At the airport

Your flight will land in Barajas airport and when you arrive you will have to find the way to reach your final destination in Madrid.  In this post I explain how you can do it.

The airport has a transport network that consists of bus, metro, train and taxi. Here are all the lines that arrive to the airport:

BUS

Bus express (yellow bus): it drives the 24 hours, takes 40 minutes to arrive to Atocha-RENFE. From 23:30 to 6:00 it stops in la plaza de Cibeles instead of Atocha.

Stops:

-          Terminal 4, arrivals, floor 0

-          Terminal 2, arrivals, floor 0

-          Terminal 1, arrivals, floor 0

Bus 827 from Canillejas to Tres Cantos (Green bus)

Stop: Terminal 4, arrivals, floor 0

Check the schedule and the stops: 

http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/CalcItinerarioServlet?xh_ACCION=0&POPUP=1&xh_TIPO=25&xh_PAGINA=8&CODPANTALLA=11&xh_CLAVE=80827_827%20%20%20Madrid(Canillejas)-Alcobendas-U.Autonoma-Tres%20Cantos&xh_horario_ida.x=1

http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/CalcItinerarioServlet?xh_ACCION=0&POPUP=1&xh_TIPO=25&xh_PAGINA=8&CODPANTALLA=11&xh_CLAVE=80827_827%20%20%20Madrid(Canillejas)-Alcobendas-U.Autonoma-Tres%20Cantos&xh_horario_vta.x=1

Bus 828 from Canillejas to Universidad Autónoma (Green bus)

Stop: Terminal 4, arrivals, floor 0.

Check here the schedule and the stops:

http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/CalcItinerarioServlet?xh_ACCION=0&POPUP=1&xh_TIPO=25&xh_PAGINA=8&CODPANTALLA=11&xh_CLAVE=80828_828%20%20%20Madrid(Canillejas)-Alcobendas-Univ.Aut.&xh_horario_ida.x=1

http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/CalcItinerarioServlet?xh_ACCION=0&POPUP=1&xh_TIPO=25&xh_PAGINA=8&CODPANTALLA=11&xh_CLAVE=80828_828%20%20%20Madrid(Canillejas)-Alcobendas-Univ.Aut.&xh_horario_vta.x=1

Bus 821 from Terminal 1 to San Fernando de Henares (Green bus)

Check here the schedule and the stops:

http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/CalcItinerarioServlet?xh_ACCION=0&POPUP=1&xh_TIPO=25&xh_PAGINA=8&CODPANTALLA=11&xh_CLAVE=80822_822%20%20%20Madrid(Aeropuerto)-Coslada%20-San%20Fernando%20de%20Henares&xh_horario_ida.x=1

Bus 824 from Terminal 1 to Alcalá de Henares. (Green bus)

Stops:

-          Terminal 1, arrivals, floor 0

-          Terminal 1, departures, floor 1

-          Terminal 2, arrivals, floor 0

-          Terminal 2, departures, floor 2

Check here the schedule and the stops:

http://www.ctm-madrid.es/servlet/CalcItinerarioServlet?xh_ACCION=0&POPUP=1&xh_TIPO=25&xh_PAGINA=8&CODPANTALLA=11&xh_CLAVE=80824_824%20%20%20Madrid%20(Aeropuerto)%20-%20Torrej%C3%B3n%20de%20Ardoz&xh_horario_ida.x=1

METRO

Line 8 (the pink one): it goes from the terminal 4 to Nuevos Ministerios in 15 minutes.

Stops:

-          Aeropuerto T4, terminal 4, floor -1

-          Aeropuerto T1, T2, T3, terminal 2, floor 1

Check the metro lines here:

http://www.metromadrid.es/export/sites/metro/comun/documentos/planos/Planoesquematicoespanol.pdf

TRAIN

The line C1 (light blue) of train goes from the terminal 4 (floor -1) to Chamartín, Nuevos Ministerios, Atocha, Méndez Álvaro and Príncipe Pío.

Check the train map:

http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/planos/madrid.html

TAXI

The taxis in Madrid are white with one red strip on the door. You must take your taxi at the official stops that are in every terminal, you can find them looking for one signal with the blue background and the word “taxi”written in white. Avoid spontaneous people offering you a taxi inside the terminals. Finally, the price that the taxi driver should charge is around 20€ but it depends on the distance and the time. Advice: ask always for a receipt.

Check the prices:

http://www.aena-aeropuertos.es/csee/ccurl/898/839/TRIPTICO%202013.pdf

The great dilemma: "ser" or "estar"

Today I am going to reveal the differences between the verbs "ser" and "estar" (in English "to be").

For beginners this difference seems to be a Spanish secret, but you will see with these tricks that you won't have more problems with them.

"Ser" is used for:

1. Permanent descriptions: María "es" guapa.
2. The time: "Son" las tres de la tarde.
3. Nationality: Yo "soy" español.
4. Belonging: Ese libro "es" mío.
5. Profession: Yo "soy" fotógrafo.
6. Material: La casa "es" de piedra.

"Estar" is used for:

1. Places: María "está" en Madrid / El colegio "está" cerca.
2. Temporal descriptions and situations: María "está" guapa / ¿Qué tal "estás"?
3. Gerundio (-ing): María "está" comiendo / Ellos "están" estudiando para el examen.

Memorize these rules and practice a little with your friends and "ser" and "estar" won't be a problem anymore :)

Registration

The registration is the first stop that we took when my friends arrived to Madrid. This is one of the most important steps and you have to do it if you are from the European Union or not, although it is only mandatory for the European members that are going to stay more than three months.

But why is the registration so important? Because you will get your Spanish ID number and one card that will identify you when you are in Spain. Moreover, you will need that number for economic reasons, for example if you want to open a bank account in Madrid.

To do it you need to go to this webpage and set an appointment:

www.mpt.es

Once you are there, these are the steps that you have to follow:

1. Go to DIRECTO A and click on extranjería.
2. Click on cita previa de extranjería.
3. On the lower part of the webpage select acceder al procedimiento.
4. In provincias disponibles write Madrid , and in trámites disponibles para la provincial seleccionada select certificados EU.
5. Here it is explained what you need to take with you the day of the appointment:
1. Two copies of the document EX-18
2. The receipt of your appointment
3. One copy of your passport
4. One document that says that you are participating in an European study programme such as your learning agreement
6. After reading this click on entrar.
7. Write your passport number and your name as it appears in your passport. Click on aceptar.
8. On the next window three possible appointments will appear, choose the most suitable for you and continue.
9. Save the receipt of your appointment because you must present it later and because there is written the table where you have to process the registration.
10. The address where you will have to go once you have made this is Avenida Padre Piquer 19 (metro line 10, stop Campamento).
11. When you arrive there you will have to handle all the documents stated in the point number 5 and you will be asked to pay a fee (around 10€) for the service in a bank.

The programme will give an appointment for the next 20 days, so if you need to get your Spanish ID number before, there is one thing you can do. This was the case of my friends, so we went to Calle San Felipe 7 (metro line 1, stop Tetuán) with one copy of their passports and we got at the moment a temporary paper with their ID number after paying a fee in the bank (there are several banks next to the office). If you make this you also have to go to Avenida Padre Piquer 19, because, as I have said before, the document you get in San Felipe 7 is temporary.

Documents that you need for Madrid

To start your new life experince in Madrid these are the official documents that you cannot forget.

Before you arrive you must get ready your ID card or passport and your European Health Security card.

Finally,once you are in Madrid, you must obtain your spanish ID number (I will explain in the next post how you can get it).

Exchange students in Madrid: Why did I create this blog?

Two Austrian friends come this semester to study in Madrid, my native town, so they asked me for orientation about the lifestyle in Madrid and help to move to the city.

Little by little, we are organizing everything to have a perfect stay. However, to prepare it is not that easy.

This is the reason why, I decided to create this blog directed to all the exchange students who come to my city. My purpose is to share with you all the information and situations that me and my friends are facing to start their Erasmus stay in the capital of Spain.

I hope it helps!