Getting from the airport to the city in Spain

Madrid's Barajas airport lies about 12 km northeast of the city centre, across four terminals (T1, T2, T3, T4) linked by a free shuttle bus running nonstop every 15 minutes.

• Metro, Line 8 (pink) - stations in the connecting corridor of Terminal 2 (serving T1, T2, T3) and under Terminal 4. Trains terminate at Nuevos Ministerios, so the historic centre needs a transfer.
• Price - 4.50 € to 5.00 € as of March 2026, combining the base rate and a mandatory 3.00 € airport supplement. It must be loaded onto a contactless Tarjeta Multi card, sold at machines for 2.50 €.
• Hours - 6:00 to 1:30, every 4 to 8 minutes.
• Commuter rail, Cercanías lines C1 and C10 - the station is only in the underground level of Terminal 4, running direct to Chamartín and Atocha.
• Price - 2.60 € one way as of March 2026, valid two hours from purchase.
• Hours - 5:45 to midnight, every 15 to 30 minutes.
• Express bus, Línea 203 (Exprés Aeropuerto) - yellow buses from the arrivals halls of T1, T2 and T4, terminating at Atocha by day or Plaza de Cibeles at night.
• Price - a flat 5.00 € as of March 2026. Pay contactless by card or phone, or in cash - the driver gives change for banknotes up to 20 €.
• Hours - 24/7/365. Every 15 to 20 minutes by day, every 35 minutes at night (23:30 – 6:00).
• Official taxi - white cars with a red diagonal stripe on the front doors and the city crest, at designated ranks outside all arrival terminals.
• Price - a fixed flat 33.00 € as of March 2026 to anywhere inside the M-30 ring road, the whole historic centre included. No luggage or night surcharges.
• Pitfall - refuse offers from unofficial drivers inside the arrivals halls, and follow the signs to the outdoor rank.
• Ride-hailing (Uber, Cabify, Bolt) - fully available, but pick-up is strictly limited to designated VTC-marked zones in the airport garages, not outside the terminal exit. Typically 20 € to 40 € to the centre depending on demand.

Barcelona-El Prat lies about 15 km southwest of the city centre and has two terminals, T1 and T2.

• Express bus, Aerobús (A1 from T1, A2 from T2) - the direct and most popular link from both terminals to central Plaça Catalunya.
• Price - 6.90 € one way online, 9.90 € in cash from the driver as of March 2026. A return is 12.90 € online, 17.80 € on site. Children under 4 ride free.
• Hours - 24 hours a day. Every 5 to 10 minutes by day, every 20 minutes at night (0:30 – 5:00).
• Metro, Line L9 Sud - stations under both terminals, but the route does not reach the historic centre directly: transfer at Torrassa for L1 or Collblanc for L5.
• Price - the special Billete Aeropuerto costs 5.70 € as of March 2026. Standard singles and the T-Casual pass are not valid here.
• Hours - Sunday to Thursday 5:00 – 24:00, Friday 5:00 – 2:00, nonstop on Saturday.
• Commuter rail, Rodalies R2 Nord - the station exists only at Terminal 2, arrivals section T2B, so from Terminal 1 take the free shuttle first. Direct to Barcelona-Sants and Passeig de Gràcia.
• Price - 4.60 € single, or better value on an integrated T-Casual card at 13.00 € for 10 rides in Zone 1, i.e. 1.30 € per ride, as of March 2026.
• Hours - 5:42 to 23:38, every 30 minutes.
• Official taxi - black-and-yellow cars from ranks immediately outside both terminals. Metered, with a minimum airport fare of 20.00 € including the 4.50 € airport supplement, and typically 35 € to 45 € to the centre as of March 2026.

The country's third-busiest airport lies just 8 km southwest of Málaga, with a direct link to the coastal transport network.

• Commuter rail, Cercanías line C1 - the underground station is directly opposite the Terminal 3 arrivals hall. 8 minutes to the main María Zambrano station, exactly 12 minutes to the final Málaga Centro-Alameda stop.
• Price - 1.80 € one way as of March 2026. Buy at a machine by card, or just tap a contactless card or phone at the gate (Tap & Go).
• Hours - 6:44 to 00:54, every 20 minutes.
• Express bus, Línea A Express - the stop is at street level 0 in front of the T3 arrivals hall.
• Price - 4.00 € one way as of March 2026. Pay contactless with the driver or via the EMT Málaga app.
• Hours - 7:00 to midnight, every 25 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day.
• Official taxi - the rank is in front of the arrivals hall; the cars are white with a blue diagonal stripe on the front doors. Metered, with a 5.50 € airport supplement and a minimum fare of 15.21 € by day or 19.01 € at night (22:00–6:00) and on holidays. Central Málaga typically comes to 20.00 € to 25.00 € as of March 2026.