Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD) has four public links into the city: a 24-hour express bus, metro line 8, the Cercanías train from Terminal 4 and taxis with a fixed fare. Which one suits you depends mostly on the terminal you land at.
Short answer: landing at Terminal 4, take the Cercanías C1 train to Atocha: 25 minutes for €2.60. From any terminal, the Exprés Aeropuerto bus runs 24 hours to Atocha (Cibeles at night) for €5.00. Metro line 8 reaches Nuevos Ministerios in 13–18 minutes for €1.50–€2.00 plus a €3.00 airport supplement. Official taxis charge a fixed €33.00 to anywhere inside the M-30. By car it is 26 km, about 27 minutes without traffic. Our private transfer costs €55 per car (1–3 passengers) and €70 per van (4–8).
| Option | Travel time | Price | Changes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cercanías C1 train (Terminal 4 only) to Atocha | 25 min (18 min to Nuevos Ministerios) | €2.60 | 0 | Arrivals at T4, hotels near Atocha |
| Exprés Aeropuerto bus to Atocha / Cibeles | about 30–40 min | €5.00 | 0 | Any terminal, any hour, Paseo del Prado area |
| Metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios | 13–18 min, plus your onward metro line | €1.50–€2.00 + €3.00 supplement | 1 | Hotels on the metro network |
| Official taxi (fixed fare) | about 27 min without traffic | €33.00 inside the M-30 | 0 | Door to door at a known price |
| ShuttleHero private transfer | about 27 min (longer at rush hour) | €55 per car (1–3), €70 per van (4–8) | 0 | Families, groups, luggage, late flights |
The EMT Exprés Aeropuerto (line 203) is the only public link that runs all night. It stops at Terminals 4, 2 and 1 and goes to Atocha station between 06:00 and 23:30. From midnight to 05:40 its city terminus is Plaza de Cibeles instead. Buses leave every 15–20 minutes in the day and every 35 minutes at night. Madrid's tourist office puts the ride from Atocha to T1 at about 30 minutes, with roughly 5 more minutes each for T2 and T4.
The fare is a flat €5.00. You can pay the driver by contactless bank card or phone, or in cash; drivers give change for notes up to €20. Ticket machines at the T1, T2 and T4 stops sell the same ticket.
Metro line 8 has two airport stations: Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 (in Terminal 2, level 1) and Aeropuerto T4 (level -1). Trains reach Nuevos Ministerios in 13 and 18 minutes, where you change to lines 6 or 10 or to Cercanías trains for the centre. Aena lists the line as open from 06:05 to 02:00, with the last trains leaving each end at 01:33.
A single metro ticket costs €1.50 to €2.00 depending on the number of stops, plus the €3.00 airport supplement. The combined metro and Cercanías single costs €3.00 plus the same supplement. Tickets are loaded onto a contactless Multi card (€2.50) from the machines in the station. Holders of a monthly transport pass or the tourist travel pass do not pay the supplement.
The Cercanías C1 stops only at Terminal 4 (level -1). Renfe gives 11 minutes to Chamartín, 18 to Nuevos Ministerios, 25 to Atocha and 38 to Príncipe Pío. A single ticket costs €2.60, with no airport supplement. Travellers holding a long-distance AVE ticket that connects with a flight ride free. If you land at T1, T2 or T3, a free airport shuttle bus links the terminals with T4.
Official Madrid taxis are white with a red stripe and the city crest on the doors. They wait at signed ranks outside arrivals at T1, T2 and T4. A ride between the airport and any address inside the M-30 ring road, which covers the whole historic centre, has a fixed fare of €33.00 at all hours, with no supplements added. Trips to addresses outside the M-30 are metered.
By road the centre is 26 km away, about 27 minutes without traffic, along the M-11 and the M-30. Morning and evening peaks slow the M-30 and the Castellana. Parts of the old centre are pedestrian, so a car stops at the nearest permitted street.
A private transfer Madrid Airport → city centre costs €55 per car for 1–3 passengers and €70 per van for 4–8 passengers. The price is per vehicle, fixed and paid by card when you book, with luggage included. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup, and a child seat costs +€10. Book at least 3 hours before pickup.
Madrid Airport → city centre
Car, 1–3 passengers: €55 · Van, 4–8 passengers: €70
Madrid-Barajas has Terminals 1, 2 and 3 in one complex and Terminal 4 (with its satellite T4S) in a separate building. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall of the terminal your flight lands at, after baggage reclaim and the customs exit, holding a sign with your name. We track your flight and you get 60 minutes of free waiting after landing.
Landing at T4 with light bags: the Cercanías train is the cheapest way in, at €2.60. Staying near Atocha, the Prado or Retiro: the Exprés Aeropuerto bus, which also runs through the night. Staying near a metro line: metro line 8, as long as you budget for the €3.00 supplement. One or two people going door to door inside the M-30 will find the €33.00 taxi fare hard to beat. A private transfer pays off for groups of four to eight, who share one van at €70 in total, and for families who want a child seat.
From Terminal 4, the Cercanías C1 train to Atocha costs €2.60 and takes 25 minutes. From T1, T2 or T3, the Exprés Aeropuerto bus costs €5.00, and the metro costs €1.50–€2.00 plus a €3.00 supplement and a €2.50 card.
Yes. Official taxis charge a fixed €33.00 between the airport and any address inside the M-30 ring road, at any time of day, with no supplements.
The Exprés Aeropuerto bus runs 24 hours. Between midnight and 05:40 it ends at Plaza de Cibeles, with a bus about every 35 minutes.
No. The Cercanías C1 serves only Terminal 4. A free shuttle bus links T1, T2 and T3 with T4.
Our transfer costs €55 per car for 1–3 passengers and €70 per van for 4–8 passengers, fixed when you book, luggage included.
Public transport times and fares were checked on 25 October 2026 on the operators' websites. Timetables and fares change, so check the operator before you travel.
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