How to Get to Madrid

Short answer: from Terminal 4, the Cercanías C1 train is the simplest ride into the centre. From Terminals 1 to 3, take Metro line 8. If you arrive late at night or with heavy bags, a taxi is fixed-price to anywhere inside the M-30 ring road.

From Barajas airport

• Metro line 8 stops at Terminal 4 and at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and runs to Nuevos Ministerios, where you change for the rest of the network. It's quick, but the change can be long with luggage. Airport stations charge a supplement.
• Cercanías C1 leaves from Terminal 4 only and runs through Chamartín, Nuevos Ministerios, Recoletos and Atocha to Príncipe Pío. It suits hotels near the Paseo del Prado or Atocha. If you land at another terminal, a free shuttle bus links them.
• The Exprés Aeropuerto bus, bright yellow, runs day and night from all terminals. By day it goes to Atocha, at night only to Cibeles.
• Taxis charge a flat fare to the area inside the M-30, which covers the whole centre. Use the official rank, not people offering rides in the arrivals hall.

By train

Spain's high-speed network centres on Madrid, and three companies (Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo) compete on the main routes, so compare before you book. Most trains to and from Barcelona, Seville and Málaga use Puerta de Atocha, a short walk from the Prado and the Reina Sofía. Trains to the north, including Segovia, Valladolid and Galicia, use Chamartín, in the north of the city, and so do most trains to Valencia and Alicante. Check the station on your ticket. Both are on the Cercanías lines, so it takes one train to get between them. Our day trips guide covers the fast trains to Toledo and Segovia.

By car

We wouldn't. The historic centre is a low-emission zone with strict rules on access and parking, cameras enforce it, and hotel parking is scarce. If you're driving around Spain, pick up the car on the day you leave Madrid.

Getting around

The Metro reaches almost everywhere you'll want to go, and walking covers the rest: Sol to the Plaza Mayor or the Prado is quicker on foot than underground. City buses are useful for a few routes, such as up the Paseo de la Castellana. You can pay at Metro turnstiles with a contactless bank card or phone, and our travel guide covers passes and ten-journey tickets.