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CITY TRANSPORT |
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Madrid is a pretty easy city to get around. The central areas are
walkable, the metro is modern and efficient, buses serve out-of-the-way
districts, and taxis are always available.
If you're using public transport extensively and staying long-term,
passes ( abonos ) covering the metro, train and bus, and available for
each calendar month, are worthwhile. If you have an InterRail or Eurail
pass, you can use the RENFE urban and suburban trains ( cercanías ) free
of charge - they're an alternative to the metro for some longer city
journeys.
The metro
The clean and highly efficient metro is by far the quickest way of
getting around Madrid, serving most places you're likely to want to get
to. It runs from 6am until 1.30am (Fri & Sat until 2.30am); the flat
fare is ¬0.90 for nearly all journeys, or ¬4.60 for a ten-trip ticket (
bono de diez viajes ), which can be used on buses too. Lines are colour-coded,
and the direction of travel is indicated by the name of the terminus
station. Note that some stations or sections may be subject to periodic
closures as a result of the modernization and extension programme which
is currently underway. You can get a free colour map of the system (
plano del metro ) at any station.
Buses
The urban bus network is comprehensive but fairly complicated: in the
text, where there's no metro stop, we've indicated which bus to take.
There are information booths in the Plaza de Cibeles and Puerta del Sol,
which dispense a huge route map ( plano de los transportes de Madrid ),
and - along with other outlets - sell bus passes. Fares are the same as
for the metro, at ¬0.90 a journey, or ¬4.60 for a ten-trip ticket ( bono
de diez viajes ) which can be used on both forms of transport. When you
get on a bus, you punch your ticket in a machine by the driver.
Buses run from 6am to midnight. In addition, there are around twenty all-night
( búho ) lines around the central area: departures are half-hourly
12.30am-2am, hourly 2-6am, from Plaza de Cibeles and Puerta del Sol.
Taxis
One of the best things about Madrid is that there are thousands of taxis
- white cars with a diagonal red stripe on the side - which are
reasonably cheap; ¬4.80 will get you most places within the centre and,
although it's common to round up the fare, you're not expected to tip.
They charge supplements on the metered fair for baggage, for going to
the train and bus stations or outside the city limits (which includes
going to the airport) and for night trips (11pm-7am). In any area in the
centre, day and night, you should be able to wave down a taxi (available
ones have a green light on top of the cab) in a couple of minutes. To
phone for a taxi, call 915 478 200, 915 478 500, 914 051 213 or 914 459
008.
Local trains
The local train network, or Cercanías , is the most efficient way of
connecting between the main railway stations and provides the best route
out to many of the suburbs and to nearby towns such as Alcalá de
Henares. Most trains are air-conditioned, fares are cheap and there are
good connections with the metro. Trains generally run every fifteen to
thirty minutes from 6am to midnight/1am. For more information go to the
RENFE web page at www.renfe.es and click on the Cercanías section for
Madrid.
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