Transport in Madrid
From MISTI Wiki
Madrid has a fantastic Metro/Bus system. Depending on where you live and where you work, you will use it every day. The pricing is really reasonable, and there are different tickets to choose from depending on the frequency with which you use the system.
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[edit] Planning your trip
- Maps - Several metro plans, including a flash animated one: Metro plans
- Trajectory planner - Useful tool to tell you which buses and metros to take: Transporte Madrid
[edit] Tickets
- Single rides - They cost a Euro each and get you around in Zone A of the system, which covers basically all of central Madrid. You need to buy a new one whenever you change between bus and metro or into a different Zone. Changes between two different metro lines do not require a new ticket.
- 10 MetroBus - This is basically a 10-pass, it costs 7.00€ (as of 1 August 2008)and is probably what you want to use if you don't have to use the metro every day, but are here all summer (you will definitely use the metro more than ten times, so single rides are not the way to go).
- Ábonos - There are different types of monthly passes. This pass can be obtained ONLY in the tobacco stores (or Estancos) that can be found all over Madrid, and you need a passport photo to get one. The basic Abono, for Zone A, costs 43.50€ a month (as of 1 August 2008) and can be used for bus and metro within Madrid (if you leave the zone you will have to pay for a supplement, but it rarely happens). You also will not have to pay the 1€ airport supplement if you take line 8 to T1-T2-T3 or T4 (airport stops). Though if you live close to Avenida de America, there is a bus that leaves for the airport from there that is faster than the metro and you don't have to pay the supplement. Plus there is a 5:20 bus that gets you to the airport for those early flights. Better still: the Ábono Jóven, a monthly pass for about 27€ that you can get only until the month of June of the year when you turn 21. For this one, you also need to bring a copy of your passport to the Estanco, and it takes about 2 weeks from the time that you order it until it gets there (see #Useful advice).
[edit] Useful advice
- Ábono Jóven - Get one if you can, they're a bargain. Don't try to get information from the Estancos, it will not be accurate. As soon as you get to Madrid, go to an Estanco with your passport picture and a copy of your passport and order one, it DOES NOT MATTER for which month. About two weeks later, you can pick up the card that the actual ticket goes into (that costs about 1.50€). Then you can buy the ticket for the earliest month that you think it will be worth the money. If you get to Madrid on the first of the month, it may be worth it to get a regular pass for that month, order the AJ and switch to it the next month, but don't wait with ordering the card. Note that you must not be within 6 months of turning 21 in order to apply for one. If you turn 21 within the next 6 months don't waste money getting pictures.
- Buho - This is the night bus (marked by N) that is handy for all the late night partying that you should be doing. Much cheaper than a taxi, just need to figure out which you need. They all leave Plaza de Cibeles around once an hour after the metro has closed (around 1:30 in the morning). On Friday and Saturdays, there are also busses that follow the metro routes (marked by L). To look at buses and the stops go here: Bus Routes
- The main bus station is Méndez Alvaro, on line 6. Some busses also leave from Avenida de America (lines 4, 6, 7, and 9) For going out into the Comunidad de Madrid, most busses leave from Moncloa on lines 6 and 3. The main train stations are Atocha Renfe (line 1) and Chamartín (line 10). The airport is on line 8 and is the only airport in Madrid (meaning all low cost airlines fly out of Barajas).
[edit] Traveling outside of Madrid
- This site is useful for bus information to various cities around Spain from Madrid: Bus Lines
- Depending on your trip you may not even need to buy your ticket in advance. For short trips to Segovia and Toledo the bus runs very frequently and is never full
- Here is a Wiki with low cost airlines for most European countries. When looking for cheap airfare check the site for the cheap spanish airlines (Vueling, Ryan Air) as well as the cheap airlines for the country you are flying into. Be careful with budget airlines to make sure that the airport they fly into is actually close to the city you are traveling to. For example, Ryan Air flies into Girona Airport for Barcelona but that is about an hour outside of Barcelona, and sometimes misses the bus connection to the city. Wiki article is Here
