Madrid is a lively and cosmopolitan city, full of activities and leisure waiting to be discovered, but how can you do it?
It has an exemplary public transport network; regular, punctual, organised and, most importantly, easy to understand and use.
Let’s take a look at all the options you have in the Spanish capital to get around freely and make the most of a city full of history.
How to get around Madrid
Of course, if you want to go to a city with a wide variety of ways to get around its monuments, there is no other city like Madrid.
Metro to get around Madrid
Madrid has one of the best metro systems in the world, year after year it ranks in the top ten, and it is also the second most accessible metro system in the world. It is something to be very proud of, and in Madrid, they are.
The metro is easy to use, with a clear explanation of where you are at each stop and your options of where to go. The signage is simple and, most importantly, effective.
The Madrid metro has 12 lines, numbered in order. They indicate at each station the last stop on the route, so you know which way you are travelling. With one big exception, the circular lines, lines 6 and 12, are divided into andén 1 and andén 2. (platform 1 or platform 2)
The busiest area, both for locals and tourists, is zone A. The best option for using the metro? The Multi card. With an initial cost of €2.5, it’s the best way to get around the city on both metro and bus. You can get it at all metro stations, where you’ll find machines where you can both buy and recharge the Multi card either in cash or with a card.
And here comes the big question: recharge it with what? What are the options available? Here we go.
- Zone A single ticket: The least recommendable option, as it is not profitable unless you are 100% sure that you will only need to make one specific journey, just one way. It costs €1.50 if you are going to travel up to five stations and the price rises to €2 if you travel ten stations or more.
- 10-trip ticket: More economical, and those ten trips or journeys can be made using the metro zone A, light rail, light rail east, city buses and AEMT intercity buses. This is a highly recommended option for tourists and costs €12.20.
- Airport supplement: As the name suggests, this is the way to get to and from Madrid Barajas airport for €3.
- Tourist ticket: Unlimited travel for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7 days. The price also includes the card and the airport supplement for €8.40.
Wait a minute, why do some people carry a photo of themselves on their transport card? These are cards that are made with an identification document, such as an ID card, and are for those who are residents or spend a lot of time in the city. You need to make an appointment to get it and it has greater discounts.
For greater convenience, don’t forget to download the Google Maps and Citymapper apps to help you with your routes. You can also use the apps Metro Madrid Oficial and Transporte Madrid, where you will find real-time information on routes, incidents, delays or interruptions in the metro service.
The service is constant from six in the morning until almost two in the morning, although we recommend you take a look at the apps or the timetables you’ll find at the different stations to make sure you don’t get stuck halfway through the journey without service.
As a final important note, you should know that you can get on the metro with your pet, as long as you follow the instructions on their website, and with your bicycle. What is not allowed is to take an electric scooter. If you have any doubts, visit their website and the apps we have recommended.
Bus to get around Madrid
Another of Madrid’s great options for getting around is the bus. And we are not just talking about Madrid Central, but the entire bus network that connects the most important points in the capital.
Daytime buses operate with a timetable that starts at 6am and finishes at 11.30pm. Depending on how central and busy the bus stop is, the interval between the arrival of one bus and the next can vary between three minutes and fifteen minutes. On weekends the timetable is reduced from 7am to 11pm.
So what happens at night, is there no service? Of course there is, the night buses, or “búhos” (owls) as they are known, leave from Plaza de Cibeles, with a timetable from 11.55pm until 4am from Sunday to Friday and changing to 11pm to 7am on Saturdays and the eve of public holidays. The fares for your bus trips are as follows.
- Single ticket: It can be bought on the bus itself and costs €1.50.
- 10-trip ticket, valid for both the bus and metro zone A. It costs €12.20 and, as well as at metro stations, you can buy this ticket at newsagents and tobacconists.
- 10-trip bus + EMT bus ticket: €18.30.
- Airport express ticket: Go to the yellow bus that takes you to the airport in about 40 minutes and buy your ticket there for about €5.
- Other options include the annual travel pass, the tourist ticket and the large family travel pass.
In addition, since 2020, there are three lines known as “zero lines”, as they emit zero emissions and have zero cost. The first line is line 001, from Atocha Renfe to Moncloa and vice versa, the second line is 002, which runs from Puerta de Toledo to Argüelles in both directions, and the third runs from Puerta de Toledo to Argüelles and back.
Getting around Madrid on foot
Of course, if the conditions allow it, walking around Madrid is a real luxury. Moving from one point of interest to another will allow you to discover monuments, buildings, cafés, nooks and crannies and stories that you would otherwise miss.
Now, the demarcated area known as “Madrid Central” has made the city centre less busy with cars and more pedestrian streets, making a stroll through the centre a lighter and more pleasant experience.
How else are you going to visit the Prince of Anglona Garden and the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande and, later on, the Rastro? What better way to discover Chueca and Malasaña? Nothing like a stroll through the Salamanca neighbourhood, and come across the Metrópolis building, the National Library, the Puerta de Alcalá and relax in Madrid’s great lung, the Retiro Park.
This and other routes through Chamberí, Lavapiés, Huertas and Argüelles are especially beautiful when done on foot, where you’ll also have time to find out where to stop and have a bite to eat.
Getting around Madrid by bike
Madrid is getting greener and greener, and you should adapt as well as the capital is doing. Getting around Madrid by bike is a great option because it’s easy, economical, sustainable and great fun, but do you need any more reasons?
BiciMad is the municipal service with which Madrid offers to cycle around the capital in a comfortable and simple way. Download the app and explore the 21 districts where there are more than 600 stations and 7500 electric bicycles.
Depending on your needs, you can access different usage options from the app, from an annual pass to sporadic use by an occasional user. You have the best infrastructures, the most advanced means and a spectacular city to discover, are you ready?