Tourism in Madrid: what to do in the city | spain.info (2024)

How to get toaeroplane

• Madrid Airport is 12 kilometres from the city centre, which can easily be reached by public transport.

• By metro, take line 8. The trip costs an additional 3 euros on top of the cost of any ticket, and the journey is just over 30 minutes.

• By train, you can take the C-1 and C-10 Cercanías lines, which take around half an hour to reach the city centre.

• By bus, you can get to the centre with the Exprés Aeropuerto, in about half an hour for 5 euros, or take the regular city bus routes 200 or 101.

• By taxi, the journey between the airport and the city centre has a fixed price of 30 euros.

  See Also

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• If travelling by night, take the airport express bus or a taxi.

• By road, the most common route is along the M-40, and it takes just over 20 minutes.

• More information

How to get totrain

• If you are travelling to Madrid by train, you can reach two main stations: Atocha and Chamartín.

• Madrid Station - Puerta de Atocha - Almudena Grandes:In the city centre.You can easily leave the station by public transport: you can take the Metro (line 1), the train (all the Cercanías or local trains) and the bus (lines 10, 14, 19, 24, 26, 32, 34, 36, 37, 54, 55, 57, 59, 85, 86, 102, 119, 141, 203, E1, C1, C2, C03, SE766, N9, N10, N11, N12, N13, N15, N25) and taxi.International connections to Paris and Lisbon.High-speed trains to Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Malaga, and more destinations.

• Madrid-Chamartín-Clara Campoamor Station:In the north of the city.From the station, you can take the metro (lines 1 and 10), train (lines C-1, C-2, C-3, C3a, C-4, C-7, C-8 and C-10), bus(lines 5, T62) and taxi.International connections to Paris and Lisbon.

• Ticket booking

How to get tobus

• If you want to get to Madrid by bus, you have two options in terms of stations: the Méndez Álvaro station, also known as the Estación Sur, and the Avenida de América station.

• Sur Station:Located in the southern part of the city of Madrid.Public transport connections: Metro (line 6), train (lines C1, C5, C7, C10), bus (lines 8, 102, 113, 148, 152, 156, N11) and taxi.

• Avenida de América Station:In the north of the city.Public transport connections: Metro (lines 4, 6, 7 and 9), bus (1, 12, 52, 72, 73, 114, 115, 122, 200, C1, C2, N2, N4) and taxi.

How to get there byroad

• The main roads leading to Madrid are the A-1 (from the Basque Country), A-2 (Barcelona), A-3 (Valencia), A-4 (Seville), A-5 (Extremadura) and A-6 (Galicia).

• Please note that large parts of the city centre are Low-Emissions Zones, where driving and parking are restricted. If you arrive in Madrid by car or motorcycle, consult the website of the City Council to find out about these areas. These restrictions apply equally to vehicles with foreign registrations. If your vehicle has an environmental rating from France or Portugal, check DGT website the table of equivalences of environmental ratings in European Union countries to know what restrictions might affect you. You can also get information before travelling through your accommodation in Madrid.

Practical information

• Most points of interest are concentrated in the centre, which makes it easy to explore them on foot.

• Tourist pass: for just one person. Unlimited travel on the metro, bus and train network. There are five types: lasting one, two, three, four, five or seven calendar days and with two different levels of coverage: A (to travel within the city of Madrid) and T (to also travel in the surrounding areas, as this pass includes all the other zones).

• Please note that large parts of the city centre are Low-Emissions Zones, where driving and parking are restricted. If you arrive in Madrid by car or motorcycle, consult the website of the City Council to find out about these areas. These restrictions apply equally to vehicles with foreign registrations. If your vehicle has an environmental rating from France or Portugal, check DGT website the table of equivalences of environmental ratings in European Union countries to know what restrictions might affect you. You can also get information before travelling through your accommodation in Madrid.

How to get around inmetro/tram

• The Metro network covers the entire city of Madrid and connects it to other nearby towns within the region of Madrid.

• It operates from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day.

• You can buy single tickets, passes for 10 journeys, or special tickets to the airport.

• More information

How to get around intrain

• The Cercanías train network covers the entire city of Madrid and connects it to other nearby towns within the region of Madrid.

• It runs from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm.

• You can buy single or return tickets, or a pass for 10 journeys.

• More information

How to get around inbus

• The city bus lines usually operate between 6:00 am and 11:30 pm.

• Night buses, known as “búhos” (owls), run from 11.20 pm or 11.45 pm to 5.30 am or 6 am, and until 7 am on Saturday nights and before public holidays. Most lines start at Plaza de Cibeles.

• There are also intercity lines that connect the city of Madrid with other towns in the region.

• Sightseeing bus around the most iconic spots with 1 or 2 day tickets.

How to get around inother means of transport

• By taxi:Easily identifiable white vehicles with a red stripe.A green light on the roof shows they are available.You can get a taxi from a taxi rank, stop one in the street (the ones with their green light on) or book one on one of the different apps.Taxis from Madrid-Barajas airport to Madrid city centre have a set price of €30 each way.

• A different, quick and ecological way to travel around Madrid is by bike, whether by hiring one from the different companies that provide this service or using the municipal bike hire service, Bicimad.

• There is a cable car that crosses over the Casa de Campo park.