Madrid - How To Get There By Various Means by dailynews The nearest airport is Barajas International Airport, about 15-20 minutes from Madrid. It is connected to the city by the Metro line eight. Taxis from the airport to the city centre cost about €20. In February 2006, a huge new terminal building, designed by Britain's Richard Rogers and Spain´s Antonio Lamela, was inaugurated at Barajas. All One World alliance flights depart from the new Terminal 4 (T4). Work on the Metro connection between the airport (and the new T4 terminal) and the rest of the system has been finished. There is an overcharge of 1€ on the regular metro ticket for the airport line. Bus services run from the remaining terminals to T4 and there are additional bus services running from the centre of Madrid (Plaza Colón and Avenida de América). It is also planned (according to www.elpais.es) that a commuter train line from Atocha and Chamartín will arrive to the airport by 2009. This is one of the best and cheapest working metros in Europe! Trains are usually regular and on time. Aena - Madrid Barajas airport authority. Madrid Guide Spain - English guide to the airport & getting to / from it. By Train: Not only is Madrid the capital of Spain, but it is also the hub of the country's rail network. Major routes include frequent trains to Barcelona on the east coast (5 hour journey), where it is possible to continue on to the French coast, and to Paris to the north with access to most of the rest of Europe. Main connections between Madrid and other European cities include: Portugal, direct train from Madrid to Lisbon, but also a train from Irún to Lisbon via Madrid. France, direct train from Madrid to Paris, but also a train via Barcelona to the Parisian train station Paris Austerlitz. Also trains to Montpellier via Barcelona and Cartagena (Murcia). Switzerland, train to Zurich via Barcelona. Italy, train to Milan via Barcelona. Spain's high-speed train (AVE - Alta Velocidad de España) makes the Madrid-Seville run in two and a half hours. The AVE line to Barcelona will probably become operational during 2007. It currently operates only between Madrid and Lerida via Zaragoza. Northbound trains arrive and depart from Chamartín station, while trains to Barcelona, Valencia and southern Spain depart from Atocha railway station. There is more information available at Spanish Railway System Renfe (+034 902-240-202). By Bus: Madrid has eight gigantic international and intercity bus stations. Information on where buses to a particular destination depart from can be found at the Tourist Office. Many of the international buses, and those headed south of Madrid, arrive at and depart from Estacion Sur de Autobuses (Calle de Mendez Alvaro, Tel:+034 91-468-4200) which is connected to the rest of the city by Metro. Buses to and from Barcelona are based from the Avenida de America bus terminal (Ave. de America), also connected to the Metro. By Car: There are car rent facilities available on the airport, train stations and other main travel sites. Always be sure to have a street map handy! Madrid - How To Get There By Various Means by dailynews.