Need some advice

[handzondeck2]

Buenos
Hi my name is Sharon and I will be walking on the via de la plata in Apr - Jun this year. I have a minor dilema.
My flight from Australia gets in around 1150 on Sunday 17 April and I have reserved accommodation in Seville at Hostal Triana for two nights. On arrival I have two options. They are:
Opion 1) I can catch a train to Seville and would like to know what is the best way to get to the Atocha train station? If the timing is feasible I would like to reserve a ticket for the 1400 departure to arrive at 1620 but I am not sure how long it takes to get through customs and to get to Atocha station from the Airport?
or
Option 2) Wait in the airport for 3 hour for a 1550 flight out to Seville to arrive at 1650.

I'm open to all suggestions.

Thanks very much
Sharon

 

[ria]

Hi Sharon,
I would go for the train if i were you. It takes only 2,5 hours, there are quite a lot of them and it is probably much cheaper & you will be there earlier. Last year I took a train from Salamanca to Madrid to go back home, after walking half of the plata, and it was quite easy. You will have to take a metro through town (don't remember which one, but it was not complicated). I didn't book a ticket in advance, but just bought one from a machine, which has the advantage that you can take any train you like and don't have to stress to get the 14.00 hrs one.
there are also buses (I hate buses, but lot of spanish people take buses...)
I will be on the plata too, starting in salamanca somewhere in may, so maybe we'll meet .
good luck,
ria

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi - I agree that the train is good but the timing may be a little tight. You are at the mercy of baggage handlers and customs officers. 2 hours from arrival to departure of your train seems fine to me if your flight is on time etc. I'd price the flight from Madrid to Sevilla as this may prove to be just as cheap and more reliable - internal flights in Spain are often surprisingly cheap.

If your schedule permits though why not spend a day seeing Madrid before heading South at a more leisurely pace?

Let us know how you get on please.

John

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Sharon,

I arrived in Madrid last May and took the AVE train to Sevilla on my day of arrival just as you are planning to do. I had to run a few errands in Madrid beforehand (to the Barrabes store to buy new walking sticks and to movistar to get a phone), so I got a later train in the afternoon.

I think the main thing you need to decide is whether to buy a train ticket ahead of time online, which can mean a lot of savings (33 as opposed to 80+ euros) but gives you a non-refundable, non-changeable ticket. Since I knew I would be spending several hours in Madrid, I booked a train leaving around 3-4 pm and found I had time to spare. So I used the time to buy food for my first day's walk and to say hi on the internet. But with the walk-up option, you of course get much greater flexibility. There are trains almost every hour, I think.

Public transit to Atocha has just improved with the new Airport Express bus. I think it's 2E and goes from the airport non-stop to downtown, with stops at O'Donnell, Cibeles, and the Atocha train station. That would be my first choice. Of course you're hostage to the traffic -- but with good luck you should be there in 40 minutes.

A second option is the metro, which requires 3 lines (two changes) and takes about an hour or maybe a little less). And one final possibility is to combine the metro with the RENFE commuter lines, called Cercanias. I used it to get from Puerta del Sol out to the airport last year and it was much faster and easier. And just a euro or two more expensive.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[viajero]

Hi,
I would probably recommend the flight. After your long flight from Australia I would imagine that you would probably just want to arrive at your destination. After getting through customs and immigration and taking the metro into the city to get the train, you will likely be rather exhausted and might not appreciate an additional train trip. I think the flight would get you ther sooner. Just a thought.