The Madrid Travel City Pass

The Madrid Travel City Pass (also known as Tourist Ticket or Billete Turístico) allows you to use of all public transport in the Madrid region for an unlimited number of trips during a certain period of time. So it’s an incredibly practical and profitable way to get around the city!

The best way to make the most out of your time is to combine your Madrid Travel City Pass with a tourist card such as a Madrid Card (my favorite) or a Madrid Tourist Card.

 

What is the Madrid Travel City Pass?

This city pass is also called Tourist Ticket or Billete Turístico in Spanish, and it is a transport pass. It’s basically a personal card that allows to make an unlimited number of trips, using the regular public transport services.

In order to get your Madrid Travel City Pass, you first need to purchase a Madrid Multi Card.

As soon as you get yours, you are entitled to get free unlimited rides using all public transport services (subway, light rail, buses and trains) in Madrid and the rest of the region – comunidad autónoma.

It’s available for a set number of calendar days (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 days) and you can choose between two zones: A and T.

 

How much does the Billete Turístico (Tourist Ticket) cost?

Have a look at the official Billete Turístico fares.

 

How can you get your Madrid Multi Card?

The Madrid Multi Card costs 2.50€. If the first charge of Multi Card is a Billete Turístico (Tourist Ticket), the Multi Card sale-price will be included in the price of the Billete Turístico. So the card itself will be free!

Your can purchase your Multi Card without any ticket and it’s available at:

  • All automatic ticket machines of Metro de Madrid and Metro Ligero (Light Rail).
  • Tobacconist’s and other authorized points of sale, Bankia ATMs (with some exceptions) and Renfe Cercanías stations.

 

How does the Madrid Travel City Pass work?

It’s very simple to use it. Place your card on the ticket reader, which will confirm the validity of the card.

Your Madrid Travel City Pass is valid from the time of their first use and for the calendar consecutive days included in the selected ticket. Additionally you will be able to use the night services until 5:00 (5:00 AM) on the last day.

You can use your Zone A Tourist Ticket in:

  • All Metro lines within zone A, including the airport supplement.
  • All EMT buses lines, excluding the Airport Express EMT bus line.
  • All Cercanías (Renfe suburban railway) stations included in zones 0 and A.
  • Metro Ligero (Light Rail) only on the ML1 line.

Your Zone T Tourist Ticket is valid for the above mentioned cases. And you can also use it in:

  • The entire Metro of Madrid network.
  • All EMT buses lines, excluding the Airport Express EMT bus line.
  • All suburban buses.
  • All Cercanías (Renfe suburban railway) stations covering zones 0, A, B1, B2, B3, C1, and C2.
  • Metro Ligero (Light Rail) on ML2, ML3 and ML4 lines.

Be careful because your Tourist Ticket is not valid in any Renfe Regional trains (Media Distancia in Spanish).

Once your Tourist Ticket expires, you can use your Multi Card regularly charging single and 10-trip tickets. Have a look at a complete guide to use your Madrid Multi Card correctly.

 

What is the difference between Zone A and Zone T?

As you can see on the map below,

  • Zone A in red roughly covers the area within the municipal boundaries.
  • Zone T includes the whole public transport network both within the city and surrounding areas (Zones B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, E1 and E2). Therefore, with a Zone T ticket you can go to Toledo, Segovia, Ávila, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Chinchón, Aranjuez and Alcalá de Henares.

madrid zonas abono transportes

 

 

Why should you buy it?

These are a few reasons that should incline you to get your Madrid Travel City Pass as soon as you arrive to the city:

  1. You can start using it as soon as you get to Madrid. In other words, you won’t have to deal with the ticket machines, which is always nice especially after a long flight and when you have to deal with jet lag.
  2. This city pass is excellent value for money. In fact, the Madrid Tourist Travel Pass is an excellent option for the Zone A if you plan to use it more than 2 days and for any combination of zone T.
  3. If you are traveling with children younger than 11, getting them a city pass is a no-brainer: their ticket cost 50% less than yours.
  4. Using the public transportation system is the very best way to get around Madrid and having a Madrid Tourist Travel Pass is the most convenient way to ride on it.

Zone A is my recommended option if you’re going to stay in the city center and plan to get around there.

Zone T is my recommended option if you’re planning on making day trips to places like El Escorial, Chinchón, Aranjuez or Alcalá de Henares.

IMPORTANT: It cannot be used on high-speed trains (including the AVE to Guadalajara and the Avant to Toledo) nor Renfe Operadora regional trains.