The visitor to
Madrid has several options to get from
Barajas Airport to the city centre. These are:
Aerocity,
AresMobile,
Bus (Airport Express),
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 23
euros total for up to 3 passengers, 26 euros for 4 (6.50 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: 23 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 the Exprés Aeropuerto (Airport Express), a 24-hour service which has only 3 stops after the airport: O'Donell, Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha (this last stop only during the daytime hours between 6 am and 11.30pm). The buses run every 15 minutes during the day and every 35 at night, and the journey takes approximately 40 minutes. Tickets cost 5 euros and may be bought on board. There are stops at terminals T1, T2 and T4.
You may download the Airport Express information sheet in PDF format here.
Note: Once in the city, you may purchase a 10-trip
"Metrobus" ticket in newspaper outlets, "estancos" or
tobacconists and Metro stations, which is valid for both the EMT city buses and also
the Metro (although there is a supplementary charge for journeys to/from the
airport - see below). If taking several bus journeys, save money
with the Madrid
Travel Pass.
Advantages: Cheap,
frequent service, running 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Disadvantages: Infrequent stops means that you
have to also take the Metro to your
final destination, making this service a little inconvenient if you have
heavy suitcases.
Cost: 5 euros.
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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 Nuevos Ministerios Metro
station in the centre of Madrid, with a journey time of just 12 minutes.
The price of a single journey to or from the airport is currently 5 euros, which includes a
supplementary airport charge. If you already possess a valid Metro ticket, you can simply purchase the airport
supplementary ticket which is 2 euros cheaper.
Tip:
Consider buying the
Madrid Tourist Travel Pass,
which allows you to travel on any Metro, bus or
suburban train, all included in the price of just 5 euros, making it a great way to save money on public transport.
With this pass, it is not necessary to pay the airport surcharge.
It is
also possible to purchase a 10-trip "Metrobus" ticket, 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 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!
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Taxi
Please click here to book your taxi online
The most convenient option for some, but expensive for others, and often fraght with difficulties due to language problems.
Help is at hand, though, because a local company now offers the possibility of booking your taxi either online, or via your smartphone (iPhone or Android phone - Blackberry and Windows Mobile soon!).
You can book a taxi in advance in your own language and in this way also avoid possible scams or rip-offs.
Please click here to book your taxi online
If you prefer the old-fashioned method of taking a taxi, 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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