In a hurry or on a budget, you won't be short of options for travelling to Madrid. Plan well in advance as you would for travel to any major tourist destination.

By plane:

The Barajas airport is large and comprises three terminals hosting flights from the world over. It is connected to the city by the underground train network.

By train:

There are two train stations in Madrid: Atocha and Chamartín. The former is the point of departure of most high speed (AVE) trains, and the latter that of most northbound trains.

By car:

The majority of motorways coming into Madrid from every direction in Spain are free, except for one part of the A-6. However, there are special toll motorways to get into the city avoiding traffic jams. These are the R-2, R-3, R-4, and R-5.

By bus:

The main coach station is that situated on calle Méndez Álvaro but there are also two smaller stations on Avenida de América and Conde de Casal. Long distance bus fares in Spain are relatively inexpensive.