Madrid Metro and Train

Today my traveling companion CJ and I went to the Atocha train station in Madrid (one of two main stations in the metro area) to book our reservations for our trip to Barcelona on Monday. The Atocha train station is centrally located in the city (the other station, Chamartin, is within the city limits but far from the center). I think most trains going to Barcelona leave from Atocha, which is currently undergoing lots of contruction, as is most of Madrid. It is a cool station though, a beautiful building with a mini rainforest inside.
They are also building a new train station near Puerta de Sol that is affecting the city in a major way. Spaniards I have spoken with in town complain about it a lot. Even so, I find the city a particularly easy one to navigate, and love the metro system. I have not taken any buses, although I am sure they are fine too. Walking and metro have worked well for me. We’ll be taking a train from Atocha to Barcelona on Monday, which is a national holiday in Madrid. All the major trains and transport still run, so hopefully we will have no problems.