In Madrid, as in any large city, there is a well-developed transportation network. Public transport includes buses, trams, metro, and a network of suburban trains. In addition, Madrid’s public transport includes a funicular and taxis.
It is worth mentioning the Madrid City Tour tourist bus separately. It allows you to quickly see the main attractions of the Spanish capital and completely forgo other city transport.
Types of Public Transport in Madrid
- Madrid city buses, EMT
- metro, L1–L12
- light rail (Metro Ligero, LRT) – lines ML1, ML2, ML3
- trams (Tranvía de Parla) – ML4 circular line
- commuter trains, C1–C10
- other city buses
- intercity buses
Now for everything in order.
Fare Payment
Metro and bus services are combined into 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 (map).
The center and most of the city are in zone A.
Fare for metro, EMT buses, and light rail ML1:
- 1 trip – €1.50.
- 10 trips – €12.20.
- 10 trips with transfers within 1 hour – €18.30.
Tickets are sold in machines at all metro stations, in newspaper and tobacco kiosks, at station ticket offices, major bus stops, and information centers.
Tourist Tickets
Another option is to purchase a ticket not for the number of trips but for the duration: 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days. This ticket is called Abono Turistico or Tourist Travel Pass.
Cost of the tourist pass:
Tourist passes Abono Turistico are available for zone A – central Madrid, and zone T – suburbs (Toledo, El Escorial, Guadalajara, Chinchón, Aranjuez, Alcalá de Henares, Colmenar de Oreja…)
| 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 € |
Children up to 11 years old get a 50% discount. Up to 4 years old, travel is free.
Full information is on the website esmadrid.com.
Tourist Travel Pass for zone A is valid for:
- metro zone A, including travel to the airport
- all EMT city bus lines, except Airport Express
- Renfe trains included in zones 0 and A (map)
- high-speed tram ML1
Tourist Travel Pass for zone T is additionally valid for:
- all metro lines (fare zones A, B1, B2, and B3)
- all EMT city blue buses (zone A) and intercity green buses of the Autonomous Community of Madrid (except Airport Express), including routes to Guadalajara and Toledo
- across the suburban railway network Renfe Cercanías Madrid
- high-speed metro Ligero ML2 and ML3
- tram ML4.
Tourist pass Abono Turistico can only be recorded on the Tarjeta Multi. The Tarjeta Multi is a non-personalized contactless transport card, reloadable and usable by multiple passengers, with a validity period of 10 years.
Madrid City Card
In addition to the travel pass, you can purchase the Madrid City Card. This card provides a range of advantages and discounts.
You get:
- discounts on tickets to museums and other cultural and entertainment centers;
- priority entry to some of the main attractions;
- a tourist transport pass (Madrid City Card includes zone A).
- other special advantages in centers participating in the card program.
- discounts in some stores, restaurants, and nightclubs.
How much does the Madrid City Card cost
1 day – €10
2 days – €17
3 days – €22.50
4 days – €27
5 days – €32.50
Tourist Double-Decker Bus
Another convenient way to get around the city is the Madrid City Tour Tourist Bus. If you are in the Spanish capital for 1 or 2 days, buying such a ticket means you can do without other city transport.
With a ticket for the Madrid City Tour double-decker bus, you get a city tour with an audio guide in Russian, and the option to hop on and off as many times as you like at any stop.
The bus follows two routes:
- Historic Madrid
- Modern Madrid
From June 16 to September 15, you can take a night bus tour of Historic Madrid with the Madrid City Tour. However, it runs without stops on two routes: from the Prado Museum to the Royal Palace and from Cibeles Square to the Toledo Gate. All routes are included in the ticket price.
Ticket prices:
| Adult (16 and up) | Child (7–15 years) | |
| 1 day | €25 | €11 |
| 2 days | €30 | €15 |
When purchasing tickets on the madrid.city-tour website, discounts are available. Alternatively, you can buy them directly at the tourist bus stops. See the stop map here.
Teleférico Madrid Cable Car
Another mode of transport in Madrid that attracts tourists is the cable car. Teleférico Madrid stretches 2.5 kilometers and connects the city center with Casa de Campo park.
Cabins depart from the Teleférico en Rosales station, nearby bus 74 (stop Pintor Rosales — Fco. J. Alcantara) and bus 24 (stop Mques. Urquijo — Ferraz) stop. The nearest metro station is Argüelles, lines L3, L4, L6.
Ticket prices:
- One way – €4.20.
- Round trip – €5.90.
- Free with a Madrid Card.
- Combined ticket for Teleférico + zoo: adult – €24.45; child (under 7 years) – €20.75.
- Combined ticket for cable car + amusement park: adult – €33, child (under 1.4m) – €26.50.
Check prices here .
Metro
The Madrid Metro operates from 6:00 AM to 1:30 AM. It consists of 13 lines. Trains run every 3–5 minutes. For more detailed information, visit metromadrid.es.
Light Metro and Trams
Since 2007, the city has had a light metro network (metro ligero). Most of the light metro is above ground. They look like modern low-floor trams.
There are only three lines in Madrid. On the city transport map, they are marked as ML1, ML2, ML3.
Line ML1 operates from 6:00 AM to 1:30 AM, lines ML2, ML3 – from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM. For more information, visit the official website melimadrid.es.
A particularly fast line with a circular route is called the fast tram (Tranvía de Parla S.A.) and is marked as ML4. The Parla tram runs from 4:45 AM to 12:45 AM. For more detailed information, visit viaparla.com.
Buses
Madrid’s bus route network is well-developed. This type of transportation is managed by the EMT company. There are 3 types of buses: day, night, and airport buses.
Night and day buses are not particularly different from each other. They are blue in color. The fare is the same – €1.50.
Day buses run from 6:30 AM to 11:45 PM with intervals of 10–15 minutes.
The rest of the time, 25 night routes are provided. They all start moving from Plaza de la Cibeles (Plaza de la Cibeles). The letter «N» precedes the route number for night routes. The night buses «búhos» run at intervals of 15–60 minutes. Check the schedule at bus stops, or you’ll have to sleep on a bench for an entire hour.
Buses to the Airport
Routes 101 and 200 connect the city center and Barajas Airport. These are the same regular blue buses. A single trip ticket costs €1.50. You don’t need to pay for luggage.
- Route 101 starts from the Intercambiador Canillejas stop and goes to terminals T1, T2, and T3.
- Route 200 runs from Avenida de América and goes through all 4 airport terminals.
Airport Express
Yellow buses also go to the airport – Airport Express (Línea Exprés Aeropuerto). They run 24/7, at intervals of 15 minutes during the day and 35 minutes at night.
The fare is €5. If there are no traffic jams, it takes 30–40 minutes. During the day, the Airport Express bus follows line 203, at night – N27.
For more details on how to get from Barajas Airport to the center of Madrid, see here.
Renfe Trains
For getting around Madrid, it can sometimes be more convenient to use the Renfe suburban trains. The railway network consists of 9 lines. On Madrid’s transport map, they are marked as C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5… Each suburban line has its own schedule, but generally, trains run from 6:00 AM to 11:30 PM.
A one-way ticket for 1-2 zones costs €1.70, for 10 trips – €12.20. The Renfe trains accept Tourist Travel Pass tickets for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days. The Zone A pass is valid only in central Madrid (for example, for 3 days – €22.50). The Zone T Tourist Travel Pass is valid throughout Madrid’s suburban railway network (for 3 days – €34).
Taxi
In the Spanish capital, taxis are painted white and have the city’s emblem and a red diagonal stripe on the front doors. You will find a fare chart on the body of the vehicle. The fare depends on the time of day, and whether it’s a holiday or a workday. Taxi services are paid for in cash, as credit cards are rarely accepted.
You can order an individual transfer to another city or to/from the airport using the KiwiTaxi service.
