Lisbon/Madrid

[+ GregM]

January 2020 I will be going to Lisbon for a week and then Madrid. I'm debating on renting a car. The cost of the tollway and gas and then how hard it might be to drive around Madrid worries me. Any tips? The best alternative to driving I can see is flying. But since I only have a week in Madrid I want to make the best of it.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ azdr0710]

why not Lyfts (or their equivalent) and trains??......I'd never drive in Europe......

 

https://www.raileurope.com/train-tickets/journeys/article/madrid-lisbon

[BSR]

Hmm, people usually take either a budget flight or the overnight train from Lisbon to Madrid. If you book it right, flights can be very inexpensive. If you can't get a cheap flight, the overnight train is pretty reasonable, and you save a night of hotel costs.

 

If you're staying in Madrid, then a car might be more trouble than it's worth. Like most cities, Madrid has tons of traffic and parking can be difficult. I guess a car would be useful if you're planning on day trips from Madrid to nearby spots like Toledo, Segovia, or El Escorial. But even without a car, trains to those places are quick & convenient.

 

As a foreigner, I'd be scared to death to drive in Spain. I knew far too many Spaniards who were in very serious accidents, where someone in the car either died or suffered a permanent injury. In case you're thinking "small sample size!", I looked it up online, and Spain does have an inordinately high number of auto fatalities compared to other countries.

[Spursy]

I visited both in September. I recommend flying and using the subway in both cities. Both airports have subway stations. Lisbon’s subway system is very good and Madrid’s is outstanding. My memory is that neither system runs 24 hours a day, but I’m not sure. I was able to use the systems to get everywhere I wanted to be. Lisbon also has local train service to place outside the city that you might want to go, such as the beaches.

 

I took an Uber for my outbound flight from Lisbon and it was very cheap from the city center - around 12 euros as I recall. So that’s an option to supplement the subway system.

 

I think driving in Lisbon could be a real challenge in some places. Some quarters of the city have very narrow, winding, hilly streets on which trolleys also run.

[MscleLovr]

@GregM, I think @Spursy is spot-on with his advice. I would not drive a car in either city. Think of Lisbon as a version of San Francisco in Europe.

 

Uber is rather cheap in Portugal. In Spain, whether Uber will be available when you visit is debatable; there have been legal challenges and protests by taxi-drivers so the service in Barcelona was withdrawn. Nonetheless, using easy and cheap public transport from Madrid, you can get to many places with a combination of good train services and rapid buses.

[jjkrkwood]

BON VOYAGE

[Spursy]

@GregM, I think @Spursy is spot-on with his advice. I would not drive a car in either city. Think of Lisbon as a version of San Francisco in Europe.

 

Uber is rather cheap in Portugal. In Spain, whether Uber will be available when you visit is debatable; there have been legal challenges and protests by taxi-drivers so the service in Barcelona was withdrawn. Nonetheless, using easy and cheap public transport from Madrid, you can get to many places with a combination of good train services and rapid buses.

Good point about the Uber situation in Spain - I had forgotten about that. There was a taxi strike for a day or two in Madrid earlier this year. As I recall, taxis blocked main roads during the protest.

 

Anyway, the subway in Madrid is great.

[alkan]

I too would be against a car in either city for the reasons the others have said. Bear in mind also that Madrid in January can get very cold. A week in Madrid in winter is probably ample, even allowing for some (if not all) of the side trips @BSR mentions (of course, for some of us, a week spent solely in the Prado would not be enough). Aranjuez and La Granja de San Ildefonso though interesting and beautiful in their way are, I would say, warm weather destinations. Take some warm clothes and an empty stomach! Have a great time.

[edjames]

I love boh cities and have visited many times. I agree with what others have posted. A car seems a hassle when you factor in time, parking and other costs. A quick "budget' flight between Lisbon and Madrid is the quickest way to get there, or you can take the train if you want to invest the time. The rain takes 10+ hours but low fares can be had for under $30. A quick search revealed airfares of $71, but I was unable to plug in your travel dates, and you will have to factor in the airport-city transportation costs.

Getting around Madrid is easy, and there's plenty to see, but if you're anxious to visit other places, outside of Madrid, there are a number of day tours available to places like Toledo, Segovia, Avila, El Escorial and The Valley of the Fallen. They are inexpensive and easy.

Good luck and have a great time...

[+ GregM]

I too would be against a car in either city for the reasons the others have said. Bear in mind also that Madrid in January can get very cold. A week in Madrid in winter is probably ample, even allowing for some (if not all) of the side trips @BSR mentions (of course, for some of us, a week spent solely in the Prado would not be enough). Aranjuez and La Granja de San Ildefonso though interesting and beautiful in their way are, I would say, warm weather destinations. Take some warm clothes and an empty stomach! Have a great time.

 

I just looked at average temps for Madrid in Jan and for me its light coat weather. I live in Chicago and dont breat out the heavy winter coat till it dips down into the 20s. I for sure plan on bringing an empty tummy, especially for Portugal and the fresh seafood!

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ GregM]

I'd only be using the car from Lisbon to Madrid. I thought itd be nice to be able to stop take in an extra town or two on the way to Madrid and back. I wouldnt drive in Lisbon or Madrid.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[marylander1940]

January 2020 I will be going to Lisbon for a week and then Madrid. I'm debating on renting a car. The cost of the tollway and gas and then how hard it might be to drive around Madrid worries me. Any tips? The best alternative to driving I can see is flying. But since I only have a week in Madrid I want to make the best of it.

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

Take the train, cars even from one place to another are unnecessary in Europe unless you're going to visit a small town.

 

I just looked at average temps for Madrid in Jan and for me its light coat weather. I live in Chicago and dont breat out the heavy winter coat till it dips down into the 20s. I for sure plan on bringing an empty tummy, especially for Portugal and the fresh seafood!

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

Madrid is 2000 feet above sea level. It's never as cold as Chicago but cold weather happens.

[Geriatric Otter]

I love boh cities and have visited many times. I agree with what others have posted. A car seems a hassle when you factor in time, parking and other costs. A quick "budget' flight between Lisbon and Madrid is the quickest way to get there, or you can take the train if you want to invest the time. The rain takes 10+ hours but low fares can be had for under $30. A quick search revealed airfares of $71, but I was unable to plug in your travel dates, and you will have to factor in the airport-city transportation costs.

Getting around Madrid is easy, and there's plenty to see, but if you're anxious to visit other places, outside of Madrid, there are a number of day tours available to places like Toledo, Segovia, Avila, El Escorial and The Valley of the Fallen. They are inexpensive and easy.

Good luck and have a great time...

NO cars. Ever. Public transport is fine

[+ Pensant]

I rarely rent cars in Europe, but when I do I follow a useful pattern. I only drive in the rural areas, I rent at the airport and drop off at another airport, avoiding heavy city traffic. When I was last in Spain in September 2013, I took the train from Barcelona to Barcelona airport and rented a car and drove all through Northern Spain without a problem, ultimately returning it at Barájas in Madrid and taking a bus to my hotel in Madrid. I took the AVE high-speed train to Toledo and back.

 

The freeways in Spain were in perfect condition and I only saw the Guardia Civil once.

[+ tassojunior]

I'm Uber-dependent and addicted so I often pick places according to their Uber. The one thing I hate about Barcelona is the absence of Uber and the worst thing about Zurich is it's poor and very expensive Uber. Germany is great for Uber. In Prague I take Ubers constantly and it's about 2 or 3 dollars anyplace. Even the airport is under $10. I feel much less mobile in Spain without Uber and that's a huge drawback for me in choosing a place.

[SirBillybob]

Isn't there an exorbitant vehicle rental drop-off fee outside of country-of-origin? Perhaps worth it for a group travelling.

[+ Pensant]

Isn't there an exorbitant vehicle rental drop-off fee outside of country-of-origin? Perhaps worth it for a group travelling.

No. The cute boy at Hertz in Barcelona upgraded me to an Audi A3 and waived the drop-off fee. To be clear, I rented in Barcelona and returned to Barajás in Madrid, so same country.

[+ Pensant]

I also love driving shift.

[MscleLovr]

Isn't there an exorbitant vehicle rental drop-off fee outside of country-of-origin? Perhaps worth it for a group travelling.

 

I thought @SirBIllybob was referring to the OP planning to hire a car in Portugal. Unless the OP also plans to keep the same car in Spain and then drive it back to Lisbon....

[alkan]

Well the weight of feeling seems to be against the car but if you did insist for the sake of stopovers, could I put in a word for the roman ruins at Merida on your direct route, give or take a couple of miles? Long distance buses are part of the scene in Europe so I suppose that might give you the option of stopovers without the strain of driving, timetables permitting, though in this case I think the route is through Caceres rather than Merida. But nearly all towns in Spain seem to have something interesting.

[alkan]

Unless the OP also plans to keep the same car in Spain and then drive it back to Lisbon....

He did say he was going to do that but he also said he was going to be a week in Madrid so if he could find convenient parking in Madrid, he could use it for one or more of his side trips. It does seem to me so much added complication though, unless he could be persuaded to take with him a well-disposed if somewhat elderly forumite to help with the planning, admin, and decisions regarding the menus?

[+ WilliamM]

I have driven from Malaga to Madrid in February ( years ago). You will learn more about the two countries if you drive.

 

Also very glad I drove from Amsterdam to Frankfurt. I saw much more of Germany than flying in. So I was prepared for Frankfurt in a way I would not have been otherwise.

[SirBillybob]

Focus. The OP is considering a one-day, ie noon to 09:00, rental from Lisbon to Madrid.

 

There is no e-card toll required in Portugal for that route. There may be a small cash toll section into Madrid.

 

SIXT, one of the major players in Iberia, charges about $100USD to Porto in Jan, and about $1,400 to Madrid the same dates. The huge overage is consistent with travel forum reports on line.

 

The companies may be transnational but I believe any rental departure must commence within the country where the car is registered. In other words a staffperson must drive the vehicle back to Portugal.

 

(Within Portugal, non-coastal rental offices are extremely rare, so folks driving east simply return the vehicle to their departure office or one along the main coastal cities.)

 

Dude, plane, train, or bus. For scenery, the bus makes most sense. The site I use (Omio) does not pull up train for, say, Wed Jan 8th. The bus company is Alsa, they are fine, a few departures about $25USD, about 8 hours and they have a few pick-up and drop-off points both cities.

Edited August 15, 2019 by SirBIllybob

[alkan]

Focus. The OP is considering a one-day, ie noon to 09:00, rental from Lisbon to Madrid.

 

There is no e-card toll required in Portugal for that route. There may be a small cash toll section into Madrid.

 

SIXT, one of the major players in Iberia, charges about $100USD to Porto in Jan, and about $1,400 to Madrid the same dates. The huge overage is consistent with travel forum reports on line.

 

The companies may be transnational but I believe any rental departure must commence within the country where the car is registered. In other words a staffperson must drive the vehicle back to Portugal.

 

(Within Portugal, non-coastal rental offices are extremely rare, so folks driving east simply return the vehicle to their departure office or one along the main coastal cities.)

 

Dude, plane, train, or bus. For scenery, the bus makes most sense. The site I use (Omio) does not pull up train for, say, Wed Jan 8th. The bus company is Alsa, they are fine, a few departures about $25USD, about 8 hours and they have a few pick-up and drop-off points both cities.

 

The trains may show up nearer the date. My recollection was a night train every night and a couple at least during the day though of course things change. I'm not a fan of night trains though. They may save on night rate at one hotel but they leave you stranded in the evening before leaving and dump you in a strange town early the next morning.

 

@GregM did say he was taking the car back - "I'd only be using the car from Lisbon to Madrid. I thought itd be nice to be able to stop take in an extra town or two on the way to Madrid and back. I wouldnt drive in Lisbon or Madrid. " That may have just been to avoid the overage but more likely(?) it is because his return flight is from Lisbon anyway.

 

Talking of flying, does anyone know if they have improved on that very long trundle from the runway to the terminal at Baraja I remember it taking nearly as long as the flight itself on one occasion and the person who was waiting for us thinking he had missed us.

[RealAvalon]

I'd only be using the car from Lisbon to Madrid. I thought itd be nice to be able to stop take in an extra town or two on the way to Madrid and back. I wouldnt drive in Lisbon or Madrid.

 

Hugs,

Greg

It's usually always more expensive to drive only one-way with a rental vehicle remember, especially between countries. Train and subways are the way to go. A car in Portugal for a day or two, just to get out of Lisbon, and see a bit of the country might be a good idea. If you do decide to rent a car (in spite of the advice on here), if you are interested in getting anywhere quickly, stick to toll highways, the other routes might be prettier, but they would be endless. Although, is this a vacation or are you working?