Getting around · Madrid · Spain
Getting around Madrid
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Madrid's centre is walkable, and its large metro network reaches almost everywhere visitors go, including the airport. Cercanías commuter trains link Atocha, Sol and Chamartín with the suburbs and some day-trip towns. No.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- MAD
- Need a car?
- No
- Travel pass
- Public transport card
Ways to get around
Metro
Twelve metro lines run from about 6am to about 1:30am, with Sol, Gran Vía, Atocha and Ópera stations covering the main sights.
Buy a rechargeable public transport card at machines and load single or ten-trip tickets onto it.
Walking
Sol, Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, Huertas and the Paseo del Prado museums are all within about 20 minutes' walk of each other.
Bus
EMT buses cover the city, and night buses (búhos) run from Cibeles when the metro is closed.
Some buses accept contactless bank cards; otherwise use the transport card.
Train
Cercanías commuter trains connect Atocha, Sol, Nuevos Ministerios and Chamartín, and reach Airport Terminal 4, El Escorial, Aranjuez and Alcalá de Henares; high-speed trains leave from Atocha and Chamartín.
Taxi
White taxis with a red stripe are plentiful and metered; trips between the airport and the centre inside the M-30 ring road are charged a fixed flat fare.
Cycling
BiciMAD electric bike-share stations cover the centre, and Madrid Río and the Retiro are good for cycling.
Tickets and passes
Public transport card
A rechargeable contactless card bought at metro stations, loaded with single journeys or 10-trip tickets usable on metro and buses.
Tourist Travel Pass
Unlimited travel on metro, buses and Cercanías for 1 to 7 days, with zones that can include the airport and some day-trip towns.
Paseo del Arte card
A combined ticket for the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums at a discount on separate entries.
From the airport
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD) is about 13 km north-east of the centre. Metro line 8 runs from Terminals 1–2–3 and 4 to Nuevos Ministerios in about 15 minutes (an airport supplement applies), Cercanías trains run from Terminal 4 to Chamartín, Nuevos Ministerios and Atocha, and the Airport Express bus runs to Atocha and Cibeles. Taxis charge a fixed fare to the centre.
Do you need a car?
No. Traffic and parking are difficult and much of the centre is a low-emission zone; the metro and trains cover the city and the main day trips. A car helps only for rural Castile.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo | About 35 minutes by high-speed train | High-speed Avant train from Atocha |
| Segovia | About 30 minutes by high-speed train, then a bus | High-speed train from Chamartín to Segovia-Guiomar, then a local bus |
| El Escorial | About 1 hour by train or bus | Cercanías train or bus from Moncloa |
| Ávila | About 1.5 hours by train | Regional train from Chamartín or Príncipe Pío |
| Aranjuez | About 45 minutes by train | Cercanías train from Atocha |
| Alcalá de Henares | About 40 minutes by train | Cercanías train from Atocha |
| Cuenca | About 1 hour by high-speed train, then a bus | High-speed train to Cuenca Fernando Zóbel, then a local bus |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Madrid?
No. Traffic and parking are difficult and much of the centre is a low-emission zone; the metro and trains cover the city and the main day trips. A car helps only for rural Castile.
+How do you get from the airport to Madrid?
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD) is about 13 km north-east of the centre. Metro line 8 runs from Terminals 1–2–3 and 4 to Nuevos Ministerios in about 15 minutes (an airport supplement applies), Cercanías trains run from Terminal 4 to Chamartín, Nuevos Ministerios and Atocha, and the Airport Express bus runs to Atocha and Cibeles. Taxis charge a fixed fare to the centre.
+What is the best way to get around Madrid?
Metro: Twelve metro lines run from about 6am to about 1:30am, with Sol, Gran Vía, Atocha and Ópera stations covering the main sights.