SYD-BKK-xHEL-BCN-VLC-MAD-xHEL-BKK-SYD on QF, AY & Renfe Trains in J

[rogerkambah]

The AY website has multi city option which allows you to do open jaw, as well as seeing 4 different fare class buckets which is helpful when crediting to partner programs.

Thanks - I'll have to look more closely this year.

 

[nonpop]

Bump. . Are you stuck somewhere?

Sorry yes I am ... had to do a quick trip to China, but have returned now.
Funny how life gets in the way of trip reports

I'll continue shortly now that I am back.

 

[nonpop]

Madrid train station. This place is large and seemed to be very efficient. It was easy to work out where to go to connect from the long haul fast train to a domestic metro.



Up the escalator and then connecting to the local metro.
We again purchased a couple of metro-10 type tickets that covers public transport in a HOHO style approach then jumped the local metro to our hotel


The Ibis Madrid ... close to a metro stop so only a short walk with the bags.
It has a small elevator or you walk up the steps to reception


Reception waiting to check-in. The bar is along from reception then the breakfast area is further around to the left.
As a Platinum member the only benefit we got was 1 drink voucher for a soft drink (which I later convinced the bar person that red wine was a soft drink in Australia. They served me up a very full glass and we had a laugh). Wifi was free for everyone and it worked well.



Room. Basic - clean and functional.


TBC ...

 

[nonpop]

Great TR - some of the First class ones we've been on include a snack/meal. Not these ones?

No free snacks. Everyone in our F cabin had to shell out coin. The snacks didn't look impressive. We knew there would be a charge so we took a bottle of water from the hotel and a banana from the breakfast buffet to keep us going. We'd also be in Madrid at lunch time and Tapas is everywhere.

 

[craven morehead]

The good old "ibis" !! Doesn't seem to change much anywhere in the world :mrgreen: I firmly believe it is good value for money.

 

[nonpop]

The good old "ibis" !! Doesn't seem to change much anywhere in the world :mrgreen: I firmly believe it is good value for money.

Agree. And the locations seem to be right-on as well.
A shame status doesn't really count for much, but then again the price is cheap.

 

[nonpop]

Stock standard Ibis bathroom.
There was no individual shampoo or conditioner or bath gel / soap. It was a hanging unit fixed to the wall near the basin and another in the shower of"Bubbles" which is described as being for body, hair and face. Knowing this would be the case, we keep some from the Hilton in Barcelona so we had a supply of individual items of (potentially) better qualify. This may have been the only let down of the Ibis.



Room with a view


Breakfast / dining area


Buffet spread. No warm items i.e no eggs or bacon. There was the usual cereal, cold cuts, breads and yoghurt.


Pastry time


TBC

 

[love_the_life]

The bathroom looks larger than the one I remember from Brussels - I think it could have been described as a 'cupboard' but then again it had all we needed.

 

[nonpop]

Across the road from the Ibis Madrid was anIrish pub ... aren't they just everywhere.
Theydid a half decent bottle of red with a mega fry-up plate of snacks - chips,fish fingers, chicken fingers, chicken wings, other fried things, onion ringsetc.
Goodfor an evening drink or three before freshening up when coming home in the lateafternoon before the night time festivities. They spoke good English and theBankwest m/c worked a treat again.


Madrid by night. A typical area down-town withheaps of people all just going somewhere.


So it was time again for Tapas and what betterplace to eat then something called what you want to eat. How could the food be bad then.


Inside the place ... what recession ? These places were always full in the evening from about 6pm to 2am.


Snap of a couple of samples ... very tasty. The menu was in Spanish only but the menu had pictures so was easy to order from. Beside we like to just roll the dice at random sounding food.


TBC

 

[Pushka]

Random sounding food is part of the fun of travel.

 

[nonpop]

Royal Palace Madrid - this place is huge.
Royal Palace of Madrid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lots of great artworks and if you like medieval armour (men, horses etc), weapons (swords, bows, canons etc) then this place is the Palace for you. A sensational collection

The lake around the Palace had a little ice forming. Thought the daytime temp was abut 15 deg c at the time.


Templo de Debod Temple of Debod - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An old Egyptian temple brought over to Madrid. A short walk from the Palace.


Some random artworks. Most art you can't photograph. But here were a few bits that caught my eye. I know art is subjective and even myself I'll like something one year then kind of go off it the next. May be it depends on the type of truth serum that has been consumed prior.


Next random artwork - well not really random. It is a magnificent piece in the flesh.


Another random artwork - again not 100% random. It is a 'theme' I have an interest in the story it tells. Having seen it depicted by several well known artists this is one version I was keen to see and wasn't disappointed.


TBC (these take a chunk of time to do, so please bear 'roar' with me as I try t collect photos, crunch them and then write the blurb in between trying to stay employed)

 

[RooFlyer]

I hope we get some Prado . The first kilometre of El Grecos are the easiest!

 

[nonpop]

After sometime in Madrid we popped out to Toledo.
Toledo, Spain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It is a great old town and I would suggest a couple of days here.
Very easy to get to from Madrid. You can do a day tour or pick one of the many local hotels.

City entrance


View from within the city looking back out


Kind of the reverse shot but looking back in


Cathedral within the city - absolutely worth seeing. Construction started 1226.
Toledo Cathedral - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is just one of the sections within the church


Within the Cathedral


TBC

 

[nonpop]

Ok I'll avoid boring you with more shots of Madrid. Lets jut say it is worth seeing if you have the time.

Now it is time to make our way back to HEL then on to BKK then SYD.
So the journey begins. We jump on the local metro at our hotel and head towards the airport.
There is an airport supplement fee we need to buy to exit at the airport station if we want to use our metro-10 ticket.
The auto ticket machine where we'd been purchasing our metro-10 tickets will easily sell us a pair of single airport supplements.
Again the Bankwest m/c works a treat and the process is easy.

We then jump on the local metro with our 2 suit cases. All too easy.


The train stops at each terminal. We're departing from T4.


Up the escalator we go up into the airport


And up and up ... the escalators just seemed to go forever ... but all is well signed with yellow lines pained on the floor


Finally we get up to the departure area, check the board and find where our AY flight is departing from. Even when we showed up it was rather empty, but I hate lines. Flying J + OWE I head to the 'priority' area.


TBC

 

[nonpop]

Seems everyone gets priority check-in these days ... oh quel horreur


The agent checked us in quick stix and confirmed the lounge access, fast track security etc


Security was very fast ... may be 2 mins all up. Usual process of removing LAGS, laptop and belt. Staff were friendly.


Then off to the Iberia lounge which was again well signed and easy to find.


Welcoming of Oneworld status pax


TBC

 

[Pushka]

The lounge access is nice but VIP through immigration is the icing. I hate queues too.

 

[joyvee]

Really enjoyed your TR and good to see AY has upgraded plane on BKK route.
wonderful photos and make me want to spend time in Spain - have only been to Barcelona night train from Paris and fast train back there in day time. Thank you for spending so much time on TR for all to share

 

[turtlemichael]

I've come late to it too but finding it very impressive and enjoyable.

 

[amaroo]

Love Spain - one of the best holidays we've had!

 

[love_the_life]

Great TR - inspired me to visit again but so many places, so little time, even less money