2013 Adventures, Boarded the Cruise Ship!

[dgbg100106]

So I was trying to "log" everything by day with any confirmation numbers I have... Like flights, hotel room, all that kind of stuff and I noticed, that the flight times had changed for my flight from London to Madrid....

Now my second leg of the flight leaves 20 minutes before my first leg lands!

How can this be? Why did it not trow some flag some where and why did they not notify me!

This is insane, I have a call to British Airlines, but they have not called me back, told me it might be 48 hours until I hear something.....

 

[Pinkocto]

Oh no, what a pain. I hope they can fix it without too much trouble.

 

[TifffanyD]

So I was trying to "log" everything by day with any confirmation numbers I have... Like flights, hotel room, all that kind of stuff and I noticed, that the flight times had changed for my flight from London to Madrid....

Now my second leg of the flight leaves 20 minutes before my first leg lands!

How can this be? Why did it not trow some flag some where and why did they not notify me!

This is insane, I have a call to British Airlines, but they have not called me back, told me it might be 48 hours until I hear something.....

UGH that is crazy! How long were your layovers? This is my worst nightmare!

 

[dgbg100106]

Oh no, what a pain. I hope they can fix it without too much trouble.

Me too, we had already paid, to get our seats assigned, you know another $25 per person per leg, so they better transfer that also. I was so mad. How could they (BA) not have known that it would be a problem for us?

 

[dgbg100106]

UGH that is crazy! How long were your layovers? This is my worst nightmare!

We did have 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Now we have negative 20 minutes.....

 

[t_daniels]

Oh no....that's horrible!

 

[dgbg100106]

So I was trying to make a list of things that needed to be done.

Flights - Check
Hotels - Check
rental car - Check
Cruise - Check

Excursions - No Check here.... Have not decided on one single thing... UGHHHHHHH

 

[TifffanyD]

We did have 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Now we have negative 20 minutes.....

Geeeeeeeeeeeze

 

[dgbg100106]

I have to get busy..... only 6 months....1 week and 1 day to go...

 

[dgbg100106]

Since David and I neither one have ever been to Madrid, we are not sure what to do or how to spend our 2.5 days in Madrid.

I am think we should stick with the city and see the major highlights, and hopefully one of these days I will get a return trip to see more in-depth spots and venture out of the city.

So first thing first.... Public transportation....

If you have followed us around on TRs before you know that we will hop a bus, tram, trolley, subway, ferry, what ever.... it just makes life easier and adventuresome, as long as it is safe... Plus I take the commuter train, subway and bus everyday each way to get to work in DC....

According to trip advisor, Madrid public transportation is clean, fast, safe, extensive and efficient. It includes 13 metro lines, more than 170 bus lines (EMT) and 10 lines of Cercanias (local trains that link the city centre with the suburbs). In addition, it is very cheap: a single ticket costs only 1.50 ¬, and if you buy a 10 trips ticket (valid both for buses and the metro, and can be shared by several people) it's ¬12,-; unfortunately there are no passes for unlimited usage during 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days. You can buy single tickets on buses (cash) or at the slot machines in metro stations(cash or c/c). The same 10 trips ticket (available at metro stations) is for use on the metro system and the busses. Within the metro system you may change freely between the various lines using the same ticket. Changing from one bus to another though means that you have to pay each time you change. Beware, the driver will wait until he would hear the sound when you punch your ticket!!! A few words concerning the ticket machine in the metro stations: it is rather easy to use ,choose your language and the touch screen will explain the rest. The machines work with cash, Maestro and Visa Cards, you will be asked to type in your code - also with the VISA Card - so have it ready.

The metro is normally very safe, at any time of day or night. However, some pickpockets operate in touristic stations (especially Sol), like in many big cities. Guards and lots of security cameras in the stations and inside many trains guaranty the safety of the traveler. The oldest trains are no more than 10 years old, almost all of them are air-conditioned and some have even flat screens. Stations usually have TV, where you can watch the news or know the weather for the next days.

Metro website
http://www.metromadrid.es/en/index.html
Metro map
http://www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja_en_metro/red_de_metro/planos/
City buses map line
http://www.emtmadrid.es/mapaweb/emt.html
Transport Information System
http://www.ctm-madrid.es/como_ir_a/madrid/como_ir_a_madrid1.jsp?CODPANTALLA=1&CODBOTON=201...

 

[dgbg100106]

We decided to stay at the Hilton in Madrid right next to the Airport.

We got a king Executive Suite, on their concierge level
Executive Room
Feel at home in this 37m²/398sq.ft room offering executive lounge access.

These pictures are off the Hilton website, but hopefully they will come close to what we get...


I think it looks very modern and fun.

Indulge in a fantastic selection of rooms at this Madrid hotel which include impressive marble bathrooms, flat-screen LCD or plasma TVs and wireless internet access. Guest rooms feature heated floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. Executive, deluxe and relaxation rooms offer complimentary access to the Executive Lounge. Enjoy a suite that offers a separate living room and fluffy bathrobes for your comfort and convenience.

Refresh with a swim in the hydrotherapeutic pool and exercise in the fully equipped fitness center. Access complimentary WiFi in all public areas.


And this is a good thing to have also....

A complimentary Hilton shuttle service is available to and from the Airport running every day from 05:00 am to 01:00 am. The shuttle stops at:

Terminal 1- Arrivals- Gate 2.

Terminal 2- Arrivals- Gates 5 & 6.

Terminal 4- Arrivals- at the hotels bus stop.

Attention, the shuttle service stops at a shared bus stop for hotels.



ETA: Well while reading more of the reviews on TripAdvisor, I found out that they have a complimentary shuttle drop off service to the city center running 3 times a day.
Whoop! Now this does not get you back but hey..... we can find a way back, and having the drop off in the morning after breakfast to the city center is awesome!

 

[PrincessInOz]

We did have 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Now we have negative 20 minutes.....

Hope you get a better connection!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Love the look of your Madrid Hotel.

 

[TifffanyD]

I also love the look of that hotel! And Madrid seems fun!

 

[dgbg100106]

Love the look of your Madrid Hotel.

I also love the look of that hotel! And Madrid seems fun!

Fingers crossed the hotel looks as good in person as it does in the pictures...

They have pretty good reviews, so again fingers crossed...

 

[dgbg100106]

TOP 10 SIGHTS

• Royal Palace. Madrid's most beautiful building, the largest royal palace in Western Europe.
• Puerta del Sol. Madrid's most central and best known square.
• Plaza Mayor. Marvellous enclosed square, perfect to sit outside and people watch.
• Templo de Debod. An authentic 2nd Century BC Egyptian temple in the middle of Madrid!
• Madrid Cathedral. Madrid's largest and most important church.
• Plaza de la Villa. Incredibly historic square, home to the 15th Century Torre de Lujanes, 16th Century Casa de Cisneros and the 17th Century Casa de la Villa.
• Puerta de Alcalá. A Madrid icon, this old city gate even has a song dedicated to it!
• Gran Vía. Madrid's most famous and most central street.
• Plaza de Cibeles. Central square where Real Madrid celebrates championship wins and home to the Bank of Spain.
• Plaza de Oriente. Beautiful square located in front of the Royal Palace.

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO

• Watch flamenco. Madrid is a stage for some of the best flamenco dancers in the world. Visit a flamenco restaurant for the perfect night-out. More...
• See a bullfight. The best bullfighters show off their skills in Spain's capital. More...
• Watch Real Madrid play. The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium plays host to one of the best football teams in the world. More...
• Take an open-topped bus tour. See the most important sights and monuments in under 2 hours, enabling you to choose which to visit later. More...
• Eat at the world's oldest restaurant. Botin is recognized as such in the Guinness Book of Records.
• Try some tapas. The quintessential and ubiquitous Spanish food.
• Take a ride on Madrid's cable car. The Teleférico gives visitors wonderful panoramic views of many of the capital's best sights & attractions.
• Walk in the Park. Enjoy the wide open spaces, rose-garden, boating lake, and the wonderful street theater at the Retiro Park.
• Go to the Rastro. Madrid's weekly flea market allows you to buy almost anything under the sun!
• Try chocolate con churros. After all the activity above, you'll need to restore your energy with some chocolate con churros.

TOP 10 MUSEUMS

• The Prado. One of Europe's premier art museums, the Prado is a must when visiting Madrid.
• The Reina Sofia. Picasso's 'Woman in Blue' and Guernica paintings are just 2 of the highlights.
• The Thyssen-Bornemisza. Some say this is the world's best private art collection, now managed by the Spanish state.
• CaixaForum. A new addition to Madrid's cultural offering, includes an amazing vertical garden.
• Fundación Lázaro Galdiano. Overshadowed by the famous museums listed above, but this is Madrid's hidden gem - one of the city's best art museums.
• Goya Museum. The main attraction here are the frescos the famous painter was commissioned to paint in this chapel.
• Museo Sorolla. The studio-mansion of the Impressionist painter Joaquin Sorolla exhibits examples of his works.
• Casa Museo Lope de Vega. Dedicated to Spain's greatest playwright, this small museum reproduces a 17th Century Spanish home.
• Archaeological Museum. The most important exhibit here is the Dama de Elche, a woman's bust from the 4th or 5th Century BC.
• Naval Museum. One of the world's most important naval museums, right here in Madrid.

 

[Pinkocto]

The hotel looks great and the public transportation sounds really nice. Nice bonus that they take you into the city center. 2.5 days, you'll be able to see a lot, what are you leaning towards?

 

[PrincessInOz]

That's a great top 30! Are you planning on ticking everyone of those from the list?

 

[dgbg100106]

The hotel looks great and the public transportation sounds really nice. Nice bonus that they take you into the city center. 2.5 days, you'll be able to see a lot, what are you leaning towards?

That is part of the dilemma, we are wanting to get a feel for Madrid, and enjoy it, but there is just so much to do and see, and it is hard the first two days after an over night flight!

Hopefully I can work on the list and decide...

 

[dgbg100106]

That's a great top 30! Are you planning on ticking everyone of those from the list?

I would love to be able to do them all, but I do not think we can make it through all of the museums in the short time we have. David and I like to read everything and look at everything so we tend to only go to one museum a day while on vacation.

Now a bullfight would be so much fun!