Madrid metro: fastest and easiest way to move around the city

The Madrid underground is the fastest and most efficient and affordable way of moving around Madrid. The city boasts one of the largest networks in Europe, serving most of the capital city and some of the suburbs.

There are currently twelve metro lines, three metro ligero (tramway) lines and a special line connecting two stations: Opera and Principe Pio. Of these, line 8 (Nuevos Ministerios – Airport T4) is particularly useful for tourists. It connects the capital to Barajas international airport, taking less that 20 minutes to travel to T4 and only 12 to the other three terminals and to Madrid’s IFEMA trade fair center. The most recently built lines connect the city to new urban developments: line 11 to the PAU (Urban Development Plan) in Carabanchel and metro ligero line 1 to Sanchinarro and Las Tablas.

This large underground network, aside from running through the city’s historical quarters, shopping areas and financial districts, connects the capital with neighboring towns. Line 9 reaches the municipalities of Rivas-Vaciamadrid, La Poveda and Arganda del Rey; MetroSur (line 12) runs through Alcorcon, Mostoles, Fuenlabrada, Getafe and Leganes; MetroNorte (line 10) connects with Alcobendas and San Sebastian; MetroEste (line 7), with Coslada and San Fernando de Henares, and Metro Ligero Oeste (tramway lines 2 and 3) connect with Pozuelo and Boadilla del Monte.

Madrid’s metro network

Line 1: Pinar de Chamartin – Valdecarros
Line 2: Las Rosas – Cuatro Caminos
Line 3: Villaverde Alto – Moncloa
Line 4: Argüelles – Pinar de Chamartin
Line 5: Alameda de Osuna – Casa de Campo
Line 6: Circular
Line 7: Hospital de Henares – Pitis
Line 8: Nuevos Ministerios – Aeropuerto T4
Line 9: Herrera Oria – Arganda del Rey
Line 10: Hospital Infanta Sofia – Puerta del Sur
Line 11: Plaza Eliptica – La Peseta
Line 12: MetroSur
Ramal (R): Opera – Principe Pio

Metro ligero (tramway)
Line 1: Pinar de Chamartin – Las tablas
Line 2: Colonia Jardin – Estacion de Aravaca
Line 3: Colonia Jardin – Puerta de Boadilla

The underground is a fast means of transport that is operative from 6 am to 1.30 am, with trains leaving every 2 minutes in the morning rush hour and every 15 minutes in the small hours (as of midnight). At weekends, trains are less frequent during the day. Pitis station (line 7) and those between Puerta de Arganda and Arganda del Rey station have different opening hours.