For those traveling on Air Europa or Iberia, chances are that you will get a long layover in Madrid International Airport of Barajas, if you are lucky enough and that’s your case, don’t miss the opportunity of visiting the city! Better than traveling somewhere, is getting the chance to visit another city for free!

Some of you may ask if it is possible to visit Madrid during a long layover, but don’t worry, it is completely doable. Although it is a big city like any other capital, a stopover in Madrid is enough to visit the most important tourist attractions in Madrid.

In this guide, you will learn what to do during a layover in Madrid and how to get from Madrid airport to city center.

First of all, don’t worry about getting from Madrid airport to the city center. Barajas airport is located kind of far away, however, it is pretty simple to move around.

The city has a great infrastructure and it is pretty easy to come and go, so it won’t be hard to enjoy your long layover in Madrid, and it will be totally worth.

You may be wondering if you can leave the airport during a layover, the truth is, if you have a short layover, no, however, if you are a lucky one and good a long layover, you can definitely leave the airport to visit the city.

For short layovers, like a 3-hours layover in Madrid, I would recommend to stay at the airport and enjoy the facilities, there are things to do, don’t worry. They are listed below.

If you have between 3 and 5 hours layover you can visit the nearby places, I also included a list of attractions near Madrid airport, in case of a short layover,

How much time do I need to visit Madrid in a long layover

I would say that a short layover would be anything less than 6 hours. Barajas is kind of far from the city center so less than a 6-hour layover in Madrid would be risky.

Bear in mind that in international flights the ideal time for check-ins in 3 hours before departure, so keep an eye on your watch.

Top Tip With at least 5 or 6 hours, you can pretty much visit the most important attractions of Madrid, if you make a good logistic of your time.

Madrid Airport – Madrid Barajas Airport

Barajas is the international airport of Madrid and this is probably the airport you will arrive in. Although it is super easy to get to Madrid’s downtown from the Barajas airport, you must bear in mind that this is one of the five biggest and busiest airports in the world, and boy, it is HUGE!

The airport has four terminal and to go from one side to the other can take up to 20 minutes so if you have a short layover in Madrid, don’t distract yourself, because it can take a while till you figure out and get to your gate.

ALSO READ:: BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN SPAIN.

Barajas is situated 12 km away from the city center, but it is really easy to get to the city center thanks to how well connected everything is, both the airport and the city are entirely organized to make it easier for tourists to come from the city center to the airport and vice versa.

Top Tip If you are planning to visit Madrid during your layover, you can use the luggage storage located in terminals 1, 2 and 4.

What to do in Madrid Airport

For those who have a short time in Madrid, not enough to make your way to the city center and back in time to catch your next flight, don’t worry. As I said, Barajas airport is really big and has a variety of things to do and ways to distract yourself until the next flight.

Both buildings offer many shops where you can wander through and go for shopping if you like this kind of thing. There are many good clothing shops, as well as souvenirs.

For the hungry ones, there are cafes and restaurants as well, and of course, the lottery, after all, we are in Spain, and Spanish people love a lottery opportunity!

ALSO READ: DAY TRIP TO TOLEDO FROM MADRID.

Attractions near Madrid airport

As I said, Barajas airport is kind of far from the city center, consequently, there is no much to do around the Airport of Madrid.

Parque Juan Carlos I

But if you don’t have time to go to the central area of Madrid, but still want to have a taste of the city, head to the Parque Juan Carlos I. There are beautiful views, gardens, and some monuments.

Castillo de la Alameda

Crossing the road, on the Park’s corner, there is a ruin of a castle, known as Castillo de la Alameda. It dates back to the 12th century. It has also been a prison, and after a partial restoration, it is now open to the public.

Parque El Capricho

Down the road, there is the Parque El Capricho, with beautiful flowers in the Flores de El Capricho Garden, and beautiful monuments and artificial ruins such as the Fortin de El Capricho, that was built at the beginning of the 19th century, like most of the monuments and ruins in the park.

The Fortin was built on the site of an old fortified tower, but it was only built to simulate a fortress, for landscaping reasons.

Other notable monuments are the Ermita de El Capricho, Temple of Bacchus, Casa del Artillero, and Salon de Baile

The park was created by the Spanish nobility in the 18th century to be their personal green oasis. It is important to note that in this specific park, it is prohibited to enter with food, animals or wheeled gadgets, so don’t forget to lave your belongings in the airport’s Luggage storage.

Madrid airport to the city center

There are many ways to get from Madrid airport to the city center. You can take a taxi, which can be kind of expensive, take the metro, which I don’t really recommend and will explain why shortly, and the transfer, or shuffle that will pick you up in front of the airport and leave you right in the heart of the city.

Madrid taxi service

Madrid taxi service is probably the most convenient and comfortable, but also the most expensive, it will cost you around €30 to get to Madrid central area and another €30 to go back to Madrid’s airport. The trip takes around 30 minutes each round.

In my opinion, it is not necessary to take a taxi, as it is simple and fast to take a bus.

Aerocity

Similar to the taxi, the Aerocity is a transfer service that operates in the airport that offers a 7-seater van to take you to whatever destination you want. It is cheaper than a normal taxi and the price can vary depending on the number of people in your group.

The prices go between €20 and €30. It can be reserved in advance from their website. Just like the taxi, the Aerocity will take around 30 minutes to get from Madrid airport to the city center and vice versa.

The good point in it is that you can choose your destination but I would recommend Aerocity only if you are staying for at least one day in Madrid so that you can reach your hotel easily.

report this ad

Madrid airport bus

Madrid airport bus, known as Airport Express is probably the best option if you want a comfortable and cheap mean to get to the city center, the price for its ticket is around €5 and the trip takes 40 minutes until the last stop.

The bus makes three stops after the airport: O’Donnell (which is close to a metro station), Plaza de Cibeles and Atocha (a train station). If you want to visit the tourist points, you can alight at Plaza de Cibeles.

You can take the bus at the entrance of terminals T1, T2 and T4 it is a 24-hours service and the buses run every 15 minutes during the day or every 35 at night. The tickets can be bought on board.

Metro

This option can be a bit complicated especially if you are new to the city and don’t speak Spanish. Madrid is a big city and so is its metro system.

Buying the tickets and taking the metro, at least for the first time, can be a bit challenging.