Transportation to and from Madrid Barajas Airport

What is the distance from Madrid Barajas Airport to the centre of Madrid?

The extensive road network around the airport ensures that Madrid Barajas Airport is easily accessible by car from all directions. The distance between the airport and centre of Madrid (Plaza Puerta del Sol) is not long, by car it takes 25 minutes to cover the distance of 17 kilometres / 10.6 miles.

Metro to Puerta del Sol in Madrid

Madrid has an excellent metro system and subways run frequently. The airport has two metro stations, namely Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4. Metro line 8 (pink) connects these stations with all parts of the Spanish capital, every day of the week from 06:00 hours to 01:30 hours. If you want to go to the centre of Madrid (Puerta del Sol square) you’ll have to change twice, at Nuevos Ministerios and subsequently at Tribunal or Plaza de España. Approximately every 5 minutes a metro departs from the airport. The total journey time to metro station Sol is around 35 minutes.

Metro tickets
For a ticket, you will pay € 5.00 including € 3.00 airport surcharge, normally a single journey on the metro costs € 1.50 to € 2.00. The price is € 1.50 for up to five stations, then € 0.10 per additional station with a maximum of € 2.00. The airport surcharge is mandatory when travelling to or from Madrid Barajas Airport. If you plan to stay a bit longer in Madrid, you can also opt for a 10-trip ticket which costs € 12.20. This card is not personal, so you can use it with multiple people. You do pay € 3.00 extra per person if you travel to or from the airport. Please consult timetable metro line 8 and website Metro de Madrid for more information.

Top 5 sights in Madrid

1. Parque del Buen Retiro, Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol
2. Royal Palace of Madrid
3. Museums: Prado, Reina Sofía (free Mon / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat 7 pm – 9 pm and Sun 1:30 pm – 7 pm), Thyssen-Bornemisza
4. Football: Bernabéu stadium tour (Real Madrid) and Wanda Metropolitano stadium tour (Atletico Madrid)
5. Day trip to Toledo and Segovia from Madrid

Train to Chamartín, Puerta del Sol and Atocha in Madrid

From Terminal 4, it is also possible to travel by train (Renfe Cercanías) to the centre of Madrid, daily from 06:00 hours to 00:15 hours. The suburban train lines C-1 and C-10 depart every 30 minutes in the direction of the city, so you have a travel option every 15 minutes. In order to get to Puerta del Sol, you need to transfer at Chamartín or Nuevos Ministerios to line C-3 or line C-4. Chamartín is the second largest train station in Madrid, located in the north of the city.

Travel time from Madrid Barajas Airport to Puerta del Sol train station is around 30 minutes, including one change. The terminus of line C-1 is Príncipe Pío, line C-10 runs to Villalba. Both trains also stop at central station Atocha. The price for a train ticket is € 2.60 (4 zones). Please consult website Renfe Cercanías Madrid for more information.

Bus Airport Express to Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha in Madrid

The bus Airport Express is a good alternative, especially for those arriving or departing from Terminal 1. From Madrid Airport T1 (Ryanair, easyJet) it is a 10-minute walk to metro station Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3. During the day, the bus departs every 15 to 20 minutes to Atocha central station, from 23:30 hours to 06:00 hours Airport Express runs every 35 minutes. The stops of the bus service are Terminal 4, Terminal 2, Terminal 1, O’Donnell, Cibeles and Atocha (only between 06:00 hours and 23:30 hours).

To get to the centre of Madrid, you should get off at bus stop Cibeles, at Plaza de Cibeles. The journey to this stop takes 30 minutes, from Terminal 4 travel time is a bit longer. There is plenty of room for luggage in the bus, moreover you will have free internet thanks to WiFi. The price is € 5.00 for a single journey and € 10.00 for a return trip. Please consult website and timetable Airport Express for more information.

TIP: Many well-known museums, sights and attractions require online reservations. If you plan to visit the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real) and Museo del Prado during your stay, the convenient Madrid Digital Pass (including Hop-On Hop-Off bus tickets) is highly recommended!

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