How to get to Madrid

All the ways to arrive to Madrid

How to get to Madrid? The capital of Spain is easy to reach from anywhere in Europe and the whole world, with many options both by plane, car, train, bus, … or, why not, even on foot!

So choose how to get to Madrid and we will tell you all the possible routes to visit the capital of Spain, depending on the type of transport you have chosen.

• HOW TO GET TO MADRID BY PLANE:

  

   

The options for getting to Madrid by plane are many; the airports of many European cities and all over the world have flights, both direct and with a stopover, to get to Madrid.

Airports of European cities such as Milan, Rome, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Lisbon, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Brussels, … and also from many countries in the world such as the United States, Canada, Argentina, Ecuador, India, Thailand, China … have flights to Madrid. (We advise you to check the availability of direct flights as it may change according to the season)

All flights land at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport. Find out how to get from Madrid Barajas airport to the city center.

• HOW TO GET TO MADRID BY CAR OR MOTORCYCLE:

To get to Madrid by car there are several options as there are two main routes that connect Spain with the rest of Europe.

Once you arrive in Spain or if you are already traveling through the country, there are six radial highways that connect the provinces and cities of differentparts of the country. They are very easy to identify since they are numbered from 1 to 6 and can be followed clockwise by looking at a map of Spain. If you travel by car, remember that the highways marked with the letter A in Spain are free, while those indicated with AP require the payment of a toll.

All these radial highways start in Madrid city center, in the Puerta del Sol, right from a point called “Zero Kilometer” at the foot of the building of the Real Casa de Correos in Puerta del Sol.

ARRIVE IN MADRID VIA HIGHWAY

– A1: MADRID – IRUN (475 km): Northern motorway. Road that goes up to Burgos, becoming AP-1 up to Irún passing through the city of San Sebastián (Basque Country). Together with the A2 motorway, it is the entrance by land from France and, therefore, from all over Europe.

– A2: MADRID – BARCELONA (624 km): Northeast highway. This highway reaches Zaragoza, -passing first from the city of Guadalajara-, and then becomes AP-2, crossing the city of Lerida before arriving in Barcelona. From here if you take the AP-7 highway, passing first through Girona, you will arrive at the border, exactly in “Le Perthus”, the last town before passing through France. There are 161 km from Barcelona. This highway is of singular importance since it is the one that connects the two major cities of Spain (Madrid – Barcelona) and is the main entrance for land transport that arrives in Spain from Europe.

– A3: MADRID – VALENCIA (355 Km): Eastern Highway. It connects the cities of Madrid and Valencia. For many “madrileños” the escape from the big city to enjoy the beach in just 3 hours. This highway is also essential for those arriving by ship in Valencia and wanting to go to the Spanish capital.

– A4: MADRID – CADIZ (652 Km): Autostrada del Sud. This road connects Madrid with the cities of Cordoba and Seville; from here it continues as far as Cadiz as AP-4. It also connects, before leaving the Community of Madrid, to Aranjuez (recommended visit if you have more time).

– A5: MADRID – BADAJOZ (404 Km): Southwest Highway. This road connects Madrid with the city of Badajoz, crossing first Mérida, and goes up to Potugallo.

– A6: MADRID – LA CORUÑA (597 Km): Northwest motorway. It connects the city of Madrid with La Coruña (Galicia) through several provinces of Castilla y León. Drive through cities like Ponferrada and Lugo before reaching its final destination.

To check the most suitable route for you, use road search: Google maps

WHERE TO PARK IN MADRID

If you have chosen to come to Madrid by car, you will wonder where to park in such a large city.

If the hotel where you are staying does not have a parking space and you do not want to spend money on parking, you will have to leave your car outside the M-30 (ring road around the center of Madrid).

Parking outside the M-30 is free and there is usually always a nearby metro station to reach the city center in 10 minutes.

Parking in central Madrid involves payment, as in most major cities. There are paying areas marked with blue lines, where the maximum time allowed is two hours at a price between 0.25 cents for 20 minutes and 2.80 euros for 2 hours. In the parking lots marked by the green lines the maximum time allowed is 1 hour and the price is much higher than in the blue zone.

There are also many public car parks where you can leave your car at a cost of between 8 and 60 euros for 24 hours, depending on the area.

• HOW TO GET TO MADRID BY TRAIN:

Traveling by train has a charm that other means of transport do not have; comfort, the possibility of walking, the possibility of buying food or drinks at any time of the trip. In many cities the stations are in the center or very close to the center. Not to mention the landscapes, undoubtedly the most beautiful are those seen from the train.

Madrid has two main railway stations, Estación de Atocha and Estación de Chamartín (both in the city center), where all national and international trains arrive.

To arrive by train from almost all of Europe to the capital of Spain there are two main routes. Both of them cross France and in both of them you have to stop in that country.

A route is made with a stop in Paris and on the other route, the stop takes place in Marseille.

ARRIVE IN MADRID VIA PARIS

– How to get to Madrid via Paris: on this route, to get to Madrid, you should take a train or more than one (depending on which country you are leaving from) to Paris. This route can take several hours, depending on the railway company you choose and the city of departure.

From Paris, leaving from the same station where most european trains arrive (Gare de Lyon), take another train that takes you directly to Barcelona (Estación de Sans) in about 6.30 hours. This is a good option if you want to stop and visit Barcelona before arriving in Madrid.

Once you arrive in Barcelona, ​​to make the journey from Barcelona to Madrid by train, starting from Sans station, you can take an “AVE” high-speed train with which you will arrive in just 2 and a half hours at Atocha Station in Madrid. . If you prefer something cheaper but slower, you can also take a regional train, which takes around 8.30 hours and arrives at Chamartín station.

ARRIVE IN MADRID VIA MARSEILLE

– How to get to Madrid via Marseille: an alternative route is to stop in Marseille.

The route to Marseille can be made both on direct routes and with stopovers, depending on the railway company and the city of departure.

Once you arrive in Marseille, the journey to Madrid is direct, without going through Barcelona, so it is the preferable route if you want to go directly to Madrid without stopping in Barcelona. The journey time is approximately 7 – 8 hours, taking the high-speed train between France and Spain.

Train prices to Madrid will always depend on several factors: the advance with which the tickets are purchased, the train times and the date, the type of train you prefer (high speed or regional), the route you choose and the city where do you start.

 

• HOW TO GET TO MADRID BY BUS:

Traveling by bus is probably the slowest and most inconvenient way to make very long journeys like the ones we are dealing with in this case.

But it certainly has other advantages. If you have time to get to your destination and want to stop by to see other cities, this is your form of transportation.

Another advantage of the bus compared to other transports is that the ticket price does not change, and if it does it is a very small difference, unlike what happens with planes or trains.

The bus is therefore a good solution if you have a lot of time, a small budget and you decide at the last minute. Don’t worry: you’ll be guarnteed many stops along the way to stretch your legs, go to the bathroom and eat. Bus trip can be better than you might think! Taking a direct trip to Madrid can be a little long, but if your idea is to stop along the way in other countries and cities, it will still be a very interesting trip. It is a way of traveling while having fun and enjoying the journey.

 

• HOW TO GET TO MADRID ON FOOT AND BY BIKE:

Yes, although it seems incredible, there are people who arrive or leave Madrid on foot or by bicycle, although we must tell you that it is not at all common.

As you can imagine, arriving or departing from the city on foot is possible for different routes, but of course you will need time. We will talk about the “Camino de Santiago de Madrid”, a route that connects the capital of Spain with the famous Camino de Santiago Francés.

When it comes to a walking or cycling tour in Spain, the first thing that comes to mind is “El Camino de Santiago”. This road, which in the Spanish part starts in Roncesvalles (Navarra) until it reaches Santiago de Compostela or Finisterre (Galicia) is known as the “French Road”.

It covers almost the entire north of the country from east to west. But what not everyone knows is that in Spain there are different routes that arrive in Santiago de Compostela and one of them is the “Camino de Santiago de Madrid” or “Camino de Madrid”!

The Camino de Santiago from Madrid connects the capital of Spain with the “French Way” at the height of Sahagún (León), crossing cities such as Segovia and Valladolid.

This Camino de Madrid starts in the same capital, it crosses the Sierra de Guadarrama da Cercedilla and the Port of Fuenfría (Community of Madrid). From there to the province of Segovia, passing through several cities and Segovia itself, we continue through the province of Valladolid until we reach the province of León. From here you reach the crossroads with the “French way”, exactly the village of Sahagún, and then continue to Santiago de Compostela.

“If you are visiting Galicia, why not make the “Camino de Santiago de Madrid” upside down and enjoy one of the most interesting capitals in Europe?”