Madrid

The capital city with a thousand options

Madrid

Max 8ºC / Min 1ºC

Madrid, cheerful and vibrant at all hours, is famous for being an open city with all kinds of people from anywhere in the world.

In addition to its famous museums, busy streets dotted with all kinds of shops, restaurants with world cuisine and unbeatable nightlife, Madrid will surprise you with its tranquil historic spots that charm everyone walking by. Here you'll find traditional family-run, century-old bars where friends meet up for a drink, every style of neighbourhood and cultural centres that offer up an alternative type of tourism. Madrid's authenticity is hard to beat. It is welcoming and diverse. Madrid is, without a doubt, one of Europe’s most interesting cities.

Culture and leisure at any time

Anyone in search of culture will find some of the most important museums in the world, such as the Prado, Reina Sofía or Thyssen. But we must not forget smaller options, full of charm, such as the Sorolla Museum or cultural centres like the Matadero or Conde Duque, which are continuously offering innovative exhibitions, concerts, guided tours, etc.Walking around Madrid means coming across iconic spots such as the stunning Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor with 400 years of history, the buzzing Puerta del Sol, the famous Gran Vía full of shops, or the four tallest towers in Spain. Each neighbourhood offers a different experience: La Latina is ideal for tapas, Las Letras has the perfect combination of literature and fine dining… But Madrid also means relaxing in enormous green spaces such as the Retiro Park (which together with the Paseo del Prado boulevard have been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List), and other lesser-known but equally charming parks like El Capricho.

Capital of food, fashion and nightlife

When it's time to eat, Madrid has many different options, each more appealing than the last. On the one hand, traditional bars where you can discover exactly what castizo means and why tapas are so much fun. On the other hand, there are its cutting-edge restaurants like DiverXO and traditional markets that have been turned into new gourmet spaces, such as San Miguel, which has become a true gastronomic shrine. In Madrid, the time is always ripe to enjoy an animated, urban atmosphere. For example, the increasingly famous weekend brunches in enclosed glass terraces, courtyards, rooftops, etc.Fashionistas will find all options: luxury shops on the Golden Mile, vintage establishments in areas such as Fuencarral, new designer markets like the Mercado de Motores, and craft workshops and bookshops over 100 years old. At dusk, some of the city’s viewpoints will surprise you with unique sunsets, at the Temple of Debod or the rooftop bar of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, for example. And at the end of the day... nightlife in Madrid is legendary with live music, all kinds of ambiences, music until the sun comes up...Madrid has its own beauty. Madrid stimulates and inspires. Madrid. You have to experience it.

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Practical information

How to get there - transport information

Select the means of transport to see how to get there or how to get around at your destination.

How to get to aeroplane

Madrid Airport is 12 kilometres from the city centre, which can easily be reached by public transport.
By metro, take line 8. The trip costs an additional 3 euros on top of the cost of any ticket, and the journey is just over 30 minutes.
By train, you can take the C-1 and C-10 Cercanías lines, which take around half an hour to reach the city centre.
By bus, you can get to the centre with the Exprés Aeropuerto, in about half an hour for 5 euros, or take the regular city bus routes 200 or 101.
By taxi, the journey between the airport and the city centre has a fixed price of 30 euros.
If travelling by night, take the airport express bus or a taxi.
By road, the most common route is along the M-40, and it takes just over 20 minutes.
More information

How to get to train

If you are travelling to Madrid by train, you can reach two main stations: Atocha and Chamartín.
Madrid Station - Puerta de Atocha - Almudena Grandes: In the city centre. You can easily leave the station by public transport: you can take the Metro (line 1), the train (all the Cercanías or local trains) and the bus (lines 001, 6, 10, 14, 19, 24, 26, 27, 32, 34, 36, 37, 41, 45, 47, 54, 55, 57, 59, 85, 86, 102, 119, 141, 203, E1, C1, C2, C03, SE766, N9, N10, N11, N12, N13, N14, N15, N17, N25) and taxi. International connections to Paris and Lisbon. High-speed trains to Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, Malaga, and more destinations.
Madrid-Chamartín-Clara Campoamor Station: In the north of the city. From the station, you can take the metro (lines 1 and 10), train (lines C-1, C-2, C-3, C3a, C-4, C-7, C-8 and C-10), bus (lines 5, 66, 67, 124, 129, 134, 135, 150, 147, 173, 174, 175, 176, 178, SE704, T62, N24) and taxi. International connections to Paris and Lisbon.
Ticket booking

How to get to bus

If you want to get to Madrid by bus, you have two options in terms of stations: the Méndez Álvaro station, also known as the Estación Sur, and the Avenida de América station.
Sur Station: Located in the southern part of the city of Madrid. Public transport connections: Metro (line 6), train (lines C1, C5, C10), bus (lines 8, 102, 113, 148, 152, 156, N11) and taxi.
Avenida de América Station: In the north of the city. Public transport connections: Metro (lines 4, 6, 7 and 9), bus (1, 12, 52, 72, 73, 114, 115, 122, 200, C1, C2, N2, N4) and taxi.

How to get there by road

The main roads leading to Madrid are the A-1 (from the Basque Country), A-2 (Barcelona), A-3 (Valencia), A-4 (Seville), A-5 (Extremadura) and A-6 (Galicia).
Please note that large parts of the city centre are Low-Emissions Zones, where driving and parking are restricted. If you arrive in Madrid by car or motorcycle, consult the website of the City Council to find out about these areas. These restrictions apply equally to vehicles with foreign registrations. If your vehicle has an environmental rating from France or Portugal, check DGT website the table of equivalences of environmental ratings in European Union countries to know what restrictions might affect you. You can also get information before travelling through your accommodation in Madrid.

Practical information

Most points of interest are concentrated in the centre, which makes it easy to explore them on foot.
Tourist pass: for just one person. Unlimited travel on the metro, bus and train network. There are five types: lasting one, two, three, four, five or seven calendar days and with two different levels of coverage: A (to travel within the city of Madrid) and T (to also travel in the surrounding areas, as this pass includes all the other zones).
Please note that large parts of the city centre are Low-Emissions Zones, where driving and parking are restricted. If you arrive in Madrid by car or motorcycle, consult the website of the City Council to find out about these areas. These restrictions apply equally to vehicles with foreign registrations. If your vehicle has an environmental rating from France or Portugal, check DGT website the table of equivalences of environmental ratings in European Union countries to know what restrictions might affect you. You can also get information before travelling through your accommodation in Madrid.

How to get around in metro/tram

The Metro network covers the entire city of Madrid and connects it to other nearby towns within the region of Madrid.
It operates from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every day.
You can buy single tickets, passes for 10 journeys, or special tickets to the airport.
More information

How to get around in train

The Cercanías train network covers the entire city of Madrid and connects it to other nearby towns within the region of Madrid.
It runs from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm.
You can buy single or return tickets, or a pass for 10 journeys.
More information

How to get around in bus

The city bus lines usually operate between 6:00 am and 11:30 pm.
Night buses, known as “búhos” (owls), run from 11.20 pm or 11.45 pm to 5.30 am or 6 am, and until 7 am on Saturday nights and before public holidays. Most lines start at Plaza de Cibeles.
There are also intercity lines that connect the city of Madrid with other towns in the region.
Sightseeing bus around the most iconic spots with 1 or 2 day tickets.

How to get around in other means of transport

By taxi: Easily identifiable white vehicles with a red stripe. A green light on the roof shows they are available. You can get a taxi from a taxi rank, stop one in the street (the ones with their green light on) or book one on one of the different apps. Taxis from Madrid-Barajas airport to Madrid city centre have a set price of €30 each way.
A different, quick and ecological way to travel around Madrid is by bike, whether by hiring one from the different companies that provide this service or using the municipal bike hire service, Bicimad.
There is a cable car that crosses over the Casa de Campo park.