Madrid Barajas International Airport

Description

Madrid Barajas International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Spain located 12km northeast of Madrid. It opened in 1928 and since then has become one of the most important aviation centers of Europe. A number of transatlantic flights serve Madrid Barajas International Airport and it is the foremost European airport for flights to Central and South America as well as a major hub for worldwide connections.

Address

Aeropuerto de Barajas, Avenida de la Hispanidad, s/n, 28042 Madrid, Spain

Phone

902 20 01 62

Prayer Facilities

There is an interdenominational prayer room located on T1 and specific directions to these destinations can be received by the information desks located in each terminal. There are clean toilets throughout the terminals where ablution can be performed.

The closest mosque to the airport is around 10 Km and about 10 minutes away. It is located on Salvador de Madariaga called Centro Cultural Islamico. It is a beautiful building made of white marble and is the largest mosque in Europe. It has a separate prayer room for women, a ritual bath house, a college, gym, caf?? and an Arabic restaurant called Al Zahra.

Halal Food

There are about 30 restaurants in the airport, but none of them serve halal food. The best option for Muslim travelers is to stick to vegetarian food, but be sure to check the contents of dishes for animal products.

Outide the airport there are a wide range of halal restaurants available in Madrid thanks to the sizeable Muslim population. One of the nearest restaurants to the airport is Capadocia Kebap serving Turkish cuisine. It is located on Calle de las Carretas 14 and is 16 km, about 15 minutes away from the airport. It has a full halal menu, is alcohol free with clean restrooms and prayer accommodations.

Then there is Aljayma located on Barbieri 1, Madrid, serving Moroccan cuisine. It is also alcohol free, has a complete halal menu with clean restrooms and prayer facilities. It is 16 km, about 15 minutes away from the airport.

Transport

There are many transport options available to and from Madrid Barajas International Airport. The many options include transport by bus, taxi, train, car and underground.

Taxis: Taxi ranks are in front of the arrivals area on all four terminals and going to central Madrid by taxi may take up to 25 to 30 minutes depending on the traffic. Passengers should ignore any taxi drivers inside of the terminals and make sure that the taxi driver starts the meter at the start of the journey.

Bus: Traveling by bus might be a better option to get to locations faster if the Metro does not cover the areas the passenger wishes to reach. The buses leave from all four terminals and EMT (Madrid Municipal Transport Company) runs on a regular basis between Madrid and the airport. A few intercity bus services also call at the airport and the red buses are available at regular rates.

Car Hire: The airport is connected by motorway to Madridƒ??s main access and ring roads. Car rental services are provided on the ground floors of terminals 1, 2 and 4. AresCity-Ares Mobile offers passengers to hire a sedan, minivan, limousine, door to door shuttle service and a choice if they want a vehicle with a chauffeur or not. The other companies which are there are Avis, Europcar, Hertz, National Atesa and Sixt.

Underground: The Metro transportation hub connects with fifty underground stations and it is the most efficient. It takes passengers to Madridƒ??s financial district in just 12 minutes and it also provides links to stations on the Spanish railway network. Itƒ??s stops are on the first floor of T4 and on T2. This is the fast and least expensive way to reach the city center.

Train: There is no direct link to the main rail network which is The Spanish Railway Network (RENFE) from the airport. If passengers wish to link with one of the main train stations then they should use the Metro as means of transportation.

Shopping

There are more than a hundred shops located inside the airport ranging from duty-free shops, jewelry shops and gift shops, to those selling cosmetic and fragrances, watches and reading material. The duty-free shops are located on all four terminals.

Amenities

There are two branches of BBVA and Caja Madrid for banking services. BBVA is located in the public area of Terminal 4, the boarding area, as well as in the hallway which connects Terminal 1 with Terminal 2. Caja Madrid is located in the arrivals area of Terminal 4 and in the departures area of Terminal 2. Terminals 1 and 2 also have American Express currency exchange facilities.

he airport offers a number of services to make the passengers stay at the airport as easy as possible whether they are stuck at the airport or just waiting for their next flight. There is a childrenƒ??s playground in T2 and VIP lounges are located in all terminals with important and useful services such as catering, internet access, fax, photocopies, reading material and information about the passengerƒ??s flight.

There are nurseries in T4 and T2 where there is friendly staff available and passengers can easily change their childrenƒ??s nappies there, warm their food, let them sleep in one of the baby cots or just let them play around in the nursery. There are pharmacies in T1, T2 and T4 and first aid stations in T2 and T4.

Travel agencies and tour operators are also available. There are offices in T1 and T4 where lost luggage can be reported and there are five meetings rooms inside the airport.

All airlines can provide wheelchairs upon request and passengers should ask for this service when they are booking their airline tickets. The airport is completely accessible to wheelchair users and there are also reserved car parking spaces for disable travelers.