CONFERENCE TIMINGS
TUESDAY May 6 - Pre-Congress Day
- Pre Congress Workshops 9:00 - 15:30 (at an extra cost)
- EARMA General Assembly 16:30 - 17:30
- Welcome Reception 18:00 - 20:00
WEDNESDAY May 7 - 1st Congress Day
- Palacio Municipal IFEMA 10:00 - 18:00
- Gala Dinner 20:00 - 01:00
THURSDAY May 8 - 2nd Congress Day
- Palacio Municipal IFEMA 9:30 - 17:00
CONFERENCE LOCATIONS
📍Palacio Municipal → Congress Center
📍Palacio de Cibeles → Welcome Reception
📍Industrial Engineering School → General Assembly
📍Palacio del Negralejo → Gala Dinner
SHUTTLE BUSSES FOR THE GALA DINNER
This year, we will have three dedicated📍EARMA Bus Stops in the City Center which are convenient pick-up and drop-off points to and from the Gala Dinner at Palacio del Negralejo.
🚌 Bus Stop Locations:
📍Plaza Castilla
📍Plaza Colon (Calle Goya, Stop BUS TURISTICO)
📍Parking Palacio Real
A full Shuttle Schedule, including pick-up and return times, will be shared as we get closer to the event.
Please note that the shuttle service is only provided for the Gala Dinner event. For reaching the Congress Venue, please see the information below under "How to get around in Madrid".
Madrid - A Cosmopolitan Hub of Culture, History & Art
THE CITY OF THE SUN ☀️
Madrid, the vibrant capital of Spain, sits at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and boasts a population of over six million in its metropolitan area. Known for its rich cultural heritage, the city is home to iconic landmarks like the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, and world-renowned art museums such as El Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza. Its diverse neighborhoods, from alternative Malasaña to upscale Salamanca, reflect the city's dynamic atmosphere. With a thriving international food scene, a strong arts presence, Madrid is a cosmopolitan hub that blends history, modernity, and vibrant local life.
HOW TO GET TO MADRID
Madrid is a very well-connected city nationally and internationally by train, air, and road. It is the center of the Spanish railway network, has a very good road network, and the main international airport, Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport, is just 13 km from the city center.
Madrid also has two main railway stations, which are Chamartín and Atocha. Depending on where you come from, you will arrive at one or the other. The AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) is a modern high-speed train in Spain, which connects Madrid with Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Córdoba, Alicante, Cuenca, Albacete, Villena, and Málaga, among other Spanish cities.
How to arrive from the Airport to Madrid City Center by Metro 🚇
To reach Madrid city center from the airport the easiest and best way is to take the metro.
Take metro line 8, which is the pink one, connects all the terminals of the airport (T1, T2, T3, and T4) with the Nuevos Ministerios station in the center of Madrid. The trip takes about 15 minutes.
How to arrive from the Airport to Madrid City Center by Bus 🚍
Barajas airport provides a bus service (Express Bus) that connects the airport with the city center. The journey time is between about 30 minutes for T1 and about 40 for T4. During the day it has a frequency of 15 – 20 minutes while at night it leaves every 35 minutes. The ticket price is 5 euros and is paid on the same bus.
How to arrive from the Airport to the City Center by Taxi 🚖
There are taxi stops in each airport terminal. The price of the service obviously depends on the destination, but if you are heading to central Madrid, that is, inside the M-30 ring road, the cost of the taxi is set at 30 euros per trip.
HOW TO GET AROUND IN MADRID
Madrid is a vibrant and accessible city with excellent infrastructure, serving as the hub of Spain's railway system and boasting a highly efficient road network, complemented by the metro system, which offers a convenient and reliable option for public transport.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO PALACIO MUNICIPAL
The public transport lines to reach the congress center are easily reachable by foot from all the major hotels in the city center.
🚇 METRO
The Metro System is the best and most reliable option to get around in Madrid. The nearest metro station to Palacio Municipal is FERIA DE MADRID - Line 8 (pink) with exits at the south entrance to the venue.
The line connects perfectly the fairgrounds with the terminals of Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport. In just two stops (maximum 15 minutes) you will reach Palacio Municipal, IFEMA.
🚍 BUS
Madrid’s extensive bus network allows you to get to Palacio Municipal from anywhere in the city.
- Línea 73: Diego de León - IFEMA MADRID
- Línea 112: Mar de Cristal - Barrio del Aeropuerto
- Línea 122: Avenida de América - IFEMA MADRID
🚌 INTERCITY BUS
- Línea 828: Universidad Autónoma - Alcobendas - IFEMA MADRID - Canillejas
🚘 BY CAR
Palacio Municipal has road connections to Madrid’s main access and ring roads:
- M11 (exits 5 and 7)
- M40 (exits 5, 6 and 7)
- A2 (exit 7)
The south, north and east entrances of the fairground give direct access to the different parking areas.
🚕 TAXI UBER & BOLD
Taxis can be ordered by calling or through apps. One app that can be used in all Madrid is Free now (iPhone app or Android app) and Cabify (iPhone app or Andorid app). The more local TXMAD (Android app or iPhone app) app can also be used to book your taxi. Taxis in Spain always accept card payments.
Uber, Bolt and similar services exist in Madrid and are often more convenient.
🛵 E-SCOOTER
The e-scooter system in Madrid is well organised and currently (October 2024), the main providers are Acciona (iPhone app or Android app), Cooltra (iPhone app or Android app) and Cabify (iPhone app or Android app).
CURRENCY
💶 EURO
The currency used in Spain is the euro, and both cash and credit/debit cards are used as means of payment.
MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS IN MADRID
- Puerta del Sol, literally “door of the sun”, is one of the most famous squares in Madrid in the city center and one of the first stop for most visitors. Here, you’ll find three of the main symbols Madrid is known for: El Oso y el Madroño, la Real Casa de Correos, and the Kilometer Zero, the starting point for every road in Spain.
- Plaza Mayor is located just a few meters from Puerta del Sol and the Royal Palace and it is another of Madrid’s must-sees. One of the main points of this square is the Equestrian statue of Philip III.
- The Royal Palace of Madrid was built in the 18th century and is an official residence of the Spanish Royal Family.
- Gran Vía, or the “Spanish Broadway” the most famous boulevard of Madrid, was built between 1910 and 1929 to connect the Salamanca and Argüelles neighborhoods. It’s filled with shops, restaurants, and some of the city’s most iconic buildings.
- Museo del Prado is one of the most famous museums in the world. The collection is primarily based on paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries. Among those, masterpieces by painters such as Velázquez, El Greco, Rubens, Hieronymus Bosch, and Goya.
- Reina Sofía Museum is one of the most important museums in Madrid and offers visitors an extensive collection of Spanish contemporary art. It features paintings by renowned Spanish artists such as Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miró.
- Santiago Bernabéu, the stadium of Real Madrid. Must- go place for football lovers.
- Mercado de San Miguel, which is a lovely gastronomic space that preserves its original iron structure of the early 20th century. Here you can find every authentic food from Spain such as patatas bravas, jamon ibérico and enjoy a fresh sangría.
USEFUL SMARTPHONE APPS
🚀 FOR TRANSPORTATION
- **Google Maps** calculates routes and informs about traffic conditions on each street (iPhone app / Android app)
- Metro Madrid – the official Metro app: schedule, waiting times, nearest stations, subway map, all about tickets and fares (iPhone app / Android app)
- EMT Madrid – the official EMT app for finding public transport, allows route planning and schedule checking (iPhone app / Android app)
- Renfe – the official app for purchasing train tickets for Ave, Long Distance, Mid-distance, Avant, and managing trips (iPhone app / Android app)
- Alsa – the official app for buying Alsa bus tickets, managing bookings, checking schedules, and finding the best prices (iPhone app / Android app)
The local transport company is CRTM that also provides the tickets for the metro/bus. Madrid public transport tickets can be bought at ticket machines at the metro station or at the tabac shops around the city. You can buy tickets both with card and with cash.
🗺️ GUIDES
