Madrid to Toledo by Bus

Toledo is an easy day trip from Madrid which you can do on your own by taking the efficient public transportation.

Buses leave from Plaza Eliptica which is on Line 6 of the Metro subway (didn't I mention that public transportation in Spain is one of the best!).

Plaza Eliptica is made up of different levels and I navigated my way to the correct platform with help from digital screens like these:

Almost all signages in Spain are in Spanish or Catalan. Here it means that Route 402 is the direct bus to Toledo that leaves from Platform 7. 

When I reached Platform 7 ...

... the bus was about to leave and I didn't have a ticket!

The bus driver pointed to the ticket machine beside the platform ...

... where I bought a return ticket to Toledo for 8.88 Euros: 

Then I checked the screen and the next bus was at 11.30am:

Not too bad since I only had to wait for another 20 minutes for the next bus.

Soon I was on my way to Toledo which took about 45 minutes because traffic was clear, yeah ! 

Click here for Part 2: Getting Inside the Medieval City of Toledo

Review: Way Hostel in Madrid

I stayed at Way Hostel when I was traipsing in Madrid, home of Real Madrid and the famous bear & madrano tree. 

Way Hostel is a 90-bed backpackers hostel owned by a professional tennis player from Argentina. He was playing in a tournament in Syria when I stayed there.

I arrived in Way Hostel at around 8am after arriving from Barcelona by the overnight bus. 

Matheus manning the reception counter.

I like the stairs ...

... that leads to the rooms and dorms ...

The 12-bed mix dorm that I stayed in. Rate was 15 Euros per night. My bed is the one in the front left with the blue backpack leaning against it. The polka dot comforter is ultra comfy and kept me warm in the freezing temperatures of Madrid (I was there in December 2011).

Bathrooms are spacious and clean. 

Way Hostel has the most spacious chill-out area I've ever seen in all my travels. Maybe because the hostel has approximately 90 beds. So obviously the chill-out area has to be spacious enough to accommodate 90 pax or so if the hostel is running on full occupancy.

This is breakfast ...

... served daily in this ultra cool kitchen:

Way Hostel lived up to my expectations as a good hostel for backpackers.

Facilities are good and its location near Plaza Del Sol is excellent. The hostel also organises a free walking tour of Madrid which I would personally recommend you to join. You would get an insight into the history of Madrid and all sorts of interesting information about this marvellous city.

Another outstanding feature of Way Hostel are its friendly staff. Throughout my stay there I was greeted by name. I like to think that they remember my name because of my X-Factor qualities (kidding) but maybe it's just the way they are. Being greeted by name is something you only get in a 5-star hotel. So kudos to Way Hostel for its excellent customer service!

Despite singing praises for Way Hostel, I have 2 complaints.

First, is the the number of internet PC which is definitely not enough for 90 backpackers when the hostel is running on full occupancy.

Only 4 PCs for 90 backpackers? No wonder I was perpetually waiting for my turn.

My other complaint is about locating the hostel.

Based on the directions in the website, when exiting from Tirso de Molina subway station on Line 1, take the c/Magdalena exit and look for c/Relatores street where the hostel is located.

Tirso de Molina subway station.

Getting to Tirso de Molina station was a piece of cake for me. But locating c/Relatores was a nightmare because the bloody signboard was covered by a tree branch:

Before I left Way Hostel, I reminded the receptionist to chop off the bloody branch. 

I ended up walking up and down along the streets with my heavy backpack and was cursing, swearing and wondering if I'd ever locate the hostel.

In the end I approached a news stand vendor for directions. He could not speak English but by using body language and pointing, he showed me directions to c/Relatores where Way Hostel is.

When you exit from Tirso de Molina station via c/Magdalena exit, look for this red building on your left about 50 metres from the entrance of the station. This lane is c/Relatores and Way Hostel is about 20 metres from the entrance of c/Relatores.

However, these 2 complaints are overshadowed by the other excellent qualities of Way Hostel I mentioned earlier. And this is probably the reason why Way Hostel is perpetually running on full occupancy. So it's a good idea to make prior booking before going there. 

I would definitely stay at Way Hostel again if I return to Madrid. 

Barcelona to Madrid by Bus

A = Barcelona, B = Madrid

To get from Barcelona to Madrid, I decided to take the night bus instead of flying. Reasons:

• It's a cheaper option.
• I don't waste precious sightseeing time since the bus travels at night.
• I save on one night lodging at the hostel.

Everything I do has a reason :-)

Buses leave the Barcelona Nord Station which is accessible by Metro.

Barcelona has one of the best Metro systems because its easy to navigate your way around. Moreover most of the popular spots are located near Metro stations.

Since I was travelling during the weekend, the friendly folk at San Jordi Diagonal Hostel where I stayed advised me to get my tickets in advance because many people usually travel during weekends.

It's not a good idea to come to the station and get tickets before the bus leaves, as chances are tickets would have sold out.

This is the Barcelona Nord Station:

To get here, take the Metro (Line 1) and get off at Arc de Triomf station. The station is about 5 minutes walk from the Metro station.

I stood in queue for about 45 minutes to get that darn ticket.

The line was moving at a snails pace and I was frustrated because waiting in line was robbing precious time of my trip to Montserrat.

Finally ... my bus ticket from Barcelona to Madrid that costs 29.51 Euros:

The journey from Barcelona to Madrid by bus took approximately 7 hours.

Street Performers in Plaza Del Sol, Madrid

Plaza Del Sol is one of the most popular places in Madrid. This bustling square is constantly full of people browsing the shops and admiring the architecture surrounding it.

When I visited Plaza Del Sol in early December 2011, I was fascinated with its street performers. I wonder how these people make a living by doing this everyday, especially in freezing temperatures during winter.

There are a variety of street performers ranging from street musicians, people dressed as cartoon characters and statues like these fellows:

Obviously the camera is at a wrong angle, as the this guy's arm blocking his face. I blame it on the freezing temperature that caused my photography skills to go haywire.

Evil at its best - Satan (?) and Dracula. Ignore Winnie the Pooh in the background.

I didn't notice there were men inside the table until the one in the middle suddenly screamed at me. They give unassuming people a scare.

This fruit lady is one of my favourite:

I tried taking a photo of her but she kept moving moving around. So this is my best shot of her.

And my all time favourite is Jesus Christ himself:

Is this cool, or what?!