Getting to Madrid
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas receives all international flights arriving in Madrid. It is located just 12 kilometres northeast of the capital, allowing passengers to save considerable time and money travelling to and from the airport.
Barajas now has four terminals in operation.
Click here for further information.
Where to Check-in
To offer passengers a more efficient service, Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport has redistributed the airlines in each terminal. Please select your airline on the following list to find where to check in.
Getting to the Airport
Line 8 (Nuevos Ministerios-Aeropuerto T4) links the capital to Barajas International Airport. It takes less than 20 minutes to reach terminal T4 and just 12 minutes to reach the other terminals.
Bus:
- Airport Express Shuttle: 24-hour service from Atocha (between 6 am and 11.30 pm) and Cibeles, stopping at O’Donnell (intersection with Doctor Esquerdo), T1, T2 and T4.
- Line 101 from Canillejas (T1, T2, T3).
- Line 200 from Avda. de América (T1, T2, T4).
- Interurban Line 822 San Fernando-Airport (T1, T2, T3).
- Interurban Line 824 Alcalá de Henares-Aeropuerto (T1, T2, T3).
- Interurban Line 827 Tres Cantos-Metro de Canillejas (T4).
- Interurban Line 828 Universidad Autónoma – Recintos Feriales (T4).
- Shuttle Bus: Free service linking the four terminals. Running every 5 minutes from 6.30 am to 11.30 pm, every 20 minutes from 11.30 pm to 1.50 am and every 40 minutes from 1.50 am to 6.30 am.
Taxi:
To take a taxi you must wait at a taxi rank. There is a fixed rate of €33 for services between the airport and the city centre (within the Calle 30 ring road). Note that taxis take preference over vehicles for hire and private cars.
The suburban train network runs between Chamartín-Clara Campoamor station and Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport Terminal 4, on the new C-1 line. Trains depart every twenty minutes and you can check ticket prices here. AVE ticket holders can travel from the train station to the airport free of charge.
Madrid is the main geographical hub for rail travel in Spain. Thanks to its central location, Madrid is the hub for most of the railway services that connect the peninsula. The two main stations are Atocha and Madrid – Chamartín – Clara Campoamor, with Mid-Distance, Long Distance, High Speed and Regional trains. Renfe, a public entity that reports to the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, is the main railway operator in Spain, although the rail network has been deregulated in recent years and several private companies (OUIGO and IRYO) also offer services.
High-speed and long-distance services
Spain boasts an advanced high-speed network, amounting to almost 4,000 km, linking forty cities by AVE train, which travels at an average speed of 222 km/h (a further 18 cities are connected with Alvia trains -which combine high-speed sections with other slower sections-)
The main high-speed rail services traveling to or from Madrid are:
- Madrid – Zaragoza – Lleida – Tarragona – Barcelona – Girona – Figueras // Around 1 hour and 20 minutes to Zaragoza, 2 hours and 10 minutes to Lleida, 2 hours 40 minutes to Tarragona and around 3 hours to Barcelona.
- Madrid – Cuenca – Albacete – Villena – Alicante // Alicante in 2h20min
- Madrid – Cuenca – Requena – Valencia // Around 50 minutes to Cuenca, 1 hour and 15 minutes to Requena and 1 hour and 35 minutes to Valencia.
- Madrid – Cordoba – Antequera – Granada // Around 3 hours and 20 minutes to Granada
- Madrid – Cordoba – Antequera – Málaga // Around 1 hour and 50 minutes to Córdoba and 2 hours and 30 minutes to Málaga.
- Madrid – Ciudad Real – Cordoba – Seville // Around 1 hour to Ciudad Real, 2 hours to Córdoba and 2 hours and 40 minutes to Seville.
- Madrid – Segovia – Valladolid – Palencia – Leon // Around 26 minutes to Segovia, 1 hour to Valladolid, 1 hour 20 minutes to Palencia and 2 hours to Leon
- Madrid – Zamora – Ourense // Around 2 hours and 15 minutes to Ourense
Map of Ave and Long Distance Lines
Mid-Distance services enable passengers to reach the city from anywhere in Spain. Regional lines connect different provinces within the same autonomous community, as well as adjacent ones.
Lines departing from or arriving in Madrid are:
- Madrid – Ciudad Real – Puertollano
- Madrid – Toledo
- Madrid – Segovia – Valladolid
- Madrid – Cuenca
- Madrid – Avila
- Madrid – Segovia
- Madrid – Soria
- Madrid – Zaragoza
- Madrid – Salamanca
- Madrid – Valladolid – Leon
- Madrid – Cuenca – Valencia
- Madrid – Alcazar – Albacete – Valencia
- Madrid – Ciudad Real – Jaen
- Madrid – Ciudad Real – Badajoz
- Madrid – Caceres – Badajoz
Leading private Spanish operator made up of Trenitalia, Air Nostrum, and Globalvía, which operates on the 5 main high-speed corridors with 70 daily connections, whereby it is the second Spanish high-speed operator. Iryo high-speed trains run the following services:
- Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona
- Madrid-Cuenca-Valencia
- Madrid-Cuenca-Albacete-Alicante
- Madrid-Cordoba-Seville
- Madrid-Cordoba-Málaga
- Renfe low-cost train that enables passengers to travel at the best price with all of the convenience. More than 400 places with reclining seats, sockets in each seat, a reading light, spaces for luggage, and toilets for people with reduced mobility. It runs high-speed services between Barcelona, Calatayud, Camp de Tarragona, Figueres, Girona, Guadalajara, Lleida, Madrid and Zaragoza from € 7.
Low cost high speed trains to Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Valencia, Tarragona, Alicante, Albacete, Valladolid, Segovia and Cuenca on rapid and pleasant journeys.
International destinations
Madrid (Puerta de Atocha) – Marseilles (San Carlos): a high-speed AVE train by Renfe, departing every day on a 7-hour journey that stops at other French cities: Perpignan, Narbonne, Béziers, Montpellier, Nîmes, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence.
Méndez Álvaro coach station has the highest flow of traffic in the capital. It is busy at any time of the day. Together with Avenida de América coach station, they are the first reference for many travellers on setting foot in Madrid.
Méndez Álvaro, 83. Metro and Suburban Train: Méndez Álvaro (L6). Phone: (+34) 91 468 42 00.
MAIN COMPANIES:
- Alsa. (+34) 902 42 22 42. Its network of coaches covers most of Spain. They also travel to several cities in Morocco and some European countries (Germany, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Slovakia, France, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldavia, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Switzerland and Ukraine).
- Socibus. (+34) 902 22 92 92. Running to and from Seville, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva and Jerez de la Frontera.
- Avanza Bus. (+34) 902 02 09 99 Services linking Madrid to Badajoz, Benavente, Caceres, Castellon, Cuenca, Merida, Orense, Pontevedra, Salamanca, Valencia, Vigo, Zamora and Lisbon (Portugal).
FlixBus. (+34) 900 99 87 19. This is the largest network of bus routes in Europe, linking Madrid to the major cities around Spain and 35 European countries.
Avenida de América Coach Station
Avenida de América, 9. Metro: Avenida de América (L4, L6, L7, L9).
- Numerous inter-urban bus lines link Madrid with surrounding towns.
- Alsa. (+34) 902 42 22 42. Various coaches depart from this station to twelve Spanish cities, including Barcelona, Huesca, Lerida, Tarragona and Zaragoza.
Inter-urban Coach Lines
Various inter-urban coaches depart from Aluche, Conde de Casal, Legazpi, Moncloa, Plaza de Castilla, Plaza Elíptica, Príncipe Pío and Ronda de Atocha to link the city of Madrid with surrounding towns in the region and Central Spain. For example, Alsa runs the Madrid-Toledo service from Plaza Elíptica and La Sepulvedana runs the Madrid-Segovia service from the Moncloa interchange.
Madrid is the centre of Spain’s road network. Kilometre O is located at the Puerta del Sol, alongside the Real Casa de Correos, from which point all roads start and connect Madrid with the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. A dense road network runs through the city, of which the six national motorways can be highlighted. See the article Madrid 360 / Low Emission Areas to find out which streets make up the low emission areas in the centre of Madrid and the regulations related to private vehicles in this area.
A-1. Madrid-Irún. Motorway of the North
It leads to the Plaza de Castilla, where the two famous towers forming the gateway to Europe are found. If you wish to visit the Northern Sierra of Madrid, you must take this motorway.
A-2. Madrid-Barcelona. Motorway of Aragon
It passes through the Henares corridor and connects Madrid with Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.
A-3. Madrid-Valencia. Motorway of Valencia
It is also the road to Albacete, Alicante and Murcia.
A-4. Madrid-Seville. Motorway of Andalusia
This motorway links the capital to the South of Spain and connects with other roads leading to Malaga, Cadiz and Almeria.
A-5. Madrid-Badajoz. Motorway of Extremadura
This motorway goes all the way to the Portuguese border and is an alternative route to the west of Andalusia.
A-6. Madrid-A Coruña. Motorway of A Coruña
After passing through the municipality of Villalba, it becomes the AP-6 toll motorway, which leads to the town of Adanero in Avila. It has a reversible lane on the stretch close to the city, which changes depending on the amount of traffic.
Getting to Complutense University of Madrid - Faculty of Education
The best way to reach the Faculty of Education at the Complutense University of Madrid by public transport depends on your starting point, but the most convenient options are Metro and Bus.
The Faculty of Education is located on the Moncloa Campus, in the northeast sector, between Rector Royo Villanova Street and Avenida de las Moreras. The faculty can be accessed from both streets, although the main entrance is at:
- Vicente Aleixandre (Line 6) – This is the closest metro station. Use the Juan XXIII exit and walk about 5 minutes to the faculty.
- Francos Rodríguez (Line 7) – Also nearby, with an exit to Pablo Iglesias via the elevator. It’s about a 10-minute walk.
Several EMT Madrid buses stop near the faculty:
- Circular (C1, C2) – A convenient option for reaching the university area.
- Line 45 – Connects the city center (Atocha) with the Moncloa Campus.
- Line 132 – Runs between Moncloa and Hospital de La Paz, stopping near the faculty.
If you’re coming from Madrid Barajas Airport, you can take Metro Line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios, then transfer to Line 6 (circular) toward Vicente Aleixandre.
Tourist Travel Pass
The Tourist Ticket (also known as the Tourist Travel Pass) can be used on all types of public transport in the Region of Madrid. Allowing you to take unlimited trips within your chosen timeframe, it is a practical and inexpensive way to get around Madrid.
Passes are valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 days and for two zones (A and T).
Are you going to stay in the city centre and do you plan to get around there? Then Zone A is the right option for you since it covers these services:
- Use of the Metro in zone A (City of Madrid) – including the 3€ airport supplement,
- All blue EMT city buses (except the yellow Airport Express shuttle),
- Renfe Cercanías commuter trains covering zones 0 and A,
- Metro Ligero light rail train ML1.
Are you going to be in Madrid for several days and are also planning to visit the surrounding area? Then Zone T is the right option for you, since it covers:
- The entire Metro network.
- All blue city buses (except the Airport Express shuttle) and the green intercity buses in the Region of Madrid, including services to Guadalajara and Toledo. This pass encompasses all 8 zones, from A to E2 (6 zones in the Region of Madrid and 2 in Castilla La Mancha).
- All Renfe Cercanías commuter trains (zones 0, A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2).
- Metro Ligero light rail trains ML1, ML2 and ML3, and the ML4 Parla tramway.
Zone T is the recommended option if you’re planning on making day trips to places like El Escorial, Aranjuez, or Alcalá de Henares.
IMPORTANT: It cannot be used on high-speed trains (including the AVE to Guadalajara and the Avant to Toledo) or Renfe Operadora regional trains. It is also not valid on Tourist Trains.
All Tourist Travel Passes are pre-loaded onto the Tarjeta Multi, a contactless, transferable smartcard that is valid for 10 years and which is free when you purchase the 1,2, 3, 5, or 7-day Tourist Travel Pass. Once the Tourist Travel Pass expires, you can top up the smartcard with pay-per-ride tickets.
You can purchase the pass at:
- At all Metro stations (including at the entrance to the Airport T1-T2-T3 and Airport T4 stations), it can be purchased at the machines marked with a red MULTI Card Available HERE sticker (on clicking on Purchase Card, three ticket options are shown, in the following order: 1 journey, 10 journeys and Airport, and on clicking on the Other Options arrow, two more options are shown: From 1 to 7 days (tourist) and 30-day pass). Credit card payments are authorised
- The entrance to the Cercanías (commuter train) Aeropuerto T4 station
- The main office of the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium: Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás, 3.
- Estancos (tobacco shops) and other authorized retailers.
- All Metro Ligero (ML1, ML2, ML3 and ML4) stations.
Where to top up your travel card:
- Automated ticket machines found in all Cercanías train stations
- Automated ticket machines found in Metro de Madrid Stations and ML1 stations
- Automated ticket machines found in the city’s light railway (Metro Ligero) Stations (ML2 and ML3)
- Information points at Transport Hubs: 10-trip bus passes (bonobús) for urban and intercity services and tourist travel cards
- Estanco kiosks and other authorised retailers: 10-trip travel cards (Metrobús and intercity bonobús ) and tourist travel cards
- Travel Card App
If you do not wish to acquire a Tourist Travel Pass, you can buy the Tarjeta Multi (2.5€) and simply top it up with pay-per-ride tickets.
Download the Madrid Metro map and hop onto one of the most modern underground transport networks in the world (PDF, 2.4MB).
Download the Tourist Metro Map to find out where the city’s top sights and attractions are located (PDF, 1.6MB).
Find out which bus lines you should take to get around the city with this online interactive map.
- Citymapper: App Store / Google Play
- Moovit: App Store / Google Play
- Chipi: App Store / Google Play
- Madrid Metro Bus Cercanías: App Store / Google Play
- Travel Card: App Store / Google Play