you are likely to have them confiscated at that point. Carrying on collapsed hiking poles is generally fine in the US, and I have done it many times through security in Madrid, but things are changing and you should not expect to carry them through.

 

[Clover]

You should ask the agent to check flight prices and give you some dollar amounts. I have an April ticket that I am going to have to bump up to September, and the flights are much cheaper than what I paid for the April ticket, even from my little commuter airport. I bet it won’t cost you more.

If you only bring carryon luggage, you will not need to go to baggage claim and can do the security clearance for transit passengers. But if you are carrying on hiking poles, you are likely to have them confiscated at that point. Carrying on collapsed hiking poles is generally fine in the US, and I have done it many times through security in Madrid, but things are changing and you should not expect to carry them through.

Thanks so much for your considerations Re the poles. I’ll see if mine will fit in my carry-on and check with both the airline and security. We may need to check our clothing bag if poles won’t be ok. Things to check. And even so hard to know enough. Maybe people on this forum could comment on carrying poles onto the plane. Thanks!!

 

[KatieR]

Hello, We fly into Madrid on an International Flight from the US on Iberia into T4. We will only have carry on luggage. Do you think we could make the 9:30am flight on Iberia to Palma (booked seperately)? Otherwise I am looking at an Air Europa flight out of T1 which I understand will take us more time to get to at 10:15am. We are quicker walkers and typically do well navigating an airport. Also, I believe we will have to check our bags for the flight to Palma since the bag sizes allowed are smaller.

 

[Tincatinker]

Palma? Which Camino are you aiming for?

 

[KatieR]

PMI

 

[Tincatinker]

¿Que? https://www.caminoglobal.org/explore/resource/pmi

I think you are on the wrong forum

 

[henrythedog]

Hello, We fly into Madrid on an International Flight from the US on Iberia into T4. We will only have carry on luggage. Do you think we could make the 9:30am flight on Iberia to Palma (booked seperately)? Otherwise I am looking at an Air Europa flight out of T1 which I understand will take us more time to get to at 10:15am. We are quicker walkers and typically do well navigating an airport. Also, I believe we will have to check our bags for the flight to Palma since the bag sizes allowed are smaller.

Katie

Welcome (although I think you may have intended to be elsewhere). There must be a forum dedicated to holidays in Spain; this one (sometimes tenuously) purports to specialise in pilgrimage routes mostly in the direction of Santiago.

You don’t say what time you land in Madrid - and so it’s impossible to comment.