Planes, trains and automobiles

AIRPORT

Barajas

Information: (1) 3058343

A taxi to Barajas from the city centre takes around 30mins and costs around pta2500 (US$20), with a bit of luck. A bus runs every half hour from the underground car park below the central Plaza de Colon. Allow 45 mins minimum from here to Barajas.

Barajas operates domestic flights to all major Spanish cities including an air-link (puente) of every-hour flights to Barcelona from its domestic terminus (Tel (1) 5874097)

AIRLINES

Air France 3054341

Alitalia 3054335

AirEuropa 3936733

American Airlines 3058347

Aviaco (domestic 5543600

British Airways 4353128

Iberia (int) 3295767

Japan Airlines 5418503

KLM 3054347

Lufthansa 3831764

SAS 5417113

United 5780177

FLYING TIMES

Madrid-London 2 hrs

Madrid-Milan 2 hrs 15 mins

Madrid-New York 6 hrs

Madrid-LA 11 hrs 20 mins

Madrid-Tokyo 14 hrs

Madrid-Sydney 24hrs 35 mins

CAR RENTAL

Avis (Barajas) (1) 3054273

(central Madrid) (1) 5472048

Europcar (Barajas) (1) 3055163.

Hertz (At Barajas) (1) 3058452

Guideline price: Renault 19 GTS Chamade pta20,000 (US$150) per day; pta83,000 (US$680) per week. Price includes insurance, but not petrol.

TAXIS

According to one (perhaps apocryphal) report, in January 1988 European taxi drivers were tested to see how well they knew their cities. On 'the Knowledge' test, those from West Berlin scored 87%, London 76%, Paris 49% and Rome 32%. Six of the battling Spanish team got lost in Madrid and scored 17%. The moral is: always take a map with you to show your Madrid taxi driver where he is.

Madrid was mostly built before the industrial revolution, so traffic jams are a day-to-day occurence. Allow half an hour for even the shortest taxi ride after 8.30.

Surcharges operate for nightime (after 23.00), holidays, weekends, packages, luggage and airport service. Complaints should be made to the Town Hall (Tel (1) 4470715), having asked for a receipt detailing the taxi's licence number, route taken and total fare.

Taxis

Radio Taxi Independient

(1) 4051213

Radio Taxi (1) 4475180

Tele Taxi (1) 4459008

Radiotelefono (1) 5478200/8600

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Trains

Chamartin

For Barcelona, Bilbao, Andalusia, Zaragoza, Paris. Tel (1) 3289020 and (1) 4290202

Atocha

For Andalusia, Extremadura, Portugal. Tel (1) 5273160.

For RENFE. Information (1) 3289020. Reservations (1) 5630202

The subway

Madrileños wouldn't be seen dead catching the tube if they can sit in a traffic jam instead. It is, however, the fastest way to get around central Madrid in rush-hours. Never admit you've used it, however.