Overview
Madrid's public transport is one of the best networks in the world and the third longest metro network in Europe, behind only the Moscow Metro and the London Underground. The system is run as an integrated network by the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (CRTM), which means the Metro, city buses and suburban trains share a unified fare system. For a visitor, this is the practical upshot: you can buy one card, load it with a ticket type, and move between the Metro and city buses without juggling separate operators.
Riding it end to end is straightforward. First, get yourself a rechargeable Multi Card, because paper tickets no longer exist in Madrid. Second, load it with the ticket that matches your trip — a single ticket, a ten-trip ticket, or a tourist pass. Third, tap the card at the barrier on entering the Metro, or at the card reader when boarding a bus. Then ride, and tap out where required. Services generally run daily from about 06:00 to 01:30, with the last train leaving the first station at 01:30; night buses cover the hours after that.
Be aware that Madrid's transport infrastructure can appear complicated and daunting at first, so take extra time to work out where you are going and how to get there. It will not always be as simple as in other European cities, or as simple as your map app suggests.
The network
The Madrid Metro (Spanish: Metro de Madrid) is the rapid transit backbone. It first opened in 1919 and now comprises thirteen "conventional" heavy-rail lines plus three light-rail lines known as Metro Ligero. As of September 2025 the conventional lines have a combined length of 296.6 kilometres (184.3 mi), with the light-rail lines adding a further 27.8 kilometres (17.3 mi). The network is largely managed by Metro de Madrid S.A., owned by the Government of the Community of Madrid, and it carried 715 million passengers in 2024.
One quirk worth knowing: trains on the heavy-rail lines have operated with left-hand running since the system's inception, unlike Spanish road traffic and most railway lines in the country. The light-rail lines run on the right, as much of their route is at street level.
Beyond the Metro, the network you will use as a visitor includes:
- Madrid Cercanías — suburban rail services managed by the national rail operator Renfe, connecting Madrid with destinations such as Toledo, El Escorial and Alcalá de Henares, and running from major stations including Atocha and Chamartín. Named lines include C-1, which links the airport's T4 with Chamartín, and C-3 and C-4, which connect Atocha and Chamartín.
- EMT Madrid buses — a large network of urban bus lines operated by the city-owned EMT Madrid.
- Interurban buses — a collection of lines serving municipalities outside the city boundary, managed by the Community of Madrid but operated by private companies on a concession basis.
- Metro Ligero — the three light-rail lines noted above, connecting peripheral areas of the city.
Madrid has no ferries as part of its urban transit network; it is an inland city, and the source material describes no ferry service.
Tickets & fares
Madrid uses a zone-based fare system. Zone A covers central Madrid and most major attractions, and most visitor trips fall within Zone A. Fares below are approximate and change, so check current prices before you travel.
There are no longer any paper tickets in use in Madrid. If you do not already have one, you will need to purchase a Multi Card, a reloadable, contactless card costing €2.50. It is an anonymous card, so it can be used by multiple people — just pass it back to the next person in your group. It can hold up to three non-personal tickets and supports most ticket types except season and concessionary tickets. The Multi Card does not support local rail travel except the tourist tickets.
Ticket types include:
- Single ticket — a single ticket for Zone A costs €1.50 for a short journey (up to about five stations), rising to about €2.00 if you travel more than ten stations. There are no transfers between metro and bus on a single ticket; changing modes requires a separate ticket. Single tickets can be bought from metro ticket vending machines or directly from the bus driver on entry.
- Metrobús ten-trip ticket (10 viajes) — a ten-journey ticket for Zone A, priced around €12.20 in one source and €10.90 in another, so treat the exact figure as approximate. Sources disagree on whether it allows transfers between metro and city buses without a separate ticket, so check the current rules before relying on a transfer. These tickets can be shared with other travellers.
- Tourist Travel Pass — unlimited travel over a fixed number of days: 1 day €10.00; 2 days €17.00; 3 days €22.50; 4 days €27.00; 5 days €32.50; 7 days €42.00. It allows unlimited transfers between metro and city buses during its validity, but it is not valid on the Airport Express Bus.
Children under the age of 4 may travel without a ticket, and children under 11 receive a 50% discount.
You can buy tickets at metro station vending machines, airport stations, newsstands, tobacconists and other authorized sales points. Top-ups are possible at all of these except tobacco shops. Validate at the metro entry gates and when boarding buses: the Metro uses barriers, while buses have card readers inside the vehicle.
From the airport
All commercial flights into Madrid use Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas International Airport (MAD), about 13 km (8 miles) north-east of the city centre. There are two terminal complexes, widely separated: Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and Terminals T4 and T4S. To transfer between them land-side, use the free shuttle bus, which runs 24 hours, every 5 minutes in the daytime, and takes about 10 minutes between T1 and T4. Between T4 and T4S, use the automated train.
Public-transport options into the centre:
- Metro Line 8 — runs from Nuevos Ministerios to Terminals 1, 2 and 3, then Barajas town (no airport there, so don't get off) and T4. It runs from 06:00 to 01:30, taking about 15 minutes from the city to T123 and another 5 minutes to T4. The single fare is around €4.50–€5.00, including a €3.00 airport supplement. Trains run every 4–8 minutes, and the journey to Nuevos Ministerios takes about 15–20 minutes; you will usually need to transfer to another metro line or bus to reach your final destination. If you exit the metro station to switch to a bus on a single-ride ticket, you need a separate ticket.
- Cercanías C-1 — the Renfe regional train runs between T4 and Chamartín without needing to pay the metro airport supplement. You can change trains at Chamartín for Atocha and other destinations. Tickets are issued on a "+ renfe & tú" reusable card, though it is easier to use a contactless bank card at the barrier; when you present the bank card at the barrier on exit, the correct fare is charged. You can transfer between T4 and the other terminals on the free inter-terminal bus.
- Exprés Aeropuerto bus 203 — runs from Atocha (and Cibeles) to T1, T2 and T4, 06:00–23:30 every 15–20 minutes, taking about 30 minutes. The fare is about €5.00.
- Bus 200 — runs from the Avenida de América transport hub to T1, T2 and T4 (T3 only city-bound, not outbound), 05:00–23:30 every 10–20 minutes.
- Night bus N27 — runs every 35 minutes from Cibeles to T1, T2 and T4, and is the only public transport option overnight.
If you prefer a taxi, there is a fixed fare of €33 for trips between the airport and central Madrid, defined as any point inside the M-30 expressway.
Etiquette & customs
Madrid's system is busy and largely self-policing, so a few habits will keep you moving smoothly with everyone else.
- Queuing — board in the order you arrived, and let passengers off before you get on. On buses, have your card ready before you reach the reader rather than blocking the doorway while you search for it.
- Escalators — stand on the right and walk on the left, the standard European convention. With 1,709 escalators and 571 lifts across the network as of September 2025, you will use them constantly.
- Priority seating — seats marked for the elderly, pregnant travellers and passengers with reduced mobility are respected; give them up without being asked.
- Eating and drinking — keep food and drink off the trains and platforms; it is not the done thing and can attract a fine.
- Rush hour — expect crowded carriages at peak times. Move down the platform and into the centre of the carriage, keep backpacks off your back, and let the flow of people carry you rather than pushing against it.
- Quiet — keep phone calls and music to yourself; headphones are the norm.
Official links
Survival terms
- Metro (Metro) — subway/metro
- Billete (bee-YEH-teh) — ticket
- Línea (LEE-neh-ah) — line
- Entrada (en-TRAH-dah) — entrance
- Salida (sah-LEE-dah) — exit
- Transbordo (trans-BOR-doh) — transfer
- Billete sencillo (bee-YEH-teh sen-SEE-yoh) — single fare
- Abono de un día (ah-BOH-noh deh oon DEE-ah) — day pass
Load your Multi Card before you reach the barrier, because there are no paper tickets left to fall back on and the machines are busiest exactly when you are in a hurry.