Madrid runs one of Europe’s biggest metro networks, and almost everything — subway, bus, light rail, commuter train — sits under a single regional fare system. Learn one card and you can get almost anywhere.
The basics
Metro de Madrid is the backbone: 13 numbered lines plus a short branch, radiating out from the center and looping around it on Line 6 (Circular). It’s dense enough that you’re rarely more than a short walk from a station downtown.
Around that, EMT runs the city’s bus network — useful for routes the Metro doesn’t reach, and for late nights (see below) — and Cercanías, Renfe’s commuter rail, connects Madrid to its wider region and, on the C1 line, to Terminal 4 of the airport. Everything is coordinated by CRTM, the regional transport authority, which is also who sets the fares you’ll see everywhere.
How to pay
Madrid uses a rechargeable smart card called the Tarjeta Multi (€2.50, reusable for up to 10 years):
- Buy one at any Metro or Light Metro station machine, then load it with single tickets, a 10-trip Metrobús pass, or a monthly pass.
- Tap it on the reader at Metro fare gates, or on the validator when boarding a bus.
- Reload it anytime at station machines or through the official app.
Since June 2026, Metro has also started letting you skip the card entirely: tap a contactless bank card or your phone directly on the turnstile readers at any of its 1,249 upgraded gates. For now this only buys a single ticket — it doesn’t yet support 10-trip or monthly fares, so if you’re staying more than a couple of days the Tarjeta Multi is still the better deal. EMT buses and Cercanías trains have already accepted contactless bank cards for longer.
Fares
Metro fares scale with distance within Zone A (the city):
| Single ticket | |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 stations | €1.50 |
| 6–9 stations | +€0.10 per station |
| 10+ stations | €2.00 |
EMT buses are simpler — one flat €1.50 fare anywhere in the city. A 10-trip Metrobús ticket, usable on Metro and bus, costs €7.30.
If you’re staying a while, a 30-day Zone A pass runs from €28.70 (adults 26–64 get a 40% government subsidy on it through the end of 2026), and the Abono Joven for ages 15–25 is just €10 a month. Kids 7–14 ride free.
A standard single ticket is good for one ride, with one exception: the TransBus digital ticket, bought through the official Madrid Mobility 360 app, allows unlimited transfers across the EMT bus network for 60 minutes after the first tap, for a total of €1.80 — it doesn’t cover the Exprés Aeropuerto line.
Getting from the airport
Barajas Airport (MAD) has three official ways in, all covered by CRTM tickets:
- Metro Line 8 runs directly to the Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4 stations. It’s covered by a regular Metro ticket plus a €3 airport supplement — unless you’re already using a travel pass or tourist ticket, which waives the supplement entirely.
- Exprés Aeropuerto (bus 203) runs from Atocha station via Plaza de Cibeles for a flat €5, paid on board by cash, card, or phone. It takes about 30 minutes to T1, 35 to T2, and 40 to T4, running every 15–20 minutes from 6am to 11:30pm and every 35 minutes overnight — it’s a 24-hour service.
- Cercanías line C1 reaches Terminal 4 on the regular commuter-rail fare.
- Cheaper local buses 200 (from Avenida de América) and 101 (from Canillejas) also reach the terminals for the standard €1.50 city fare, if you’re already near either interchange.
Apps to download
- Mi Tarjeta Transporte — CRTM’s official Android app: reload your Tarjeta Multi, buy tickets, or carry a virtual card on your phone.
- Tarjeta Transporte — the equivalent for iOS.
- Google Maps — solid for planning trips with live Metro, bus, and Cercanías data.
When it runs
Metro generally runs 6am to 1:30am, every day (a handful of stations keep shorter hours). EMT buses run their main network from 6am to 11:30pm.
After that, EMT’s Búho night network takes over: 29 lines radiating from a common hub at Plaza de Cibeles, running roughly midnight to 6am (starting a bit earlier, around 11:15pm) with 15-minute frequency on weekends.
Accessibility
EMT’s entire urban and interurban bus fleet is wheelchair-accessible, and there’s a dedicated assistance service for people who can’t use regular collective transport independently, running since 2014. Residents with a qualifying disability can apply for the Blue Card, which discounts fares, and CRTM customer-service desks offer video interpretation for deaf users.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap in for every ride — Metro has real fare gates (unlike some cities’ honor systems), and buses have a validator by the door.
- Stand on the right on escalators; Madrid’s are often long and busy at rush hour.
- Priority seating near the doors is for older riders, pregnant passengers, and people with disabilities — it’s expected you’ll give it up without being asked.
- The Metro can get seriously packed at rush hour (roughly 7:30–9:30am and 6–8pm) — locals let a full train go rather than cram in.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement is real. Inspectors do spot checks, and riding without a valid ticket carries a €144 fine, cut to €100 if you pay within 30 days.
- Line 6 has ongoing works — see the alert above for the current closure and its replacement buses.
- Metro stations are well signed in English as well as Spanish, and most ticket machines offer an English-language option.