My wife and I are visiting Madrid this weekend and our flight home leaves Barajas at 5.50am (yuk!) We are staying right in the centre of the city. Do I assume that our only option for getting to the airport is a taxi? It looks as if the metro etc is not operating at this time of night. Surprising really, as I would have thought there were lots of people needing airport transport in the early hours of the day.

Any advice gratefully received.

5.50am!!!!

No, definitely, there is no public transportation at that time, but taxi. I have heard of a night bus whose route stops in Barajas village, about 500 metres away from T3 give or take, and it is used by airport employees with very early work schedules. But I don't think it is an option for somebody not knowing the path and having to take a flight.

The alternative is to take the last Metro train, that departs from Nuevos Ministerios at 1.30am and arrives to Aeropuerto T1-2-3 at 1.45am and Aeropuerto T4 at 1.55am, and try to get some sleep sitting at the airport.

If your flight (EasyJet, I'm guessing) is at 5:50am then you'll have to be there no later than, say, 4:45am. I wonder at what time the airline desks open... Anyway, you'll want to leave your hotel no later than 4:15am but you should encounter no traffic on the way. You can go to one of the busier streets near your hotel and get a taxi there with little trouble. Or, if you have a lot of luggage, you might consider asking the hotel's front desk to call you a taxi. You'll pay a little extra in taxi fare for this but it might be worth it.

Saludos, MadridMan

Maybe you could book a shuttle with AeroCity. I have heard good things about them and plan to use them myself. It's about 20E from downtown to Barajas Airport.

Good luck!

Liz

Thanks one and all for your advice.

get your hotel to get you a taxi at that time pre arranged. to be sure.

Had a super time in Madrid and used Aerocity to collect us from hotel (at 3.30am yuk). Very efficient and punctual. Cost 23 euros for the pair of us. (as opposed to 40 - 60 quoted for taxi at that time.) Would highly recommend them for flights at an unearthly hour...

http://www.aerocity.com/

Wow! Thanks for the folow-up with your experience, Saltpie! Your review is much appreciated.

Saludos, MadridMan

Good question. We have a flight that leaves Barajas at 8am. Would you recommend a shuttle or taxi to the airport for that flight?

If it leaves at 8am, I guess you need to be there around 6am, which will mean leaving your hotel (if in the centre) at around 5! If you don't want the expenditure of a taxi, i can highly recommend http://www.aerocity.com/

Just 23 euros. Our hotel had an order form dispenser for them on the front desk.

Good luck. And enjoy Madrid. It's great!