Air Canada Vacations

Before you leave Canada

Entry requirements

It is your sole responsibility to ensure that you - and any child travelling with you - have all the travel documents necessary to enter or transit through each country on your itinerary. Please ensure you verify the requirements for each country as the required documents for the outbound portion of your travel may differ from those required on the return.

Please refer to Air Canada for complete information on travel requirements and regulations.

Baggage

Please refer to Air Canada for up-to-date baggage allowances.

Airport check-in

Please present yourself at the airport counter or self-service kiosks of the airline indicated on your e-ticket. Web check-in and mobile check-in are also available.
Please refer to Air Canada for recommended check-in times and more details.

Your arrival at destination

Transportation from airport to Madrid

Madrid Barajas Airport is served by taxi, metro and bus. Transfers between Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4 are by shuttle bus. Air Canada flights arrive at Terminal 1.

By bus

Line 200 stops at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and links the airport with the Avenida de América.
The bus stops are located at Arrivals/Departures. Passengers should use this service to travel between Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the city centre. Line 101 links Barajas Metro, Terminals 1 and 2, and various other convenient stops.

By metro

From the airport, trains run from 6 a.m. to 1:45 a.m. every day. Metro Line 8 runs towards the centre (direction Nuevos Ministerios), but passengers have to change at Mar de Cristal (Line 4) to reach the most central destinations. The airport metro stop is in Terminal 2.

By taxi

Taxi stands are located outside the ground floor of all terminals. Journey time to central Madrid is about 30 minutes, depending on traffic.

By train

There is no direct airport link to the main rail network.

Hotel check-in

Upon arrival at your hotel, please identify yourself at the front desk with your Air Canada Vacations voucher. You will then be assigned your accommodation. Passport must be presented upon check in.

Hotel check-in times may vary depending on the hotel but is generally 3 p.m.

During your stay

If you need help or assistance with your vacation, please contact Air Canada Vacations Customer Care.

Shopping

There are five areas to head for if you are in Madrid shopping: Salamanca, Chueca, the centre (near Puerta del Sol), Princesa and Cuatro Caminos.
Chueca is a trendy, bohemian area, where you'll find original and designer goods, with prices to match. Salamanca, nicknamed The Golden Mile, is the most glamorous place to shop. The shops in the centre of Madrid are great as well, the most obvious areas being the Plaza Mayor, Gran Via, Puerta del Sol and nearby streets. If you don't want to hurt your bank balance you should try near the university in the area of Arguelles. Another bargain-hunters' paradise is at Cuatro Caminos in the north of Madrid.

Tipping

Service is included with the price of the meal or drink. However, tipping is a common practice at bars and restaurants, hotels and taxis. It is usually around five to ten percent of the total price.

Water

Water in Madrid is safe to drink.

Electricity

Electricity supply in Spain is AC 220 V, 50 Hz. Sockets use the round-pin European system. Most hotels have adaptors.

Currency

The currency in Spain is the Euro.

Banking

Banking hours are generally Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., with some branches open Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. (except from June to September when all banks close on Saturday).

ATM (cajeros automaticos) are now widespread.

All major credit cards are widely accepted.

Long distance calls

Telephone calls from your hotel to Canada can be very expensive and service charges are high.

Prepaid calling cards are readily available.

To call Canada dial 001 and then the number.

Language

Spanish is the official language.

Time zone

UTC/GMT +1 hour
Daylight savings time UTC/GMT +2 hours

Emergency

You can ask for a doctor or a dentist through your hotel.  Keep all your receipts. 
Tourists requiring urgent medical care should go to the nearest hospital emergency room (airports and many train stations also have medical teams and first aid facilities).

Getting around

Sightseeing

Air Canada Vacations offers a huge selection of day tours and activities in Madrid that you can easily add to your shopping cart when you book. Enjoy the Panoramic Madrid Sightseeing Tour or the El Escorial Monastery and the Valley of the Fallen day trip.

Rental car

Air Canada Vacations offers convenient short-term and long-term car rentals throughout Europe.

Metro

The system is open from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., though a few entrances close earlier. There are 12 metro lines, and system maps in stations detail their colour-coded routes.

Note the end station of the line you need, and follow signs to the correct corridor. Exits are marked “salida”.

Taxi

Taxis are a good deal in Madrid. They work under three different tariff schemes. You'll find all tariffs listed on the taxi window. Spaniards do not tip cabbies, but if you're inspired, 50 cents is about right for shorter rides; you can go as high as 10% for a trip to the airport. You can call a cab through Tele-Taxi, Radioteléfono Taxi, or Radio Taxi Gremial.

Buses

Red city buses run from about 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. After midnight, buses called “búhos” ("night owls") run out to the suburbs from Plaza de Cibeles. Signs at every stop list all other stops by street name, but they're hard to understand if you don't know the city well. Pick up a free route map from the transportation authority's (EMT) kiosks on the Plaza de Cibeles or the Puerta del Sol, where you can also buy a 10-ride ticket called a Metrobus

Trains

Travelling by train is comfortable and safe, but for some lines, especially the regional ones, it's sometimes better to take the bus. Madrid has three main train stations: Chamartín, Atocha, and Norte, the last primarily for commuter trains.

Your departure

Hotel checkout

Hotel checkout times may vary depending on the property, but generally you must vacate the room by noon.

Duty-free exemptions

Please refer to the Canada Border Services Agency for up-to-date information on personal exemptions.

Airport check-in

Please present yourself at the airport counter or self-service kiosks of the airline indicated on your e-ticket. Web check-in and mobile check-in are also available.
Please refer to Air Canada for recommended check-in times and more details.

Customer care

For any inquiries regarding your travel plans, please contact Air Canada Vacations Customer Care.