Public transport in Madrid is very well developed. It includes the metro, municipal buses, taxis and electric trains - as in almost any other European capital; In addition, there is also a "light metro" - metro ligera, funicular (hanging road) and tram. Municipal transport also includes bicycles, motorcycles and scooters.
Buses
Municipal buses in Madrid can be conditionally divided into day and night.
Most day buses run from 6.00 to 00.00, the interval between flights is 10-15 minutes. The network of bus routes is managed by EMT. The network of routes is very extensive, but during peak hours it is much faster, it turns out, to move by metro, although for buses in the main streets of Madrid special tracks are allocated.
One trip on the bus costs 1.50 euros, a subscription for 10 trips (as in the case of the metro) costs 12.20. The purchased ticket should be noted in a special machine located in the cabin. To get on the bus (as well as to get out of it) it is possible only at the bus stop, and the bus stops only if there are those who wish to leave (who should press a special button) or those who wish to board the bus - they should inform about their intention by "voting" the bus.
At the stop, you can see the timetable for each route passing through this stop, and you can get a route map at the EMT kiosks on the Puerta del Sol or Cibeles Square (for free).
Night buses run from 23.20 to 05.30 and are called "Owl" (Buho). All routes start from Sibeles Square and end on it. There are 24 night routes in all. The interval of their movement - up to 35 minutes, the night before the weekend or holidays - 15-20 minutes, the price as in day buses. The site of tourist buses: http://www.madridcitytour.es/en.
Tourist tickets
Tourists have the opportunity to save on bus trips by purchasing Abono Turistico and, in addition to it, the Madrid Card. Abono Turistico will allow you to spend less money on trips to explore attractions such as Chinchon, Escorial , Toledo , Aranjuez, etc. On such a subscription you can travel in zone A (subway, train, bus) and in some modes of transport in the T (subway, metro ligero and tram). Such a subscription is registered, it is issued on the basis of a passport. It has a validity period of 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 days (in a row from the date of purchase, and not on the days you used it). The cost depends on how many days the subscription is calculated, and from the transfer zone. Accordingly, for zone A, the subscription price is 8.40, 14.20, 18.40, 16.80 and 35.40 euros, and for the T zone - 17, 26.40, 35.40, 50.80 and 70, 80 euros.
The acquisition of the Madrid Card allows free access to about fifty of the most popular museums located in Madrid and its surroundings (among which, of course, the Museo del Prado , the Queen of Sophia Art Center , the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum , etc.), the Royal Palace , the Aquarium Zoo , amusement park and park Faunia, Imax cinema, and also save on visiting some restaurants, nightclubs and shops. In addition, by purchasing the Madrid Card, you will receive a map of Madrid and a guide to the city for free. The card is purchased for a period of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days, costs 47, 60, 67 and 77 euros for adults and 34, 42, 44 and 47 euros for children aged 6-12, respectively.
Tourist bus
Tourists who have just arrived in the Spanish capital and want to get the first idea about it will be comfortable to use one of the two tourist routes, the first of which departs from the square near the Prado Museum and returns there (the first flight is 10.05, the second - 18.05, the duration of the trip is 1 hour 45 minutes), and the second - from Neptune Square (the duration of the trip is the same, the departure time is 12.15 and 16.05). For one day using a tourist bus, adults must pay 21 euros, for 2 - 25, a discount ticket costs, respectively, 10 and 13 euros (it is intended for passengers aged 7 to 15 years and over 65 years).
Metro
The Madrid metro is one of the 10 longest systems in the world and the second in Western Europe (in the first place is the London subway). It includes 13 lines and 272 stations, and the total length of the system is 293 km. The scheme of the Madrid subway can be seen at every station, in every subway car, and in addition - get on any cash desk for free.
Not all cars are equipped with automatic doors: in some of them, in order for it to open, you need to press a button or turn a special lever.
The operating time of Madrid's metro is from 6.00 to 01.00. One trip will cost one and a half euro, a subscription for 10 trips - 11.20 euros. On the TFM line (zones B1, B2 and B3) the journey is somewhat more expensive: one trip is 2 euros, a travel for 10 trips is 12.20 euros. Also more expensive is the fare to / from the airport - 3 euros. And you should pay attention to this nuance: sitting in the subway at the airport, you pay for the trip immediately, when traveling from the city, payment is made at the exit; often foreigners do not know about this, so the lines have a controller, helping with the purchase of the ticket. Small passengers (up to 4 years) ride in Madrid's metro for free. Metro subway site: http://www.metromadrid.es/es/index.html, telephone number: + 34 (91) 345 22 66.
Easy Metro
In addition to the usual metro, in Madrid there is still a light - metro ligero. In fact, it is rather a high-speed tram, but high-speed trams in the Spanish capital are allocated in a separate mode of transport (they are discussed below). The light metro trains are intended for the transport of passengers, but on weekends, bicycles are allowed in them.
The lines metro ligero in Madrid 3, the first connects Pinar de ChamartÃn with Las Tablas, has 9 stations, on the second train it follows from the Hardini Colony to the Aravac Station (13 stations), the third one is also from Kolli Hardin, but already to Puerou de Boadilla (there are 16 stations in this line). Some stations of the light metro are underground, some - ground. Information on the fare, routes and timetable for train traffic on these lines can be found on the metro ligero website.
All trains are equipped with a serious safety system (it includes automatic control - the composition itself and its lighting, speed limiting system and anti-collision protection system). This type of transport can also be used by people with disabilities - both with limited mobility and with sensor problems.
Buy a ticket for passage in any machine. The light metro operates from 5.45 to 0.45. In most formulations, you need to press the lever or button on the door to open the door. The site of the light metro of Madrid: http://www.metroligero-oeste.es/.
Light Rail
A high-speed tram in Madrid travels along a 8.2 km long ring and connects 16 stops. The duration of the trip along the whole route is 27 minutes; since there are 8 trains on the route, the interval between trains is only 7 minutes. The site of the high-speed tram of Madrid: http://www.viaparla.com/.
Suspended road (funicular)
The pendant road connects the park of Casa de Campo with another green massif, Pintor Rosales. It passes at an altitude of 40 meters and allows you to see from above the amazing views of Madrid while listening to the story of the sights of the city (in the booths sounds audio recording). The length of the road is 2.5 km. The cost of a trip to one side costs 3.5 euro for adults and 3.4 for children, and when buying a ticket in both directions the journey will cost 5 euros for adults and 4 for children. Site of the Madrid suspension road: http://teleferico.com/.
Taxi
Taxi in Madrid - a fairly popular and common form of transport; the city is visited by more than 15 thousand taxi cars, which are quite easy to recognize even from afar - they are white, decorated with a red stripe and the coat of arms of the city. The cost of a taxi in Madrid is relatively low - in the daytime (from 6 am to 9 pm) 1 euro per 1 km + landing cost, which in most places of the city is 2.4 euros. The cost of a taxi in Madrid makes this type of transport so popular with locals and tourists.
You can stop the taxi anywhere, just by raising your hand, but in case you sit at a bus or train stop, and near the Fair Park Juan Carlos I exhibition center, the trip will cost you more for 3 euros (that's the extra charge for landing in these places); when landing at the airport, the markup will be 5.5 euros. There is also a special New Year mark-up - from 21.00 on 31 December to 6.00 on 1 January, it is 6.70 euros. In the streets of Madrid you can notice and such a sign - on a blue background a white letter "T": so are the taxi stands. The payment of the trip in most cases is accepted only in cash - credit cards are accepted by a very limited number of taxi drivers. There is also a special taxi for the disabled. Carriage of a wheelchair is carried out without extra charge.
Contact Information:
Taxi Phone:
- +34 (91) 371 21 31 (Independent Radio-Taxi);
- +34 (91) 547 82 00 (Radio Telephone Taxi);
- +34 (91) 445 90 08 (Tele-Taxi).
Taxi for the disabled:
- +34 (91) 547 82 00;
- +34 (91) 547 86 00.
The site of the taxi order service to another city or airport: http://kiwitaxi.ru/.
Bicycles, mopeds and scooters
Bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles are a popular way of traveling around the Spanish capital, so they can be considered one of the types of public transport in Madrid, especially given the fact that Madrid often moves not on its own, but on leased vehicles. For motorcyclists even installed special additional traffic lights - on the same poles as the rest, but at the eye level of a motorcyclist, to duplicate the signal of a traffic light. To motorcyclists strict requirements are imposed - they must have with themselves the rights of category "A" and use a helmet.
To take a motorcycle or a bicycle for rent, you need to have the right and passport.
In recent years, in Madrid, there was one more service - rent of electric scooters. It is provided by the company Hertz, which is engaged in leasing cars almost all over the world. To rent a scooter, you also need to have the right and passport; the minimum age of the scooter driver is 25 years. Today the service is located near the main train stations in Madrid.
Railway
In the suburbs of Madrid you can get there by rail. Suburban trains run at intervals of 15-30 minutes and, moreover, quite punctually, although on Spanish railways, delay is usually considered in the order of things.
Having purchased the ticket, it must be saved until the end of the trip, since in the absence of such a ticket you will have to pay a fine to the controller first, and only then you will be released from the train. The train stations from which suburban trains depart are underground; these are Atocha , Chamartin, Principe Pio, Nuevos Ministerios, Piramides, Embajadores, Mendez Alvaro. They are also connected to the metro network. Most suburban trains run from 5.30 to 23.30, the schedule of their movement can be seen at the stations. Here you can also buy a ticket for 1 trip, for 10 or a monthly "travel".
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