Destinations > Spain > Madrid > Coming & Going

Madrid

Coming & Going

AIR

Barajas Airport north of the city centre handles both domestic and international flights.

Although there are airport bus services, the easiest way to get into town from the airport is by metro. The airport is located near the end of line 8 and the metro ticket into town is only €1.15.

TRAIN

Madrid has two main train stations serving domestic and international routes in addition to Principe Pío station which handles suburban services and short trips in the Madrid region.

Atocha is the most centrally located of the two main stations and has trains to destinations in southern Spain as well as trains to many destinations near Madrid. This is the station to go to for the fast AVE trains to Andalucía.

Chamartín to the north of the city centre handles trains to some destinations north of Madrid although there are also some trains to Andalucía which depart from this station. Chamartín also handles international trains to France and Portugal.

In many cases trains will stop at both Atocha and Chamartín stations, although international trains stop at Chamartín only.

BUS

Bus travel in and out of Madrid can be very confusing with a multitude of different bus stations serving various destinations and bus companies. Fortunately many buses also stop at the Estación Sur de Autobuses near Méndez Álvaro metro station and this is a good spot to come to get tickets and more information on bus travel to other destinations in Spain. You can even get tickets here for buses which depart from other bus stations.

The Continental-Auto bus station on Calle de Alenza near Ríos Rosas metro station handles buses to areas north of Madrid including the Basque country and Navarra.

HITCHHIKING

Madrid generally isn't a very good city to hitch from. Like most other big European cities, it's best to take public transport to get to the best hitch-hiking spots.

Nuevos Viajes (tel (91) 308 3098) - a local ride-sharing agency - may be able to organise a lift for you. You'll have to pay a fee, although it should still work out cheaper than the bus.

BUG Ride (website http://europe.bugride.com) is our own web-based ride sharing service, it allows travellers to both offer lifts and search for rides throughout Europe. This is a free service which links travellers to drivers - you contact the driver by email when you have found the ride you want.