Visit to Spain Oct-Nov 2022

[CPW]

I recently visited Madrid, Cuenca, Valencia and Barcelona. It is 3 1/2 years since I was last there. The following are points that might be of interest.

 

a ) On arrival at Barajas, I took the shuttle bus to T4 as I prefer using the Cercanias instead of the Metro. More spacious and less crowded. Fortunately the Renfe office at T4 was open so I could get my over 60’s pass Tarejta Dorada. Changed at Nuevos Ministerios for Sol. The rebuilding at NM appears complete and is now a very large station.
 

b) Time slots are now allocated for journeys on the mountain line C9 from Cercedilla to Cotos. There are new turnstiles for the Cotos platforms at Cercadilla and I saw people being turned away because they either didn’t have the paper with the train allocation or it was for the wrong train. The Cotos trip is worth doing if you have the time, but allow a whole day from Madrid centre. There is good walking at the top, but be aware Cotos is at 2000m that’s nearly 7000ft and take appropriate clothing.

 

c) I had thought that the service on the old route to Segovia, via Cercadilla had been withdrawn, but in fact the frequency seems to have increased with several trains a day. The service I travelled on was quite full. It is a bit slower compared to the AVE, but not much when you factor in faffing about with security, waiting for the bus into Segovia and the 20 mins bus ride. The old station is a good stretch from the old town, but still within walking distance. I travelled back on the bus and AVE. One Bus goes from the Aqueduct, another from near the bus station. Fare is currently €2

 

d) Unlike Segovia the old service to Cuenca has been withdrawn and replaced by a bus and only one or two trips per day. I think there may have been damage to the track on one section that they won’t repair. As with Segovia the AVE station is miles out of town. There may be a bus but I found no reference to it. Taxi to historic old town is a fixed €12 fare. 
 

e) Madrid public transport uses a rechargeable plastic card. Ten trip ticket valid on bus or metro is currently discounted at €8.50. Transfers are separate journeys. A separate rechargeable Renfe & Tu card is required for the Cercanias network. Different Renfe cards are required for local networks in other cities. Valencia has a Soma 10 rechargeable card valid on bus, metro & trams. Time limited transfers are allowed. Barcelona is still using mag strip tickets for bus, metro, tram. T-casual is the ten trip version. Time limited transfers allowed. Note Renfe T Dorada cards are not valid on the FGC.

 

f) Delicias (Madrid) railway museum is still worth a visit. The museum at Villanueva (Barca) compliments it nicely. Delicias seems to have more smaller engines and a bigger collection of carriages. Villanueva has more big engines, which are currently in the open air. There appear to be plans to house them in a new shed. Note Villanueva is not open on Monday (few museums are in Spain) in spite of what it says on Google. Lesson learned: always check the venue’s own website. 
The Madrid metro’s collection of old metro cars etc is on an unused platform in Chamartin metro station and therefore inside the ticket barrier. Although I had pre-booked, this appeared not to be necessary. The little museum at Chamberi abandoned metro station does now need pre-booking. 
None of the museums I went to were busy (except Chamberi where I couldn’t get a slot.)

 

g) Mercadillos for model trains. 
Last time I visited there was a mercadillo in the AVE arrivals in Atocha (Madrid) on the last Saturday of the month, mostly second hand stuff. This appears to have ceased. The mercadillo at Chamartin, also on the last Sat on the month is still running. This is in one of the halls off the small plaza in front of the hotel. It seems to be organised by a group of retailers (some on-line, some with shops.). There is some second hand.

In Barcelona, the mercadillo on the first Sunday of the month is stiil taking place in Estacion Francia. In the past there has also been a smaller one in the cafe on the previous day. I was not able to determine if that had taken place.

 

h) Masks: masks were still supposed to be worn on public transport. On the AVE the attendants would remind you, on the local trains not so much and compliance was pretty casual. On the metros masks were more prevalent, probably a reaction to the higher occupancy. Trams and busses, compliance was more o4 less universal.

 

i) the worst journey on my trip? Trans Pennine Manchester airport to Northallerton. Only three cars and packed to the gunnels. Where are Northern Powerhouse upgrades? Where I guess  they always were, a figment of imagination to be cancelled when spending cuts need to be announced.

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by CPW
Typos

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, CPW said:

I recently visited Madrid, Cuenca, Valencia and Barcelona. It is 3 1/2 years since I was last there. The following are points that might be of interest.

 

a ) On arrival at Barajas, I took the shuttle bus to T4 as I prefer using the Cercanias instead of the Metro. More spacious and less crowded. Fortunately the Renfe office at T4 was open so I could get my over 60’s pass Tarejta Dorada. Changed at Nuevos Ministerios for Sol. The rebuilding at NM appears complete and is now a very large station.
 

b) Time slots are now allocated for journeys on the mountain line C9 from Cercedilla to Cotos. There are new turnstiles for the Cotos platforms at Cercadilla and I saw people being turned away because they either didn’t have the paper with the train allocation or it was for the wrong train. The Cotos trip is worth doing if you have the time, but allow a whole day from Madrid centre. There is good walking at the top, but be aware Cotos is at 2000m that’s nearly 7000ft and take appropriate clothing.

 

c) I had thought that the service on the old route to Segovia, via Cercadilla had been withdrawn, but in fact the frequency seems to have increased with several trains a day. The service I travelled on was quite full. It is a bit slower compared to the AVE, but not much when you factor in faffing about with security, waiting for the bus into Segovia and the 20 mins bus ride. The old station is a good stretch from the old town, but still within walking distance. I travelled back on the bus and AVE. One Bus goes from the Aqueduct, another from near the bus station. Fare is currently €2

 

d) Unlike Segovia the old service to Cuenca has been withdrawn and replaced by a bus and only one or two trips per day. I think there may have been damage to the track on one section that they won’t repair. As with Segovia the AVE station is miles out of town. There may be a bus but I found no reference to it. Taxi to historic old town is a fixed €12 fare. 
 

e) Madrid public transport uses a rechargeable plastic card. Ten trip ticket valid on bus or metro is currently discounted at €8.50. Transfers are separate journeys. A separate rechargeable Renfe & Tu card is required for the Cercanias network. Different Renfe cards are required for local networks in other cities. Valencia has a Soma 10 rechargeable card valid on bus, metro & trams. Time limited transfers are allowed. Barcelona is still using mag strip tickets for bus, metro, tram. T-casual is the ten trip version. Time limited transfers allowed. Note Renfe T Dorada cards are not valid on the FGC.

 

f) Delicias (Madrid) railway museum is still worth a visit. The museum at Villanueva (Barca) compliments it nicely. Delicias seems to have more smaller engines and a bigger collection of carriages. Villanueva has more big engines, which are currently in the open air. There appear to be plans to house them in a new shed. Note Villanueva is not open on Monday (few museums are in Spain) in spite of what it says on Google. Lesson learned: always check the venue’s own website. 
The Madrid metro’s collection of old metro cars etc is on an unused platform in Chamartin metro station and therefore inside the ticket barrier. Although I had pre-booked, this appeared not to be necessary. The little museum at Chamberi abandoned metro station does now need pre-booking. 
None of the museums I went to were busy (except Chamberi where I couldn’t get a slot.)

 

g) Mercadillos for model trains. 
Last time I visited there was a mercadillo in the AVE arrivals in Atocha (Madrid) on the last Saturday of the month, mostly second hand stuff. This appears to have ceased. The mercadillo at Chamartin, also on the last Sat on the month is still running. This is in one of the halls off the small plaza in front of the hotel. It seems to be organised by a group of retailers (some on-line, some with shops.). There is some second hand.

In Barcelona, the mercadillo on the first Sunday of the month is stiil taking place in Estacion Francia. In the past there has also been a smaller one in the cafe on the previous day. I was not able to determine if that had taken place.

 

h) Masks: masks were still supposed to be worn on public transport. On the AVE the attendants would remind you, on the local trains not so much and compliance was pretty casual. On the metros masks were more prevalent, probably a reaction to the higher occupancy. Trams and busses, compliance was more o4 less universal.

 

i) the worst journey on my trip? Trans Pennine Manchester airport to Northallerton. Only three cars and packed to the gunnels. Where are Northern Powerhouse upgrades? Where I guess  they always were, a figment of imagination to be cancelled when spending cuts need to be announced.

 

 

Thanks very much for this - we went to Madrid pre-Covid, but didnt get time to go to the railway museum. There is talk of a museum at Alicante, but that seems to have gone very quiet now.

 

Interesting run down of what is around - generally not very much!

 

I understand there is a railway museum in Barcelona, but again I dont know the details.

[CPW]

There is a post on this forum by Neil headed Railway Museum of Catalonia with pics and some details of the Vilanova Museum near Barcelona. I apologise for spelling it wrong in my OP.

Web link to the Catalinia museum https://www.museudelferrocarril.org/index_en.asp

and the Madrid Delicias museum https://www.museodelferrocarril.org

(note the difference in the spelling of the URLs: museu - catalan, museo - castillian)

[Edwin_m]

2 hours ago, CPW said:

I recently visited Madrid, Cuenca, Valencia and Barcelona. It is 3 1/2 years since I was last there. The following are points that might be of interest.

 

a ) On arrival at Barajas, I took the shuttle bus to T4 as I prefer using the Cercanias instead of the Metro. More spacious and less crowded. Fortunately the Renfe office at T4 was open so I could get my over 60’s pass Tarejta Dorada. Changed at Nuevos Ministerios for Sol. The rebuilding at NM appears complete and is now a very large station.
 

...

 

e) Madrid public transport uses a rechargeable plastic card. Ten trip ticket valid on bus or metro is currently discounted at €8.50. Transfers are separate journeys. A separate rechargeable Renfe & Tu card is required for the Cercanias network. 

In case anyone is heading from T1 to Atocha, there is a direct bus that's far less hassle than the Metro and takes cash so no need to bother with the card system (which I last used in 2018 and struggled to understand despite having passable Spanish).