The ways to get to Barajas Airport: every transport option compared

There are six ways to get to Barajas Airport: the Metro (line 8), Cercanías commuter rail (T4 only), the bus (above all the Exprés Aeropuerto line), the taxi, VTC private-hire vehicles and your own car. The first three are the cheapest per person but involve changes and have timetables; taxis and VTC go door to door at any hour; and your own car means paying for parking. The best one depends on where you are starting from, your terminal and your luggage.

Before choosing, check which terminal your flight leaves from, because not every form of transport serves all of them. If you are not sure, see which Barajas terminal you need.

Metro: line 8

Line 8 starts at Nuevos Ministerios and has two stations at the airport: Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4. It connects with other lines at Nuevos Ministerios and at other stations along its route. The airport stations charge a supplement on top of the standard ticket. It works well if you are travelling light and do not have to make many changes to reach it.

Cercanías

Line C-1 reaches Aeropuerto T4 station from stations such as Príncipe Pío, Atocha, Nuevos Ministerios and Chamartín. If you are flying from T1, T2 or T3, you will then have to take the free bus that links the terminals.

Bus

• EMT Exprés Aeropuerto: links the centre with the terminals with few stops. By day it leaves from Atocha and by night from the Cibeles area, and it runs 24 hours a day. It has its own ticket.
• Other city lines: there are EMT buses from transport hubs such as Avenida de América, slower but with a standard ticket.
• Intercity and long-distance services: some towns and cities have lines that stop at the airport. Check with the Consorcio Regional de Transportes (the regional transport authority) or the operating company.

Taxi

It picks you up wherever you are and drops you at the door of your terminal, at any hour. There is a flat fare between the airport and inside the M-30; with us, the Inside M-30 fare is a fixed €33, and every neighbourhood or town has its own area fare, the same in both directions.

VTC

Private-hire vehicles with a driver are booked through an app and their price can vary with demand at the time. We explain how they differ from taxis in the differences between taxis and VTC.

Private transfer

A vehicle booked just for you or your group, with a time set in advance. That is what a Madrid airport transfer offers, useful for groups, companies and events.

You can leave your car in the Aena car parks next to the terminals, in the long-stay car parks or in private car parks with a shuttle. It is convenient for short trips, but parking is charged by the day and makes long stays more expensive. We compare the two in car or taxi to the airport?

Three questions settle most cases: what time does your flight leave? (in the early hours the Metro and Cercanías are not running), how much luggage are you carrying? (with large suitcases, changes are a burden) and how many of you are travelling? (a taxi is paid per vehicle, not per person). To look at these criteria in more depth, read how to choose your transport to the airport, and to find out which station suits you depending on your neighbourhood, see how to get to Barajas from each part of Madrid.