Barajas airport to central Madrid by Metro, bus or train

There are three public transport options from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport into the city: Metro Line 8, EMT's Airport Express bus, and Renfe's Cercanías commuter train from Terminal 4. The fares below come from the operators and from the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM), which sets them. Checked on 8 October 2026.

At a glance

Option	From the airport	Into the city	One-way fare
Metro Line 8	Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4 stations	Nuevos Ministerios, then change lines	€1.50–2.00 single plus €3 airport supplement
Airport Express bus (EMT)	T1, T2 and T4	Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha (Cibeles only at night)	€5, pay on board
Cercanías C-1 (Renfe)	T4 only (floor −1)	Madrid Chamartín, then change trains	€1.70, €1.85 or €2.60, depending on zones

Metro Line 8

• Where: Line 8 has two airport stations, Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4. It runs between Nuevos Ministerios and Aeropuerto T4.
• Hours: Metro de Madrid says the stations are open from 6:00 to 1:30.
• Fare: a Zone A single costs €1.50 for up to 5 stations, plus €0.10 for each extra station, up to €2.00 for routes over 9 stations. To enter or leave the airport stations you also need the €3 airport supplement. That makes a single with the supplement €4.50–5.00.
• The card: tickets are loaded onto a public transport card. The Multi card costs €2.50 from machines in any Metro station.
• When you don't pay the supplement: a Tourist Travel Pass or a 30-day or annual pass gets you through the airport stations without it. A 10-trip ticket (Metrobús, €7.30) does need it, at €3 per trip.
• Same day only: single tickets and the airport supplement are only valid on the day you buy them. Metro de Madrid says the turnstiles will reject them the next day.

Airport Express bus (EMT)

• Route: the Exprés Aeropuerto line 203 links the airport with Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha station. At night it runs to Cibeles only.
• Fare: €5, one price for every stop. You buy it on board, with cash (EMT gives change up to €20), a bank card or a mobile phone.
• Hours: 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Buses run every 15–20 minutes from 6:00 to 23:30, and every 35 minutes from 23:30 to 6:00. Between about 23:30 and 06:00 the bus terminates at Plaza de Cibeles and does not run to Atocha.
• Journey time: EMT's estimates in normal traffic, from Atocha, are 30 minutes to T1, 35 minutes to T2 and 40 minutes to T4.
• The Tourist Travel Pass doesn't work here: CRTM says it is valid on every EMT line except this one. Buy the €5 ticket.

Cercanías C-1 (Renfe commuter train)

• Where: the station is at Terminal 4, floor −1. If you land at T1, T2 or T3, this option starts at T4.
• Route: CRTM lists line C-1 as Chamartín – Aeropuerto T4, stopping at Valdebebas and Fuente de la Mora. At Madrid Chamartín – Clara Campoamor you can change to C-3 trains, which stop at Nuevos Ministerios, Sol and Atocha, or to Metro lines 1 and 10. Aena's page describes a longer C1 route through Atocha and Príncipe Pío. Check the current timetable on Renfe or CRTM before you travel.
• Fare: Aena lists one-way fares of €1.70 for 1–2 zones, €1.85 for 3 zones and €2.60 for 4 zones. Renfe charges by the number of zones you travel through. You can also pay at the gates with a contactless bank card or phone.
• With a high-speed ticket: Aena says the train is free for passengers holding an AVE ticket that connects with a flight.

Which one to pick

• To Cibeles at any hour, or to Atocha between 06:00 and 23:30: the Airport Express gets you there on one bus at one fare. It runs 24 hours a day, but only to Cibeles at night.
• With a Tourist Travel Pass already: take the Metro. The pass covers the airport stations with no supplement. See our guide to the Tourist Travel Pass.
• Landing at T4 and heading for Chamartín: the C-1 goes straight there.

Fares and timetables change. Check the operator's page on the day you travel.