We arrived at Estación de Madrid Atocha from Barcelona in less than 3 hours... pretty impressive!…read moreCompared to the 6 hours drive, I'll gladly choose the train any day! As an American, I still find it crazy how you can really take the train from one country to the next in as little as a few hours! PLUS, seats are much more comfy than your typical plane seats LOL, easier + less stressful too. So this station is the first major train station in Madrid & is run by Renfe, Spain's national state-owned railway company. It opened in 1851 and is the largest train station in Madrid. I've been to a couple other major train stations in other countries in Europe and I cannot lie, so far Madrid + Barcelona's stations were the least impressive in terms of architecture. I also didn't find this station to be that easy to navigate. Once we had arrived to Madrid from the OUIGO OUIGO, we walked outside and entered the normal metro train station to take the L1 (towards Pinar de Chamartín) to get to where we needed to be. Overall, not bad & didn't experience pickpocketing, so that's good haha.

I ended up in the train station a few times and wowwww is this station massive! I mean, I should…read morehave expected it, seeing as how it's in a major city, but it's even bigger than you expect, especially when it's 6 am and you're trying to find a train. Everyone who worked here that I encountered was super nice and helpful if I asked for directions. The bathrooms were really clean too, you have to pay 1€ to use them so have change or your credit card ready. Also if you're American, prepare to go through security. I hadn't seen that before and for a moment worried I was in the wrong place instead of the train station, but nope, they just take precautions here.

The metro in Madrid is a god send. It's so easy and so fast! Even at one of the busiest metro…read morestations in the city, it's so easy to hop on board and get to your next destination. If you're visiting, I highly recommend getting the ten pack of tickets. Even if you have multiple people, just get one card and one pack. Multiple people can use a single card and you can share.

as a tourist i was a little nervous at first but then i got the hang of it and it was easy in and…read moreout. I wish they had more folks working to help if you have questions.

Metro Gran Vía was very clean & easy to navigate. We took…read morethe train from here twice to get to and from Madrid Atocha station. Tickets were easy to purchase from the kiosks & Apple Pay, card, + cash are payment options. To go to Madrid Atocha station, take the Valdecarros train 5 stops. From Madrid Atocha to Metro Gran Vía take the train towards Pinar de Chamartín 5 stops.

Metro stations are spaced close to each other with 13 different colored lines, 276 stations & 182…read moremiles of tracks. I was impressed with all of the working elevators & escalators; 1,705 escalators & 529 elevators. It's hard to believe the system began over a hundred years ago in 1919. All of the stations we visited were well marked in Spanish? English & braille, we're Immaculate, looked new station had elevators, escalators and helpful people. The metro staff wear badges Identifying themselves and speak English. It was very easy to navigate the city from the station. Rides are €1.50, we bought a 10 ride pass for €8.50. Masks were required & they were worn.

Avoid this train station. I can accept construction work, but this is disorganized, forklifts…read moredriving through pedestrian walkways, cigarette smokers gathered by the only entrance and cafes, and the customer support specialist doesn't speak a word of English. Everyone waiting for his attention poke English. I don't understand how passengers and employees haven't been injured in this horribly organized work area.

Lord of the Flies from start to finish. Enough said, and if I ever come back to Spain, I will spend…read morethe extra money for taxis.

A decent train station if not great. The station itself is a little hard to navigate and feels…read morepretty old. The renfe club was an unexpected treat though, so if you book a ticket that includes access, don't hesitate to visit the lounge. They have a wide variety of treats including gluten free and vegan food and beers. As we had a long flight coming in and a long train ride ahead of us, that was a nice respite. Boarding at the station is similar to pretty much any other and for us, the walk was not far at all, although it did look like some trains could be more difficult to get to. We also took another train to Toledo a bit later in our trip and the experience was very similar. That platform was a bit more of a walk into the station and it was considerably more difficult to find out platform, but after having done it once, it would be simple the next time.

Went from Madrid to Barcelona. Took about 3 hrs with 3 stops enroute…read more We purchased their version of First Class which was definitely worth it! More leg room,quiet coach car,comfortable seating and hot meal with beverage service all included. You also get access to their Club Room in the train station which we were not aware of until it was too late. Train travel in Spain is definitely a fun experience and a lot different than in the US.

I hadn't originally planned to visit Toledo, but I'm glad I chose to take the train when I did add…read morethis side trip for Madrid. My mouth kind of dropped when I entered the train station. I've never been in one so beautiful, and spent probably 30-45 minutes taking photos. While it looks quite old this station is only a little over a century old (rail travel isn't a medieval mode of travel, of course). But the station is constructed in a neo-mudejar style, a reflection of the Spanish, Arabic history of this city. There is colored glass--I'm not sure if it's true stained glass or art glass--throughout. Though you don't need to take nearly as much time as I did, it's certainly worth a loop around the station to admire its beauty. It's a one-room building, so it won't take very long.

I don't know that I've ever seen a more beautiful train station. Really worth the time to…read moreexperience as a travel site in its own right. No need to hire the 6 Euro taxi, the bus comes often to take you up to Toledo, but it's also only a 30 minute walk if you're fit. The cafeteria is pleasant, there are a couple of restaurants including a Chinese joint across the street. Weekend trains are usualy sold out, but if you get back early than your return ticket you can sometimes rebook for the earlier train. Get back 20 minutes before your train is scheduled to depart, they have you line up and wait a bit before boarding.

Get a Madrid Card if you go on the Metro. It is very handy if you are visiting as a tourist!!!!read more