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Madrid - Travel Information
Getting around (and to) Madrid |
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The city is connected well by various mode of transportation
like bus service, train and metro services.
By Car Hire
You can hire a car on presentation of a passport and valid driving
license held for at least one year. A valid international insurance
policy is also necessary and full insurance is advised. There is
wide range of car rental companies running at the airport or around
the city. Rates start at approximately €65 for one day of car
hire.
By Metro
Madrid Metro is easier to use and a good deal cheaper too. The Metro
system has 11 lines, all color-coded, and numbered. You will have
to pay 1.15€ for a single ride, even if you change lines. Buying
a “METROBUS 10 viajes” ticket from the kiosk in any
Metro station can get you 10 rides for 5.35€ and valid for
the bus too. Traveling by metro is surely a considerable saving.
By Bus
You can catch most buses from Puerta Del Sol, a single costing you
1.15€ and buses normally run from 06:00 until 24:00. You can
also use the “METROBUS 10 viajes” ticket that you bought
for the metro. Night buses run between 24:00 and 06:00 running every
30 minutes until 03:00 and every hour thereafter. The night buses
have “N” in front of the displayed route number. N1,
19, & 20 run along Paseo de la Castellana and will drop you
off outside our Columbus apartments.
By Taxi
Taxis are white with a diagonal red stripe in Madrid, and have a
green light or numbers 1/2/3 on the roof depending on which zone
they are going to. If the green light is on, or there is a "libre"
sign in the passenger side windscreen, the taxi is free so flag
it down.
Charges are complicated, and go on 1.50 € minimum fare for
the weekends, with the meter ticking over at 0.85 € per kilometer.
Ensure the taxi driver has the meter on at the start of the journey
to avoid any surprise fares.
By Bicycle & Scooter Hire
If you wish to avoid parking problems then there is no better way
for one to get around Madrid than by bombing along on a moped. Motoalquiler,
Calle Conde Duque 13 (tel: (91) 542 0657), offers a choice of vehicles,
with prices ranging from approximately €30 to €120 per
day. Bicycles are best reserved for trips out of town. Karacol Sport,
Calle Tortosa 8 (tel: (91) 539 9633), hires out mountain bikes at
€12 per bike – a €40 returnable deposit is required
– and organises excursions into the surrounding countryside
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