
Public Transport in Madrid and Tariff Zones
Public transport in Madrid includes buses, metro, trams, commuter trains, funiculars, and taxis. Read more in the article Transport in Madrid.
Metro trains and buses are united in one system and operate with the same tickets. The fare depends on the zones, of which there are eight – A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, E1, and E2 (see the scheme). 6 within the city and 2 suburban zones. Tourists typically travel within zone A and ML1 (Line 1 of the light rail tramway (Metro Ligero)).
The Metro de Madrid app can assist you in navigating the city. It shows transport wait times, nearby stations, a metro map, and ticket and fare information.
Rechargeable Transport Contactless Cards
Transportation in Madrid is carried out using special cards Tarjeta Multi and Tarjeta Personal, where almost all types of tickets are loaded onto the balance.
Tarjeta Multi — a non-personal rechargeable contactless transport card, onto which up to 3 tickets can be loaded simultaneously, as well as tickets for 1 or 10 trips, a tourist pass, and an additional airport ticket fee. Cost €2.50.
Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal (TTP) — a personal rechargeable contactless transport card, onto which tickets for 1 or 10 trips, annual and monthly passes, and additional airport ticket fees can be loaded. Cost €4.
Buy a transport card for €2.5 from a machine. Top it up immediately for 10 trips. Use one card for multiple people, no need to buy a card for everyone.
Fare Cost
Billete sencillo – a single-trip metro ticket (zone A and ML1) costs €1.5 for up to 5 stations; from 6 to 9 stations, you will need to pay an additional €0.10 for each station, and for 10 or more stations, the additional fee will be €2.
Billete Combinado Metro – a combined single-trip ticket for €3; it allows one metro journey regardless of the zone (except for the airport ride).
Billete EMT – a single bus trip ticket for €1.5.
Billete Exprés Aeropuerto – an express airport ticket for €5.00.
👍 Billete Metro Zona A, EMT y ML1 (Metrobús) – a 10-ride ticket for metro and bus for €12.20.
Children under 4 travel for free.
See ticket types and fares on the official CRTM website.
To purchase a ticket from Madrid airport to the center, buy a transport card from a machine, the required number of metro rides in the city (Metrobús Viajes), and pay an additional €3 airport ticket fee (Sup. Aeropurto).
Where to Buy Public Transport Tickets?
- At ticket vending machines in metro stations;
- in newspaper and tobacco kiosks;
- at station ticket offices;
- at major bus stops;
- in information centers;
- from the bus driver;
- Cercanias train tickets are sold at ticket offices or machines at the Atocha and Chamartín stations or on the Cercanias website.
Tourist Tickets
It is more advantageous for tourists to purchase a ticket based on validity time rather than the number of trips: 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days. This ticket is called the Abono Turistico or Tourist Travel Pass and allows you to use all types of transport in zone A, as well as light rail trams, buses, and commuter trains in zone T. Available at metro ticket offices.
Zone/ Days | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days | 4 days | 5 days | 7 days |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Zone A | 10 € | 17 € | 22.50 € | 27 € | 32.50 € | 42 € |
Zone T | 15 € | 25.50 € | 34 € | 42 € | 49 € | 61 € |
Full information on the website esmadrid.com.The tourist pass Abono Turistico can only be loaded onto the multi-card Tarjeta Multi.