in case someone is planning a trip to Madrid during this summer, they should be aware of some traffic restrictions happening in the Madrid Metro system at the moment :

1._ Line 3 is completely closed down in order to renovate all its stations. The end of the works is supposed to be September 2005. It was quite a handy line to get to the Rastro area.

2._ The Chamartin station at Line 10 (a good one to get from Nuevos Ministerios, the end of the airport line, to Chamartin Renfe station and then onto Avila or Bilbao or ...) will be closed for renovation until mid-September.

3._ The line 8 will be closed between Mar de Cristal and Colombia from 23:00 to 01:30 in the morning. The EMT bus 87 will substitute the line during those hours. Be aware that line 8 is the line from the airport to Nuevos Ministerios, so if your plane or your luggage arrives later than 23:00 (I´d say 22:40 to be able to get to the metro station ...), you should plan for an alternative transport, either taxi or the 200 bus to Avda de America.

More info at : http://www.metromadrid.es/ http://www.emtmadrid.es/ http://www.ctm-madrid.es/ http://tinyurl.com/9px82

Kind regards,

Covadonga Bilbao/Madrid - Spain