The visitor to
Madrid has several options to get from Barajas Airport to the city centre. These are:
Aerocity,
AresMobile,
Bus,
Car Rental,
Metro, and
Taxi
Aerocity
AeroCity is a specialised taxi service which can be reserved in advance from our
website. They will pick you up at the airport in a comfortable, air-conditioned, 7-seater
van and take you to whichever destination you specify, guaranteeing a maximum of 3 stops
on the way. Their drivers will sometimes speak English and prices currently stand at 21
euros total for up to 3 passengers, 24 euros for 4 (6 euros per person!) and only slightly more for more people.
Click here
for more information and reservations.
Advantages: Excellent price for door
to door service. Cheaper than a normal taxi. GoMadrid strongly recommends this option.
Disadvantages: you may have to share
your "taxi" with others.
Cost: 21 euros for 1, 2
or 3 persons.
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AresMobile
AresMobile is a
chauffeur-driven meet and greet service which can be reserved in advance from our website.
You will be met at the airport in the arrival hall by your chauffeur who will speak
English (or other languages if specified) and whisked away to your final destination.
Personalised chauffeur-driven tours and excursions with hourly rates can also be arranged.
Prices start at 65 euros.
Click
here for more
information and reservations.
Advantages:
Fully personalised luxury service.
Disadvantages:
For the fortunate few - may be out of your budget
Cost:
From 65 euros
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Bus
The old 89 bus route to Plaza Colón has been discontinued and replaced by a
regular bus service, the number 200, which leaves from Terminal 2 and passes
by Terminal 1, before heading for the Avenida de America interchange which
is the last stop. Here you will have to take the Metro. The bus leaves
Terminal 2 approximately every 10 minutes from 6:00am - 11.30pm (15-20 mins
on weekends and holidays, 7:00am - 11:30pm). You may purchase a 10-trip
"Metrobus" ticket in newspaper outlets, "estancos" or
tobacconists and
Metro stations. It costs 6.70 euros which is also valid for the Metro (although there is a
supplementary charge for journeys to/from the airport - see below).
Otherwise, a 1-way trip will cost 1 euro - you can buy this ticket on board
the bus.
Advantages: Cheap,
frequent service.
Disadvantages: You
will almost certainly have to take the Metro at Avenida de América to your
final destination, making this service a little inconvenient if you have
heavy suitcases.
Cost: 1 euro 1-way or
6.70 euros for a 10-trip ticket.
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Car
Rental
All the major car rental companies are available in Barajas airport.
Hertz,
Europcar, Avis, etc. all have offices between arrival halls 1 and 2 in Terminal 1.
However,
it is often cheaper to reserve your car rental before you arrive.
Click
here
for cheap car hire in any location in Spain. For Portugal, we can recommend
this
Cheap Car Rental site.
Advantages:
Flexibility. Good for daytrips out of the city.
Disadvantages:
You may not be used to driving in Spain. The traffic in Madrid can be bad at almost any
time of day or night.
Cost:
Variable
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Metro
Madrid's Barajas Airport has Metro stations in Terminal T2 and the newer Terminal T4.
Trains leave every 5 minutes
from 6.00am to 2.00am. Line 8 goes straight to the newly reformed Nuevos Ministerios Metro
station in the centre of Madrid, with a journey time of just 12 minutes.
On your return it is even possible to check-in at this Metro station for some
flights between the hours of 6.30am and 10.30pm. Please check with the airline first,
because not all flights are available (e.g. there is no check-in for the Madrid-Barcelona
shuttle flight, and many foreign airlines have no presence here yet). You can check in
your luggage up to 24 hours (20 hours for some companies) maximum and 2 hours minimum
before the flight but again, please check with the relevant airline because certain goods
have to be checked in at the airport itself (live animals, dangerous goods, etc.).
The price of a single journey to or from the airport is currently 2 euros, which includes a 1 euro
supplementary airport charge. If you already possess a valid Metro ticket, you can simply purchase the airport
supplementary ticket for 1 euro.
Tip:
Consider buying a 10-trip "Metrobus" ticket at 6.70 euros, valid for both the Metro and city buses,
since you will undoubtedly be using the Metro again during your stay. This
may be purchased at newspaper outlets, "estancos" or tobacconists and Metro stations. Note that you will still
need to purchase the 1 euro supplementary ticket for any journey to/from the airport.
See our Madrid Maps section
to download a plan of the Madrid Metro
or visit the Madrid Metro
website.
Advantages: Cheap, frequent service
to virtually any part of town.
Disadvantages: You will most likely
need to transfer a couple of times to get to your final destination. Consider this when
lugging about large suitcases!
Cost: 2 euro one-way (to/from the airport, 1 euro elsewhere).
6.70 euros for 10 journeys (plus 1 euro supplement to/from airport)
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Taxi
The most convenient option for some, but expensive for others. Walk outside the airport
terminal to the taxi ranks. Do not accept offers from drivers inside the
terminal, since these are often illegal drivers and you will almost certainly get ripped
off. Depending on traffic conditions, expect to pay up to 25 euros to any central
location. There are many, at times confusing, supplements to the basic fare. These
include: 1.85 euros obligatory initial fare, 5 euros surcharge to/from airport, 2.50 euros
surcharge to/from bus or train stations and 2.50 euros to/from the
Ifema trade fairs, and all these supplements are further increased at weekends
or holidays. There
is now no charge for suitcases, rucksacks or pets. Always ask for a receipt at the end of
your journey in case the fare comes into dispute.
Advantages: Convenient,
door-to-door service. Cheaper than many European taxis.
Disadvantages: Bus and Metro are cheaper for shoestring budgets. Open to
abuse from rip-off merchants. We would recommend the
Aerocity service which is
cheaper.
Cost: 20-25 euros to most central destinations.
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