Madrid Bus System
Madrid has a fleet of 2,000 buses for over 200 different lines connecting practically all corners of the city. The bus line network spreads 1,864 miles (3,000 km) with over 10,000 stops.
The Madrid bus network extends across over 3,000 km and has 10,000 stops.
Running times
The running times vary depending on each specific route, although normally buses operate from 6 am until 11:30 pm. Some run fewer hours, so check each bus timetable to see when the last bus runs.
You can check out the running times and frequency of each line in EMT’s (Empresa Municipal de Transporte) official website:
Tariffs
- One-way ticket: € 1.50 (US$ 1.57)
- Express Airport ticket: € 5 (US$ 5.26)
- Metrobús (10 trips for both metro and buses): € 12.20 (US$ 12.83)
- 10 Trips with transfer: € 18.30 (US$ 19.25)
You can pay by card or with your phone on all lines of the EMT. If you prefer to pay by cash, the maximum amount you can pay for a single ticket is with a € 5 (US$ 5.26) note and € 20 (US$ 21.04) note for the airport express.
Free buses
Lines 001 (Atocha - Moncloa) and 002 (Puerta de Toledo - Argüelles) have 100% electric buses that are free to ride.
Schedule line 001: 7 am - 11:30 pm (every 7-8 minutes)
Schedule line 002: 8 am - 9 pm (every 10 minutes)
Night buses
Madrid has 28-night bus lines that operate from 11:55 pm until 5:50 am every night. These are called “Búhos” (meaning owls in English) and cover most of Madrid. They start with the letter N before a number.
Important information
Note that the only ticket you can purchase once you are onboard a bus is a single ticket. The 10-trip Metrobus must be bought in any metro station.
