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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.

Metro Ligero (light rail)

One name, three fare regimes. A metro ticket works on ML1 only; ML2 and ML3 are a separate fare where the Zone A 10-trip ticket is not valid. No tapping a bank card here - buy a ticket first and hold it to the reader.

Updated on August 20, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Work out which line you are taking
    ML1 is part of Metro's Zone A, while ML2 and ML3 are a separate MetroOeste fare. What you buy depends on which.
  2. 2
    Buy at the machine on the platform
    Every stop has a machine on each platform. Neither the driver nor an inspector can sell you a ticket.
  3. 3
    The ticket loads onto a Multi card
    On ML1 to ML3 nothing is printed. The card costs extra on its own, but a tourist pass includes it.
  4. 4
    Hold it to the reader before boarding
    Touch the platform reader or the gate. On ML1 coming from Las Tablas you may use the reader on board instead.
  5. 5
    Validate again at every change
    Changing between ML2 and ML3 uses another ride - only a Combinado is validated just once, at the start.
  6. 6
    Keep it with you until you are off
    Inspectors board even where the stops have no gates, so keep the ticket until you have left the vehicle.

Fares

Single fares3

Single on ML1 (Metro Zone A)
Priced by distance - cheapest up to five stations, capped from ten
1.5〜2 EUR ≈ $2
MetroOeste single (ML2, ML3)
One ride on one line; not valid on the metro and not enough for a change
2 EUR ≈ $2
Billete Combinado single
Metro plus light rail in one go, within three hours; it is not a return ticket
3 EUR ≈ $3

Passes & multi-ride4

MetroOeste 10-trip ticket
Works on both ML2 and ML3; each validation counts as one ride
7.3 EUR ≈ $8
Billete Combinado 10-trip ticket
Ten through journeys across ML1, ML2, ML3 and the metro network
10.9 EUR ≈ $12
Tourist pass, Zone A, 1 day
On the light rail this covers ML1 only; the card itself is included
10.3 EUR ≈ $12
Tourist pass, Zone T, 1 day
The only pass that covers ML2, ML3 and ML4; the card itself is included
15.4 EUR ≈ $17

Card itself1

Multi card (the carrier for tickets)
The card, not the fare; buying a tourist pass includes it in the price
2.5 EUR ≈ $3

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
No tap-to-ride with a bank card - buy a ticket first (ML1's gates unstated)
Card payment at machines
The operator does not name the brands it accepts
Every machine at the stops takes credit and debit cards
IC card
At the gates: Tickets ride on a Multi card - an anonymous card good for ten years
App tickets
MLO singles and 10-trip tickets, and ML4 tickets, cannot be loaded
Mi Tarjeta Transporte
In the wallet: Android only; the virtual card is made by converting a personal card
Paper tickets
ML4's own tickets sit outside the Multi card system entirely
ML1 to ML3 load onto a card; only ML4 still uses its own paper tickets
Cash
Banknotes are accepted only at Colonia Jardin and Aravaca
At machines: Machines at the stops take coins only, and they do give change On board: No tickets are sold on board, and inspectors do not sell them either

Quick facts

Hours
06:00-01:30
Frequency
ML1 every 5 min at peak (6.5 in summer); 8-30 min on ML2 and ML3
Fares from
1.5 EUR+

Heads-up

  • The Metrobus 10-trip ticket only works on ML1

    The Zone A Metrobus 10-trip ticket is valid on ML1 but not on ML2 or ML3 - EMT says so by name. Boarding ML2 in the belief that a Zone A ticket covers you leaves you travelling without a valid ticket. For ML2 and ML3 you need a MetroOeste ticket or a Combinado.

  • A single ticket dies with the day you bought it

    A single loaded onto a Multi card is only good until the end of service on the day you bought it; try it the next day and the validator will refuse you. Buying singles the evening before does not work, so buy on the day you travel.

  • Dogs cannot ride at peak times

    Dogs may travel at any time except the weekday peaks of 07:30-09:30, 14:00-16:00 and 18:00-20:00; the rule is the same on ML1 as on ML2 and ML3, and it lifts entirely at weekends, on public holidays and throughout July and August. Assistance and guide dogs are exempt and may travel at any hour. Otherwise it is one dog per passenger, on a lead and muzzled - ML1 asks for a lead no longer than 50 cm, and ML2/ML3 want the dog in the rear car and off the seats.

Timetable

Operating hours 06:00-01:30
Typical duration Four lines, 52 stops, 35.4 km. End to end takes about 15 minutes on ML1, 21 on ML2 and 31 on ML3
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka