Airport Express Shuttle

Travelling from Madrid to Barajas Airport by bus couldn’t be easier. Running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (with limited service on 24, 25, and 31 December and 1 January), the Airport Express (bus route 203) runs from Atocha train station during the day (6am to 11.30pm) and from Plaza de Cibeles at night (11.30pm to 6am). This service is ideal for passengers with late-night or early-morning flights, when Madrid’s Metro is not running.

The Airport Express (bus route 203) covers the journey from Atocha to Terminal 1 in about 30 minutes, needing an extra five minutes to reach Terminal 2 and another five minutes to get to Terminal 4. En route to the airport, it also stops at Plaza de Cibeles (where all Madrid’s night buses start and end their route) and at O’Donnell metro station. It runs every 15-20 minutes during the day and every 35 minutes at night. Tickets cost €5 and can be purchased on board, either using cash (drivers do not accept banknotes larger than €20) or by contactless payment (bank card or mobile).

New ticket dispensers

The new ticket dispensers are located at the exit of airport terminals: T1 (Stop 3540), T2 (Stop 3542) and T4 (Stop 5726) and outside the Atocha interchange (Stop 5709), alongside the Airport Express Shuttle stand.

Single tickets can be purchased from these dispensers to travel on conventional lines and on the Airport Express Shuttle. Tickets cost €1.5 on the conventional lines and a single ticket on the Airport Express Shuttle costs €5. Tickets can be purchased in three languages (Spanish, English and French) and a single ticket for the entire municipal network can be paid for by bank card or cash. 

Please note:

• From 11.30pm to 6am, the Airport Express does not stop at Atocha, starting and finishing instead at Plaza de Cibeles.
• When Plaza de Cibeles or Paseo del Prado are closed to traffic due to demonstrations or gatherings, the route from Atocha will run instead along Calle de Alfonso XII, with the Cibeles stop temporarily suspended and relocated to Puerta de Alcalá.

This special bus is equipped with modern luggage racks for a comfortable ride. You may bring standard luggage (suitcases, trolleys, and travel bags) weighing less than 23 kilos on board at no extra cost. All luggage must be stowed away safely and securely, ensuring it does not block the aisles. The buses are also equipped with rear bike racks that can hold two standard bicycles.

Map of the Aiport Express bus stops at the airport

Other bus lines

In addition to the Airport Express shuttle, two other regular bus lines also takes passengers to the airport: bus route 200 which departs from Avenida de América, and bus route 101 which goes from Canillejas to the town of Barajas, stopping at the airport on the way.