Before you go · Madrid
Madrid essentials
The practical things worth knowing before you arrive, checked against official sources on 22–23 October 2026. Entry rules change: always check the official sources before you travel.
Updated October 2026
Entry to the EU (checked 22 October 2026)
The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) registers travellers from outside the EU electronically at the border.
ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not yet in operation: the EU’s official site says it will announce the start date several months before launch, and the fee will be EUR 20. Never pay a third-party site.
From the airport
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas is run by Aena. Metro Line 8 runs to Nuevos Ministerios; Cercanías trains leave from Terminal 4; EMT runs the airport express bus; and taxis charge a fixed €33, day and night, to anywhere inside the M-30, with no supplements (madrid.es, 2026).
Metro, trains and taxis
Metro de Madrid covers the city; Line 10 is partly closed between Nuevos Ministerios and Cuzco for works at Santiago Bernabéu station, with a replacement bus. The Consorcio Regional de Transportes (crtm.es) sets the fares and travel cards. High-speed trains leave from Atocha and Chamartín, with Renfe, iryo and Ouigo.
Book the big sights direct
Buy tickets for the Prado (museodelprado.es), the Royal Palace and El Escorial (patrimonionacional.es), the Tour Bernabéu (realmadrid.com) and the Teatro Real (teatroreal.es) on their own websites.
Customs and etiquette
Madrid eats late: lunch from about 2pm, dinner from about 9pm, and many restaurants close one or two days a week. In the Almudena and other churches, cover your shoulders and knees and keep quiet during services.
Pickpockets and emergencies
Madrid is a relaxed city, but pickpockets work in crowded places such as the Puerta del Sol, the metro and El Rastro on Sundays. Keep your phone off café tables and your bag closed and in front of you.
Call 112 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police. See our health page for the main hospitals. Carry your EHIC or GHIC, or travel insurance that covers medical costs.
Questions and answers
Do I need ETIAS to visit Madrid?
Not yet: ETIAS is not in operation. The EU will announce the start date several months in advance on its official site.
How much is a taxi from the airport?
A fixed €33, day and night, to anywhere inside the M-30, with no supplements (madrid.es, 2026).
What is the emergency number?
112, for ambulance, fire and police.
Entry rules and transport change, sometimes at short notice. Check the EU’s official sites, metromadrid.es, renfe.com and your government’s advice before you travel.