Madrid Barajas Airport has parking and ground transportation options that travelers would do well to understand before embarking on a trip.
Parking
Parking is fairly straight forward at the Madrid Airport, which has two major parking facilities close to the terminals. Both have long and short term parking. In addition, the airport has one other long term car parking facility.
Both P1 and P2 accommodate long and short term parking. P1 is an open-air parking facility that is opposite Terminal 1. It's quite large, accommodating some 2,300 cars. P2, which is opposite Terminal 2, has a six-floor parking garage and serves all three of the airport's terminals. All except the top floor is covered, and there are elevators in the garage.
The charges for short term parking in P1 and P2 are:
- First 30 minutes - Free
- EUR1.35 per hour
- EUR11.60 per day
The charges for long term parking in P1 and P2 are:
- EUR8.50 per day, for the first two days
- EUR7.50 per day, for days 3 through 5
- EUR3.50 per day, from day 6 on
The other long term car facility is further away from the terminals, and has transportation to and from the airport by a free shuttle.
For very short parking stays, there is a parking "express" in Terminal 2 at the ground level. It would be less expensive to use P1 or P2 if staying longer than 30 minutes, since the charge per hour is EUR3.00 and there is no 30 minute free stay.
Travelers can pay for parking at pay machines in the parking areas that accept Euros and most major credit cards. In addition, there are stations which are staffed where the fee can be paid.
Ground Transportation
There are a variety of ways to get to Madrid. But if a taxi is the choice, passengers should be careful to take a cab from the official stand and not from cabbies inside the terminal. Otherwise, the fares are not guaranteed. A taxi into central Madrid will run about EUR15 to EUR20, including airport supplements.
Another less expensive way to reach Madrid is by the Madrid Metro subway system, which links the airport with the city. Since the subway does not run directly from the airport to the Spanish rail network, it's necessary to change trains in order to take a train going outside Madrid.
Passengers can find the airport Metro station in Terminal 2, adjacent to Parking Area P2. Unlike cabs, the metro only runs from 6 am to 2 pm, and the fare is EUR1.10.
There's a bus that runs from the airport to Plaza de Colon, which leaves from the Arrivals level of each terminal. It runs from 4:45 am until 2:00 am, and operates every 10 or 15 minutes, depending on the time of day. Fare for the bus is EUR2.40.
Major car rental companies are located in the lower ground floor near Arrivals.