Prebook by kari5
If you're arriving in Madrid with a fair amount of luggage, I strongly recommend that you pre-book a taxi transfer to your hotel. We researched this idea before we went, but dismissed it as not really being worth it. If I knew then what I know now, I would DEFINITELY have prebooked the transfer. Paying up front would have saved hassle and we would have known exactly where we stood. At the airport, I asked the taxi driver (in Spanish) approximately how much the journey would cost (just for a ballpark figure). He replied that he didn't speak English (well, tell me in Spanish then!) and clearly avoided the question. When we arrived at the hotel, the meter read 25 but he kept saying 35, 35 (a ten euro supplement? I don't think so ....) so just to get away I threw 40 euros at him and called it a lesson learned. I think he thought he'd done pretty well. So in future I would definitely prebook.We returned to the airport on the Metro - a bargain at 1 euro each. This did involve quite a few changes and carrying suitcases up and down stairs though, so if you're not familiar with Madrid it's probably best to get a taxi when you arrive, and then perhaps get the Metro back to the airport.
