Airport Guide to Barajas (MAD)

Airport Overview

Terminal Transfer | Getting into Town | Car Parking | Information Desks | Airport Facilities

On average, 49 million travellers a year make their way through Madrid Barajas Airport, Spain’s main gateway. Conveniently close to the city centre, it is easily accessible by rail or road.

Flights to Madrid Barajas Airport come in from major hubs around the world. Acting as the main bridge between Europe and Latin America, Madrid Barajas Airport places emphasis on speed, efficiency and traveller comfort, and uses the latest technology to facilitate a smoother, more enjoyable journey.

A big part of the running of Barajas Airport is the careful monitoring of the facility’s environmental impact. The airport is run in accordance with Aena Aeropuertos’ environmental quality policy so that its activity stays within regulations. Employees, companies and users all regularly participate in awareness campaigns that examine the facilities and their impact on the airport’s natural surroundings. A ground-breaking and forward-thinking facility, Barajas Airport is as efficient as it is eco-friendly.

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Terminal Transfer

Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are adjacent to each other while Terminal 4 is split into two parts – the main body of the building is approximately 4km from the other terminals and T4S, its satellite building, is located between the runways. A free bus transports passengers between terminals at five-minute intervals during the day and every 40 minutes at night. There’s also a dedicated train service between T4S and T1 (for travellers with a boarding card).

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Getting into Town

Train: The Metro train leaves regularly from the airport from 6am until late at night. There are stations on the lower floor in Terminal 2 and in Terminal 4, which are well signposted. You can buy tickets from automatic vending machines or at the station. A ticket to anywhere in Zone A will cost €1.

Bus: There are regular buses that journey into the city from just outside the arrivals sections at Terminals 1, 2 and 4 to just about everywhere. It’ll cost €1 to travel anywhere in the A zone, and you can also buy a tourist travel pass, valid anywhere in Zone A for a day, for €6. No. 201 and No. 101, which travel from Terminal 4 and Terminals 1 and 2 respectively, link to the Metro station in town.

Taxi: Official, metered taxis leave from just outside the arrivals sections of the terminals. They cost a minimum of €2, with an additional fee of about €1-€2 per kilometre, depending on where you’re going. It should cost €20 to €25 to get to town.

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Car Parking

There are several car parks around the airport, including regular car parks outside Terminals 1, 2 and 4 and a short-term car park outside Terminal 2. They all have a complicated system where they charge per minute – the regular car parks cost €0.02 per minute for the first 30 minutes and a bit more after that. There’s a maximum daily rate of €18 for the first four days.

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Information Desks

Look out for the “skycaps” (in green jackets) throughout the terminals – they provide travellers with assistance. Otherwise you can make use of the virtual flight attendants that are on display in the airport. There are also tourist information desks in the arrivals halls of Terminals 1, 2 and 4.

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Airport Facilities

Money and communications: ATM machines, 24-hour banks, currency exchange and every other financial service passengers could need.

Luggage: Baggage wrapping at all terminals. There are lost-luggage offices in Terminals 1 and 4, and left-luggage facilities in Terminals 1, 2 and 4 which cost €5.42 (large locker), €4.82 (medium locker) and €4.22 (small locker). There are free baggage carts available throughout the airport.

Conference and business: There are seven lounge facilities for travelling professionals to choose from. Fax, photocopying, Wi-Fi and catering are all available. There is also a general business centre in Terminal 4 (open from 8am to 8pm). Terminal 2 also has three dedicated conference facilities at the Autogiro, Goya and Manzanares conference rooms.

Other facilities: There’s a children’s playground in Terminal 2 and a chapel in Terminal 1.

Wi-Fi: There are Internet kiosks throughout the airport. Wi-Fi is provided by Kubi Wireless, available in the catering areas in T1, T2 and T3 and all of the T4 and T4S and the VIP lounges. It’ll cost you about €10 per hour.

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