You have several options to get to the center of Madrid (Atocha) from the Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas airport:
Metro: You can use the highly connected underground train “Metro”. It is the cheapest way to travel within Madrid. The total journey takes approximately 45 minutes and you will need the Multi Public Transport Card. This card is multipersonal, rechargeable, and valid for ten years. It has a price of 2.50€ and can be purchased at the ticket offices of any metro station. To top it up, you can use the vending machines. To this price, you will need to add the fare for the Metro ticket and the airport supplement. All of this information is clearly indicated on the vending machines.
The airport has two metro stations: Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4. You must take 3 Metro lines to get to Atocha:
- Line 8 (pink line) from the airport towards Nuevos Ministerios. You must get off the train at Nuevos Ministerios station.
- Transfer to line 10 (dark blue) towards Puerta del Sur. You must get off the train in Tribunal station.
- Transfer to Line 1 (light blue) towards Valdecarros. You must get off the train in Estación del Arte station.
Commuter train “Cercanías”: The Cercanías train line C-1 connects the airport (only T4) with Atocha Renfe station. The journey takes around 25 minutes.
Bus: The Airport Bus 203 connects Madrid Airport to Atocha Station, located southeast of the city center. It takes about 35 minutes from Terminal 1 (T1) of MAD, 40 minutes from Terminal 2 (T2), and 45 minutes from Terminal 4 (T4) to reach Atocha Station.
The airport express buses are easy to identify, as they are yellow and have "Airport Express Aeropuerto" written on the sides in large letters. The buses have luggage compartments, and there is no extra charge for luggage.
Taxi: A taxi from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport to the center of Madrid has a fixed cost of 33€ per trip. The transportation of your luggage is free.
Here is a useful website for getting around in Madrid: https://www.metromadrid.es/es
