On first impression it seems that it would be possible to move within Madrid, it being so big... Here you'll find all the necessary information in order to get from A to B without getting lost in the city so that you can enjoy your stay to the maximum!
You are heading to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport soon and question on how to get to the city center of Madrid. To save your time and effort, we have a list here possibilities to get to Madrid city center.
Taxi
The easiest way to get to the city center is with a taxi. There are non-stop taxis outdoor, near the arrival hall in each terminal T1, T2, T3, T4. It takes usually 20 to 25 minutes to the city center of Madrid, which costs you 20€ to 30€ (included airport supplement). From the airport to any destination in the city center (within M-30, the Madrid inner ring), the flat fare is 30€ without any additional charge.
Take the official taxis with a red and white diagonal signal and ensure that the meter is on. We do not recommend to take some unofficial taxis offer inside the airport since they may be illegal drivers and you are likely to be kicked off on the way.
Bus
Shuttle Bus: Provide connects among four terminals. The bus runs every 5 minutes from 6.30 to 11.30 and every 20 to 40 minutes from 11.30 to 6.30 am.
Urban and Interurban Bus: Line 101, 200, 822, 824, 827, 828. Bus lines are available depends on your arrival terminal T1, T2, T3 or T4.
Airport Express Bus: A bright yellow bus with bold and italic Airport Express written, with a cost of 5 euros, purchased on the bus. The bus runs every 15 minutes during the day and every 35 minutes at night. The total journey takes about 40 minutes, with three stops at O'Donnell & Doctor Esquerdo, Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha Station (only between 06:00 and 23:30). The service is available on T1, T2 and T4.
Metro
For passengers with not so many luggage, you can take metro Line 8 (Nuevos Ministerios-Airport T4) to the city center with about twenty minutes. From there, you can change to metro Line 6 or Line 10. Metro has a frequency of 5 minutes during the day and 10 to 15 minutes during the night.
The price for a single journey from the airport is 4.5€ (a special fare). If you plan to get around city center later, it is better to purchase a Madrid Travel Pass for 1, 2, 3,5 or 7 day(s) to avoid the supplement fare from the airport of 4.5€
Train
If you arrive at Barajas Airport Terminal 4, you can take the local train C-1, which runs every 30 minutes. This Renfe train has several stops during the journey, including Chamartín, Nuevos Ministerios, Atocha, Méndez Álvaro, Príncipe Pío station and few more. This train is not recommended if you arrive Madrid in T1 or T2 since you need to take a shuttle bus from there to get to T4.
The single train ticket costs 2.6€ and passengers with long-distance train ticket and AVE ticket can use service for free of charge.
Car rental
Car rental service offices are located in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Car rental is highly recommended if you are planning a day trip somewhere as car parking is quite challenging in the city center of Madrid.
Pick up service
Another option to get to the city center or even your hotel/apartment is pick up service with Welcome Pickups. The advantage of pick up service is you could reserve the service online, get an instant price quote and avoid language barrier. The service has a similar price with regular taxi, 24/7 customer support and English-speaking drivers. For more detail, visit the website here.
