Madrid airport to train station

[jdpiguet]

Hi all,
How many time should I count from Madrid airport to train station?
I will land with Iberia (T4?) at 14:25, is it realistic to book a train starting 16:28 from Chamartin?
Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

 

[naplesdon]

It's about 15 minutes and the train runs every 30 minutes on the hour and half hour. Depends on your arriving on time and any delays with your baggage.

 

[Dave C.]

Not sure where you are heading, but there are buses just outside of T4.
As far as time, I have always been able to get through Immigration and customs rather fast at MAD (I am from the USA). The trains to Chamartin are also just outside T4.

 

[Tincatinker]

A caution: check that your train really does leave from Chamartin. In November trains north to Oviedo / Burgos / Irun were departing Principe Pio because of "trabajos" at Chamartin. That said, I made the connection with time for a "solo & chupita" but it wasn't exactly relaxed.

Two hours from "wheels on the ground" to "bum on the seat" is always going to be tight. Buena Suerte

 

[Donjek]

Hi all,
How many time should I count from Madrid airport to train station?
I will land with Iberia (T4?) at 14:25, is it realistic to book a train starting 16:28 from Chamartin?
Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

The big 'IF' is when your plane actually arrives. In my experience, planes rarely arrive on time and they count touchdown on the runway as 'arrival'. Taxiing and deplaning is on your time. You'd need to allow for at least 1 hour to deplane, collect bags and go through customs. Time is now 1525. You have 20 minutes to find and get to the Cercanias station.

Renfe Cercanias Leaves approximately every 15 minutes and has travel time of 16 minutes. You'd need several minutes to orient yourself at Chamartin. Realistically this means catching 1547 train with 1601 train as final gasp. You'd have to have tickets for the train in hand.

Núcleo de Cercanías de Madrid | Renfe

Cercanías de Madrid: Toda la información sobre horarios, tarifas, estaciones (mapas, líneas), viajar con mascotas, bicicletas.

www.renfe.com

It might work if everything goes like clockwork but Murphy's law applies. I would allow more time but I don't like getting stressed about short time windows. You should have a plan 'B'

Here is Madrid Airport site. See the map so you know where to go. http://www.aena.es/en/madrid-barajas-airport/arrivals.html

 

[ranthr]

You have to be on the train some minutes before departingtime. There is also a security you have to send your luggage through. If you have a train ticket from Chamartin you can get a free ticket on the Cercanias from the airport to Chamartin / Atocha.
I would say that you need 15 minutes as a minimum at the station from arrival with the C to get into your next train. If you need to use a ticketmaschine or go into ticketoffice, where you most often have to wait, you need more time.
I never arrive at T4 and dońt have to go through immigration, and take a taxi from T 1. Still I would like to have more time. I have booked at Weare Chamartin hotel at the station a couple of times and found out that I could have reached an afternoon train, but since I am not a gambler...

 

[easygoing]

Hi all,
How many time should I count from Madrid airport to train station?
I will land with Iberia (T4?) at 14:25, is it realistic to book a train starting 16:28 from Chamartin?
Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

It is possible, if you have your tickets ahead of time, don't have to wait in line to get your ticket for the transport train, And like to run. My first year it would have never worked. But now that I've done it 8 times, I know exactly where to get my transport train ticket (there's a little office across from all the machines that people are waiting in line for.( I don't recommend it for someone that's never done it because the trains aren't well marked and the whole system is a little confusing. But what's the worst thing that could happen?

 

[gittiharre]

Not sure where you are heading, but there are buses just outside of T4.
As far as time, I have always been able to get through Immigration and customs rather fast at MAD (I am from the USA). The trains to Chamartin are also just outside T4.

The bus can be slow in rush hour. Took 1.5 hours, when I went mid pm...

 

[Dave C.]

The bus can be slow in rush hour. Took 1.5 hours, when I went mid pm...

I was meaning take a bus from MAD T4 to your starting point instead of the train. (ie: Pamplona)

 

[jdpiguet]

Thanks to all.
I changed my mind and reserved a flight landing at 09:00.
So I should have no worries now...
BTW, starting point will be Sahagun, so no bus.
Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.