Madrid Airport question

[Docwagon 856]

We're flying to Madrid next March and are strongly considering taking a budget flight to Lisbon while we're there.  We'd fly into Madrid, spend 5 days, fly to Lisbon for 4 days, then back to Madrid then home.  I know, but it was way cheaper this way.

 

My question is if I fly in on Easy Jet, do I have to "reenter" Spain (go through customs, etc) to check in with Iberia to fly back out?  Or can I check in with Iberia and get my tickets for my return flight without having to leave the secured area?

[phil bottle 9,767]

We're flying to Madrid next March and are strongly considering taking a budget flight to Lisbon while we're there.  We'd fly into Madrid, spend 5 days, fly to Lisbon for 4 days, then back to Madrid then home.  I know, but it was way cheaper this way.
 
My question is if I fly in on Easy Jet, do I have to "reenter" Spain (go through customs, etc) to check in with Iberia to fly back out?  Or can I check in with Iberia and get my tickets for my return flight without having to leave the secured area?

I can't say for certain but I believe you would have to, as you say, re-enter Spain, as you have a non EU passport.

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[Docwagon 856]

19 hours ago, phil bottle said:

I can't say for certain but I believe you would have to, as you say, re-enter Spain, as you have a non EU passport.

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That's a bother, then.  I was hoping I could treat it like a layover and not have to go through customs just to turn around and go back through customs/security.

[phil bottle 9,767]

 
That's a bother, then.  I was hoping I could treat it like a layover and not have to go through customs just to turn around and go back through customs/security.

I'm having a drink with a friend of mine from Madrid later this week, I'll ask her to confirm for certain. Her sister works for Iberia.

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[phil bottle 9,767]

Just to confirm that you will have to leave 'arrivals' via passport control and then re-enter again. 

[Docwagon 856]

OK, thanks.  That's probably going to change things a bit, then.

[Diddums 4,346]

On 11/27/2019 at 4:37 AM, Docwagon said:

OK, thanks.  That's probably going to change things a bit, then.

 

 

Depends on what you're asking for. If for visa purposes, you can apply for a Shengen Visa (many countries issue these by default, but be sure to check). 

 

With a Shengen visa you can travel anywhere in the EU provided:

 

1: The visa is valid.

2: The issuing country is the first country you visit from outside the EU. So if Spain issues the visa, you MUST land in Spain is the first port from the States, any other country will reject you.

 

 

If however it's for time purposes, I'd find a way to work around it. The queues at these airports are generally very quick, my wife is on an African passport and if she can get through customs in less than 30 mins, I'm sure you guys can too. Even if it's an hour, the ability to see a whole different country for only an hour of your time is well worth it, especially given the distance you guys are travelling and the costs involved.

 

Basically ask yourself this: When will you guys get this opportunity again? 

 

Suck it up buttercup, a few days in Lisbon is a fantastic opportunity. Make it happen chief. 

[phil bottle 9,767]

I'd be interested to know if the Doc ever had any desire to visit Iran? You do seem to like the Iberian peninsula and just wondering if you have ever ventured further? I suppose you have in-laws in Iran?

It's been very interesting, if very dangerous times in Iran lately. The western media barely comments on it but I have my sources, despite the internet blackout. Such a shame for that country that it can't topple the religious autocrats.

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[Docwagon 856]

I was asking for time management purposes.  We're all on US passports so no visa concerns as far as entry.  It just matters if we fly back to Madrid on the day we fly to the US or if we fly back to Madrid the day before and just get a hotel overnight.  We have 10 days on continent, so we just want to figure out which cities to hit and in what order.

 

I have no connection to Iran.  My father-in-law was originally from Palestine but got Jordanian citizenship.  I have in-laws in Jordan, Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar, and a few outside the ME, but nobody in Iran.  

 

Out of the US, I've visited, in no particular order:

Cyprus

Qatar

Bahrain

Jordan

Spain

France

Italy

Canada

England

 

I'd like to visit a lot of places.  Peru, Greece, Ireland, Germany, and Japan are currently on our "check airfares" list.

[Baabcat 1,646]

Madrid is a nice city , well worth an overnight. Huge central square, can’t remember what it’s called but well worth chilling out for a few beers and tapas and watching t he world go by.

[Docwagon 856]

I've started the actual planning.  I think we're going to do a  Madrid -> Cordoba -> Granada -> Lisbon -> Madrid circuit if the logistics work out.  I really want to see Alhambra and Mezquita, so that's got to be part of the trip. 

[phil bottle 9,767]

I've started the actual planning.  I think we're going to do a  Madrid -> Cordoba -> Granada -> Lisbon -> Madrid circuit if the logistics work out.  I really want to see Alhambra and Mezquita, so that's got to be part of the trip. 

Decent temperatures in March before it gets too hot. The Moorish architecture is still very beautiful in some of the places you're going.

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[Docwagon 856]

Running the train schedules, flights, etc. that initial circuit turned out to be less than ideal.  I think we're skipping Cordoba in exchange for Seville.  Madrid -> Granada -> Seville -> Lisbon (by plane) -> Madrid.

 

That seems to be a bit more relaxed of a pace, the legs of the trip are shorter, and the arrival/departure times are reasonable.

[Docwagon 856]

I sat down with an Excel spreadsheet, the Eurorail website, and various travel metasearches.  Lisbon is just too much bother on this trip.  The timing makes it so we always waste more than a full day between getting there and getting back to Madrid.  Our flight home is just too early in the day to risk the Trenhotel.  The logistics just don't make sense.

 

Madrid -> Granada -> Seville -> Cordoba -> Madrid is a much more relaxed trip.  Only one 3 hour bus ride, everything else is short bus trips.  No need to bother with an airport and even if our train is delayed or we miss it we can get to the airport for the trip home easily.  It's also much easier to work in travel between check-out and the next check-in times AND we never waste a day.  We always arrive early enough to do things the day we arrive as opposed to 2pm to 8pm sort of day ruining schedules.

 

Maybe next trip, we'll probably return to Europe again in 6-12 months.

[GazzaGarratt 11,056]

17 hours ago, Docwagon said:

I sat down with an Excel spreadsheet, the Eurorail website, and various travel metasearches.  Lisbon is just too much bother on this trip.  The timing makes it so we always waste more than a full day between getting there and getting back to Madrid.  Our flight home is just too early in the day to risk the Trenhotel.  The logistics just don't make sense.

 

Madrid -> Granada -> Seville -> Cordoba -> Madrid is a much more relaxed trip.  Only one 3 hour bus ride, everything else is short bus trips.  No need to bother with an airport and even if our train is delayed or we miss it we can get to the airport for the trip home easily.  It's also much easier to work in travel between check-out and the next check-in times AND we never waste a day.  We always arrive early enough to do things the day we arrive as opposed to 2pm to 8pm sort of day ruining schedules.

 

Maybe next trip, we'll probably return to Europe again in 6-12 months.

I really do think being from the US, you'll be more weathered to travel around than UK folk. We arent used to travelling long distances, we begrudge driving 30 minutes to work, let alone 3-4 hours to see family!

 

Like the idea of not wasting days, as long as you have enough downtime/rest time built in to your trip.

 

Would be cool to see you come over to England next time Doc, if we time it right you never know as we could make many paths cross...

[Docwagon 856]

5 hours ago, GazzaGarratt said:

I really do think being from the US, you'll be more weathered to travel around than UK folk. We arent used to travelling long distances, we begrudge driving 30 minutes to work, let alone 3-4 hours to see family!

 

Like the idea of not wasting days, as long as you have enough downtime/rest time built in to your trip.

 

Would be cool to see you come over to England next time Doc, if we time it right you never know as we could make many paths cross...

 

We'll drive 3 hours to a theme park, no problem, 12 hours on the road is a fairly frequent vacation for us.  I'd rather drive then bother with the airport and a rental car whenever possible.  I just hate to waste the time when we're overseas.

 

We'd like to revisit England.  London is the only part I've seen any of and that was about 14 years ago.  Ireland/England is high on our potential list.

 

On a side note, my guide book says crossing from Gibraltar back in to Spain can take as long as 3 hours due to security concerns and screenings.  That's also a "something I would have like to have seen" that we can't get to on this go.  You can never do it all, though.

[Docwagon 856]

15 hours ago, GazzaGarratt said:

 

 

Would be cool to see you come over to England next time Doc, if we time it right you never know as we could make many paths cross...

 

Chicago -> London is cheap enough in October that we'd consider it.  Would early October be a retarded time to visit, weather wise?  Let's say I had 9 days in country, where to go other than London itself?  I'd be traveling with my wife and 15 year old son.  We do like outdoorsy stuff and hikes, zoos, museums, historical sites, etc.  Maybe Stonehinge?