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Spain

Madrid

Spain's capital of grand museums and a royal palace. One of Europe's largest metro networks covers the city.

Taxi and VTC ride-hailing

Taxis run on fares set by the city - hail any cab showing a green roof light. What Uber or Cabify sends may be a taxi or a VTC, whose prices no authority sets, so check which is coming before you accept.

Updated 17 days ago

How to ride

  1. 1
    Hail a cab with a green light, or go to a rank
    A green roof light means the cab is free. At a street rank you may pick which waiting cab to take.
  2. 2
    At the airport, walk out to the rank
    The ranks are outside the arrivals area at every terminal. Do not follow anyone touting for business inside.
  3. 3
    Book a VTC in the app first
    A VTC car cannot be hailed. At the airport you meet the driver at the pickup point in the car park.
  4. 4
    Check the meter starts running
    The meter and the roof module both show which tariff number is running - 4 for the airport flat fare.
  5. 5
    Pay by cash or card and take the receipt
    Paying by card is the passenger's right. Ask for the printed receipt in case you need to dispute the fare.

Typical costs

Fixed-price routes1

Airport to/from inside the M-30 - flat fare (tariff 4)
A direct trip by the most direct route only; same price all day, all year, no supplement or pickup fee.
33 EUR ≈ $38

How the meter adds up6

Tariff 1 starting fare (weekdays 07:00-21:00)
After that it adds 1,40 € per kilometre, or 27,00 € per hour while the cab is not moving.
2.55 EUR ≈ $3
Tariff 2 starting fare (nights, weekends, holidays)
Not a surcharge but a separate tariff - 1,60 € per kilometre and 29,00 € per hour while stopped.
3.2 EUR ≈ $4
Minimum fare from the airport to outside the M-30 under 9 km
Past 9 km the meter runs on the tariff for the time of day; this minimum does not apply to booked rides.
22 EUR ≈ $26
Short trips from the main stations and the fairground (tariff 7)
Under 1,450 m; past that the normal tariff. Not for booked rides or station-to-airport trips (tariff 4).
8 EUR ≈ $9
Pickup charge when the cab is called by phone, radio or app
The floor is the starting fare and the ceiling is 5 €; it cannot be added to the 33 € airport flat fare.
2.55〜5 EUR ≈ $3–6
Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve night supplement
Applies to rides ending between 21:00 that night and 07:00 the next morning; not on the 33 € flat fare.
7 EUR ≈ $8

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Payment

Card payment on board Taxis only. A VTC ride is paid through the app, where the city's duty does not reach.
Whether the reader takes a contactless tap is up to the individual terminal; no rule covers it.
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Paying by card is the passenger's right; a reader is a licence condition.
App tickets Ride-hailing apps; Uber and Cabify dispatch both VTC cars and licensed taxis.
Cabify
In the wallet: VTC rides show the full price before you accept; taxi rides run on the meter.
Cash Taxis only. A VTC ride is paid through the app, where the city's duty does not reach.
On board: Cash works. The driver is only obliged to give change up to 20 euro.

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Fares from
33 EUR+

Heads-up

  • Do not follow anyone offering a ride inside the terminal

    At Barajas, walk out to the official rank outside the arrivals area. Official cabs are white with a red diagonal band and the city crest on the doors. Do not follow anyone touting for a ride inside the terminal. Once moving, check the driver has started the meter, and ask for an invoice so you have something to complain with.

  • Nothing outside the published tariff can be charged

    A driver may charge only what appears in the tariff table the city publishes. Extras that are not in that table - a luggage fee, a card surcharge, an "airport fee" - cannot be demanded for any kind of trip, and the regional rules say so in those words. The table contains the starting fare, distance, time, the pickup charge and the 24 and 31 December night supplement. The one exception is a road toll - when you pre-book at a quoted price on a route that uses one, the booking record says so and the toll is added to the final amount.

  • The 33 euro airport flat fare assumes a direct trip

    The 33 euro covers a direct trip by the most direct or suitable route between where you get in and where you get out. Waiting or intermediate stops count only if they are on that route and last no longer than getting people in and out. If the cab leaves the route to stop, the first stop inside the M-30 is treated as the end of the trip, and the meter runs on the normal tariff from there. Two hotel drop-offs, or letting a companion out on the way, fall outside the flat fare. Successive stops inside the airport grounds are included in it.

  • A VTC may only carry a passenger who booked

    The regional rules say a VTC may only drive with a passenger on board while performing a service contracted beforehand. So they do not stop for a raised hand, and you cannot negotiate your way into one that is parked. If you want one, book it in the app first.

  • Where a fare dispute goes

    A dispute about the amount you were charged goes to the transport arbitration board, the Junta Arbitral del Transporte, rather than to a city desk. Anyone who took a taxi in Madrid may bring a disagreement about the service or the fare to it. Get the receipt, with its number and timestamp, before you leave the cab.

Timetable

Check the official site for the latest times and service status