Public Transportation in Madrid

There are many different ways to get around Madrid. Coming from a small town, it was my first real experience using public transportation. I found it a bit intimidating at first. 

One thing that I didn't do soon enough was take advantage of the transport, because it felt a little abstract. 

However, the transportation is so well-priced. Here is my understanding of how the transportation cards work that you need to get around the city. Of course, always check with the transportation offices where you get the transport card to clarify how the card can be used.  

There is a monthly "abono" you can obtain that allows you to use the trains and the blue EMT city buses. You pay one fee for unlimited use of the metro and blue buses for the month. When you arrive, you can easily make an appointment at an office that issues the monthly transport card. There's even a bonus if you're under 26 years of age...you can use the trains and buses in the community of Madrid for a very low price (I believe right now it's 10 euros a month). The standard adult rate is also really well-priced. For the standard adult ticket, you have to keep in mind what zone of Madrid you want to travel to and pay accordingly. Madrid is divided into zones based on how far you need to travel (A1 - city center to E2 - Toledo area). There are many options to get around the city center, AND it is SOO easy to do beautiful day trips to other pueblos. 

METRO:

One of the easiest ways to get around the city is by metro/underground. Madrid has a fantastic train system. It's well cared for and it runs reliably. The metro map is also easy to understand and the stations are well-marked for navigating from one train to another. The schedule generally runs from 6am to 1:30am. You can get to places all within the city! 

CERCANIAS:

Another type of train is the Cercanias. It's a train that runs longer distances than the metro, to some of the surrounding pueblos for example. You can also use the Cercanias with your "abono" card, just keep in mind what zone your card covers. You can always purchase a supplement to travel to other zones. The Cercanias runs from 5:30am to 11:30pm. With the Cercanias, you can travel comfortably to places like El Escorial and Cercedilla, among others. 

BLUE EMT BUSES:

The blue EMT buses are the transport I heavily underutilized at the beginning. They travel to places within the city. Sometimes, it can be faster to take the bus than the metro. Once I discovered the buses, I saved myself 30 mins of travel time to get from my house to Sol (the city center). Definitely use them! You can use your monthly pass. However, one individual bus ticket is only 1.50, so if you choose not to have a monthly abono, it is still cheap to use the buses from time to time. Even if you're traveling to a new place within the city, there's no reason to be nervous! Just research which bus stop is your destination. On the actual bus, there is a display screen that has the names of the stops the bus is travelling to and it tracks where you are! These buses run from 6am to 11:30pm.

GREEN BUSES:

The green buses are for longer distances. They travel to the pueblos outside of the city center. Similar to the Cercanias, just be aware of what zone your abono covers if you are 26 or over. If you need to get somewhere outside of the zones you've paid for (example, you're 26 or over and you have a travel card for zones A1 - B1 and you need to get to zone C2), you can buy a ticket for where you need to go on the bus. Take cash! Some of these buses only allow cash payments. For example, one of my favourite places to go for a hike is Manzanares el Real. It is in zone C2, but my metro card only covers zone B1. So, I have to buy a ticket on the bus to take me to the C2 zone. They usually aren't too expensive, and the fees are priced throughout the station. To get to Manzanares it is around 4-5 euros one way, paid in cash. The Cercanias trains don't go to every pueblo outside of the city, so these buses can be necessary for some day trips! They generally run from 6am to 11:30pm, but always check the schedule!

There are other ways to get around Madrid, too, but these are the primary options! Take advantage of the transportation and enjoy exploring! If you have any questions, you can use the Consorcio Transportes Madrid website or ask at one of their offices!