A friend and I are planning a trip to Andalucia and northern Portugal in April-May. We really want to take the night train from Madrid to Lisbon (not fly or drive), then go out to Lisbon airport and pick up a rental car to drive north.

When I scope out an itinerary, it looks like we'd want to take the train right around May 1. I know from experience that in some European cities there's no public transport on May 1. So, if we wanted to take the train from Madrid on May 1, would we be able to get to Chamartin to catch it? (I'm pretty sure the train doesn't stop at Atocha.) Alternatively, if we took the train on April 30, would we be able to get to Lisbon airport, and would rental car offices even be open? Do taxis operate even when buses don't?

Does anybody know? I feel kind of silly writing to the cities' tourist offices to ask.

I've thought about taking the train on April 30, then staying overnight near the station in Lisbon and picking up the car on May 2, but this seems to just add another complication--I just spent a week in Lisbon, so it's not like our original plan would deprive me of that city.

Thanks.

May 1 is labor day in Spain as in the rest of the world except the US. So most is closed. But the trains do continue.buses too and of course taxis

Thanks,Pedmar. That's what I needed to know. I'd already checked that the train runs on Labor Day, but I'm glad to know that I'll actually be able to get to it!

It would probably be more difficult to find a rental car office open (except large ones) in Lisbon rather than buses/underground in Madrid on May 1st!
As far as I know Madrid Metro works every day of the year from 6 a.m. to 1.30-2 a.m.

Grazie, Giulia.

I had an idea (it happens occasionally!) and decided to check with AutoEurope to see whether we'll be able to start our car rental on May 1 at Lisbon Airport. Their May rates for Portugal aren't loaded yet, so I couldn't check online, but when I called their very helpful agent looked at last year's rentals and saw that the Avis and Europcar Lisbon Airport offices were open on May 1. So, assuming we could get from the Oriente station to the airport, it looks like either plan would work--taking the train on either April 30 or May 1.

It´s easy getting to the airport from the Oriente Station; you just have to catch Bus nr. 44 - direction Cais Sodré - and it takes about 5 minutes to the airport. It runs every day of the week including holidays. You can check the Carris website for the current schedules.

Bugsy