Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas (MAD) has four terminals and sits about 13km northeast of the city centre — getting in is straightforward once you know which option suits you.
Terminal 4 (T4) and its satellite T4S mainly handle Iberia and its oneworld partners; Terminals 1–3 handle most other international and low-cost carriers. T4 is a separate building from T1–T3, connected by a free shuttle bus — worth checking which terminal your flight uses before you plan a pickup or Metro route.
| Metro (Line 8) | Cheapest option; connects to Nuevo Ministerios in around 15–20 minutes, then onward across the network. A small airport supplement applies on top of the standard fare. |
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| Airport Express bus | Runs 24 hours between the airport and central Madrid (Atocha), useful late at night when the Metro is closed. |
| Taxi | A flat fixed fare applies between the airport and central Madrid (inside the M-30 ring) — ask the driver to confirm it's the flat rate before you set off. |
| Cercanías train | Line C-1 connects T4 to Atocha and Chamartín — handy if you're continuing straight onward by AVE. |
If you're staying in the centre with luggage and it's late at night, the flat-rate taxi is the least hassle. During the day, the Metro is the cheapest and often just as fast once you factor in taxi traffic on the A-2 into the city.
Barajas has a cluster of business and layover hotels — useful for an early flight out or a late arrival, but it's a genuinely different experience from staying centrally. See our best areas to stay guide for how it compares.