In this guide
💡 The Short Version: A Metro single is €1.50 to €2.00 by the number of stations, and the 10-trip ticket is €7.30 on a €2.50 Multi card, which works out at €0.73 a journey. The Tourist Travel Pass is €10.30 for one day in zone A and €15.40 in zone T, and the Multi card is included. For most visits the 10-trip ticket costs less: 18 journeys over three days come to €17.10 with the card, against €23.10 for the three-day pass. The pass pays when you add the Metro to the airport and back, or Cercanías day trips. Contactless bank cards open the Metro gates for singles since 1 June 2026; passes and 10-trip tickets need the Multi card. The pass is not valid on the Avant trains to Toledo or Segovia. Or pre-buy: the Madrid City Tour hop-on hop-off busad is from €29.70 for 24 hours (GetYourGuide).
Which ticket
The Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (CRTM) sets the fares for the Metro, EMT buses and Cercanías in zone A. Its single and 10-trip page and Tourist Travel Pass page are the source for the prices below.
A Metro train arriving at Guzmán el Bueno station. Photo: Draceane, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Ticket | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Metro single, zone A | €1.50 to €2.00 | Up to 5 stations €1.50; €0.10 more per station for 6 to 9; €2.00 from 10 stations. Valid on the day of purchase |
| 10-trip ticket | €7.30 | 10 journeys on the Metro in zone A, EMT buses and the ML1 tram, loaded on a Multi card. One ticket can serve several travellers, validated once each |
| Multi card | €2.50 | The red smartcard that holds the 10-trip ticket and the Tourist Travel Pass; free with a Tourist Travel Pass |
| Tourist Travel Pass | From €10.30 | Unlimited travel for 1 to 7 days; see below |
| Airport supplement | €3.00 | Needed on a zone A ticket at the two airport Metro stations; not with a Tourist Travel Pass |
Multi cards and 10-trip tickets are sold at the Metro station machines, at estancos (tobacconists) and in the CRTM apps. Bus singles need no card. Interurban buses, such as those to El Escorial and Chinchón, are priced by zone: €1.50 inside one municipality and €3.00 across two zones.
The Tourist Travel Pass
The pass is personal, loaded on a Multi card whose price is included, and starts at first use. It is valid until 05:00 on the last day, night buses included, and children under 11 pay 50 per cent.
| Days | Zone A | Zone T |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | €10.30 | €15.40 |
| 2 | €17.50 | €26.20 |
| 3 | €23.10 | €35.00 |
| 4 | €27.80 | €43.20 |
| 5 | €33.40 | €50.40 |
| 7 | €43.20 | €62.80 |
Zone A covers the Metro in the municipality of Madrid, every EMT bus except the Exprés Aeropuerto, the Cercanías stations inside zone A and the ML1 tram. Zone T covers all of that plus every Cercanías line in the region, to zone E2, and ML2 to ML4. Neither needs the €3 airport supplement. Neither is valid on Renfe’s Avant, AVE or Media Distancia trains, the services to Toledo, Segovia and Ávila.
The sums. The 10-trip ticket costs €0.73 a journey, so 18 journeys over three days come to €17.10 with the €2.50 card, against €23.10 for the three-day zone A pass. The pass catches up when the airport run is by Metro: the two €3 supplements bring the 10-trip total to €23.10. Against singles at €1.50 to €2.00 the one-day pass pays from about 6 or 7 rides. Zone T at €15.40 pays when you take Cercanías to Aranjuez, El Escorial or Alcalá de Henares. The official Madrid City Card has the same prices as the zone A pass and adds attraction discounts: see the Madrid tourist pass compared.
The pass is sold at Metro machines with a red “Tarjeta MULTI Disponible AQUÍ” sticker, in the CRTM’s Tarjeta Transporte app, and at the Consorcio’s offices at Terminals 2 and 4 of the airport (08:00 to 20:00 daily), at Sol (Metro concourse, floor -1) and Atocha (floor -1), both 07:00 to 22:00 Monday to Friday and 10:00 to 22:00 at weekends, and at Ríos Rosas (08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday).
Paying by contactless card
- Metro. Since 1 June 2026, a contactless bank card, phone or watch is accepted at the gates of 303 Metro stations, for single tickets only. Passes and 10-trip tickets are not part of it.
- EMT buses. A contactless card or phone is accepted on board, with no supplements or commissions.
- Cercanías. Renfe’s Cercanías gates take contactless bank cards in Madrid. Tap in and tap out: an exit tap that is missing is charged at the maximum zone fare.
Cercanías, buses and BiciMAD
Cercanías
Single €1.70 for 1 to 2 zones · €1.85 for 3 · €2.60 for 4
Renfe’s commuter trains are the way to the lower-cost day trips and to the airport’s Terminal 4 on line C-1. Singles are €1.70 for 1 to 2 zones, €1.85 for 3, €2.60 for 4, €3.40 for 5, €4.05 for 6 and €5.50 for 7. A single must be used within two hours, and a return ticket is valid for the next day. The Sol tunnel, which carries the C-3 and C-4, has been closed on some weekends in 2026 for works, so check Renfe’s notices.
EMT buses
€1.50 single · blue city buses
City buses are €1.50 for a single paid on board. The Exprés Aeropuerto is €5. The EMT transfer ticket, TransBus, is €1.80 for free transfers on EMT lines for 60 minutes, booked through the Madrid Mobility 360 app, and is not valid on the Exprés Aeropuerto. Madrid airport to the city has the airport buses.
An EMT city bus on the 141 to Atocha Renfe. Photo: Autobusesbcn, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
BiciMAD
Electric bikes · first 30 minutes €0.50
The city’s electric bike share is run by EMT. The basic contract is €0.50 for the first 30 minutes, €0.50 for the second 30 minutes and €3 for each further 30 minutes; a 30-day flat rate is €10 a month. Registration is through the BiciMAD app and an EMT account, and the operator lists phone numbers from the EU, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, the United States, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil; for any other country check the app. Return the bike to a dock: a crossed-out “P” means the bike is outside the station perimeter.
Stations for the day trips
| Station | Trains for |
|---|---|
| Atocha-Almudena Grandes | Avant to Toledo (first train 06:45), AVE and Avlo to Cuenca (first 06:30), Cercanías C-1, C-3, C-4, C-5 and C-10, Metro line 1, and the Exprés Aeropuerto stop |
| Chamartín-Clara Campoamor | AVE and long-distance trains to Segovia-Guiomar (first 06:20), Cercanías C-1 and C-10 |
| Príncipe Pío | Cercanías C-1 and C-10, and regional trains to Salamanca (first 07:40) |
| Moncloa interchange | Coaches to Segovia, and buses 661 and 664 to El Escorial |
| Plaza Elíptica | Alsa coaches to Toledo |
The Ávila, Salamanca and Cuenca coaches leave from Estación Sur. The CRTM lists Avenida de América, Moncloa, Plaza de Castilla, Plaza Elíptica and Príncipe Pío as the intercambiadores where 10-trip bus tickets are sold.
Which ticket to buy
- A short stay on foot and Metro: a 10-trip ticket on a Multi card.
- Arriving and leaving by Metro to the airport: the Tourist Travel Pass in zone A, which saves the two €3 supplements.
- Cercanías day trips: zone T, or Cercanías singles.
- Toledo, Segovia, Ávila or Cuenca: Renfe tickets, not the pass.
What to book before you go to Madrid lists the sights that need tickets, where to stay in Madrid compares the areas, and the day trips from Madrid are compared on their own page. Madrid airport to the city covers the first and last day, and Madrid walking tours compares the bike tours, tuk-tuks and hop-on hop-off buses. Madrid in one or two days shows how the routes fit between the sights.
Common questions
How much is a Metro ticket in Madrid?
A single in zone A is €1.50 for up to 5 stations, €0.10 more for each station from 6 to 9, and €2.00 from 10 stations. The 10-trip ticket is €7.30 for 10 journeys, loaded on a Multi card that costs €2.50. The airport stations add a €3.00 supplement unless you hold a Tourist Travel Pass.
How much is the Tourist Travel Pass?
In zone A, which covers central Madrid, €10.30 for one day, €17.50 for two, €23.10 for three, €27.80 for four, €33.40 for five and €43.20 for seven. In zone T, which covers every Cercanías line, €15.40 for one day to €62.80 for seven. Children under 11 pay half. The Multi card is included.
Is the Tourist Travel Pass worth it?
Mostly not for a city visit. A 10-trip ticket is €0.73 a journey: 18 journeys over three days cost €17.10 with the €2.50 card, against €23.10 for the three-day zone A pass. The pass pays when you also take the Metro to the airport and back, which saves two €3 supplements, or use Cercanías on day trips in zone T.
Can you pay with a contactless card on the Madrid Metro?
Yes, for single tickets. Since 1 June 2026 a contactless bank card, phone or watch opens the gates at 303 stations. It does not take passes or 10-trip tickets. EMT buses also accept a contactless card or phone on board.
Does the Tourist Travel Pass work on trains to Toledo or Segovia?
No. It works on Cercanías but not on Renfe's Avant, AVE or Media Distancia trains, which are the ones to Toledo, Segovia and Ávila. Zone T covers the Cercanías lines to Aranjuez, El Escorial and Alcalá de Henares.
