Trip Report: Madrid & Lisbon

Quick trip to Europe this weekend, leaving Thursday night and arriving into Portugal on Friday afternoon and then returning back to the United States on Saturday. Flying TAP Air Portugal, there was a connection in Lisbon and headed to my destination Madrid, Spain.

In terms of population, Madrid is the 2nd highest in the EU after Berlin. On approach MAD.

Transportation from the airport into the city was via the Madrid Metro.

My destination was near the Puerta del Sol in the center of Madrid.

On this chilly Friday night, the streets were filled with shoppers and diners. My hotel was near the Madrid Airport in the Barajas district.

Although I connected in Lisbon on the outbound, there was no time to visit. But returning to the United States yesterday I had a 5 hour connection time which allowed me time to go briefly into town.

On approach into Lisbon.

Both my departures from LIS operated from regular airport gates but both my arrivals (coming and going) operated from remote gates which then necessitated a bus ride to the terminal. This is actually not that uncommon at European airports where there just aren't enough gates.

Transportation from the airport into the city was via the Metro de Lisboa.

Not a lot of time to wander around though. The Ave. de Liberdade. Interestingly, it was 35F° in Madrid at 7AM yesterday morning when I departed but 52F° in Lisbon at 7AM upon arrival. Although both cities are at about the same latitude, Madrid is on a high plateau around 2200' altitude while Lisbon is close to sea level along the Atlantic Ocean coast.

Castelo de São Jorge

This trip was the first time flying with TAP Air Portugal. The return to Newark was on this Airbus A330-900neo. Had an empty seat next to me so that was nice!

All too soon we were on our way, leaving the European continent behind us and not seeing any more land until 6 hours later along the coast of Nova Scotia. A good time was had by.....me.