By Air in Madrid

Madrid is served by Madrid Barajas Airport (12 km [7 mi] east of the city), which, with a capacity of up to 70 million passengers a year, is Europe's fourth-largest airport. It has four terminals and a bus service, lanzadera, that connects all of them, departing every three minutes. It goes from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 in 10 minutes.

Airport Transfers

The fastest way to get to all four terminals is the subway line number 8 (Línea 8). Terminal 2 (T-2) and the more remote Terminal 4 (T-4) each have a subway stop, and from Terminal 2 you can walk or take the bus to the other two terminals. The metro runs every few minutes between Nuevos Ministerios (where you can check your luggage) and Barajas Airport; it costs EUR 1 plus a EUR 1 airport supplement that you can pay at any subway stop or once you get on or leave from either of the two airport subway stops. The journey takes 20-30 minutes.

For a mere EUR 1 there's also a convenient bus to Avenida de América, where you can catch the subway or a taxi to your hotel. From Avenida de América you can also take Bus 204, which takes you straight to T-4, or Bus 200, which takes you to the other three terminals. Buses leave every 15 minutes between 5:20 AM and 11:30 PM (slightly less often very early or late in the day).

In bad traffic, the 20-minute taxi ride to Madrid can take the better part of an hour, but it makes sense if you have a lot of luggage. Taxis normally wait outside the airport terminal near the clearly marked bus stop; expect to pay up to EUR 25, more in heavy traffic (and more from Terminal 4, which is farther out), including a surcharge that goes up each year (it was EUR 5.25 in 2008). Make sure the driver is on the meter—off-the-meter "deals" will surely cost you more. Some hotels offer shuttle service in vans; check with yours when you reserve.

Carriers Air Europa (902/401501. www.air-europa.com). Iberia (902/400500. www.iberia.com). Spanair (902/131415. www.spanair.es). Vueling (902/333933. www.vueling.com).

Contacts Aeropuerto de Madrid Barajas (Av. Hispanidad s/n. 902/404704. www.aena.es).