Just what I needed, I land on wed. morning can't wait. I actually get the place to myself for almost 3 weeks before my gf ariives from London.

Thanks again, Paul

Torrales:

The Madrid Transportation Info System website you provided is FANTASTIC. Thanks. Do you know if there is a similar website for Barcelona? Scott

Barcelona Bus & Metro website: http://www.tmb.net/ - I'll be using that a lot over the next several days while in BCN!

Saludos, MadridMan

That site for Madrid is great. Wish I had it last summer.

Actually, it exists since 4-5 years ago (and about one year with the current look). You should have asked then...

Its corresponding site for Barcelona (more or less) is the one that MadridMan posted. IMO, Madrid's is clearer for the user than Barcelona's. But once you get used to them, both are very useful.

I am unclear of something. Nativo wrote: "The system does not include the notion of being valid for a certain amount of time to allow transfers. ....but anytine you cross the door counts as 1 trip.' My Question: When you switch lines to get to your destination, this switching lines still is counted as 1 trip, correct? Since you are not leaving the metro system, I assume this is correct. On a map of the metro system I have, there is a symbol that means " Long Change between subway lines". Can someone explain this? Does it mean you have to leave the metro system to get the other train and therefore it will cost you another ticket? Thanks. Scott

Short response: entering the Metro system will count you one trip, no matter how many transfers between Metro lines you do. Transferring from Metro to a bus, or from one bus to another one, will count you two trips.

Long response (and probably most of the tourists who come to Madrid don't care): Metro is divided into three separated networks regarding fares:

- Line 9 from Puerta de Arganda to Arganda del Rey
- The whole line 12, plus Joaquin Vilumbrales and Puerta del Sur stations in line 10
- Any other station not included above.

The last one is officially called MetroMadrid, but is what everybody understands as Metro, and its fares work as mentioned in this thread.

The first network is operated by another company called TFM, it has their own tickets and MetroMadrid ones are not valid in this net.

Same happens to the first one, called Metrosur, that has its own ticketing system.

The only exception to this is the "Combined ticket", a ticket that can be purchased (1.50 EUR) in any station of any network, and allows the owner to transfer between networks.