Car rental in Madrid

Madrid by car

Madrid sits on a plateau in the middle of the country, with motorways fanning out from it in every direction. Most visitors pick the car up for what lies outside the city rather than for the centre itself.

Driving in Madrid

Madrid is reached by A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, A-6 and the M-30 and M-40 ring roads. Madrid has a low-emission zone, Madrid Central: check the sticker rules before driving into the centre. Parking in the centre is paid and marked by zone. Driving through the centre is restricted, so most drivers park on the edge.

Where to park

Street parking near the Principe Pio metro stop, on Calle de Mozart beside the shopping mall, is free and within walking reach of Sol; commuters fill it on weekday mornings, while evenings and weekends are easier. In the centre, underground car parks reduce the risk of bumps from tight kerbside parking.

Arriving by road

Toll motorways R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5 run parallel to the free radial routes, but only the R-3 reaches the M-30; the others stop at the M-40 or M-50 ring. Much of the southern M-30 runs in tunnels beside the Manzanares, and several underground junctions near the centre come in quick succession, where GPS can lose its signal.

From the airport without a car

Metro line 8 connects Nuevos Ministerios with Madrid-Barajas Airport, stopping at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and at T4, while a Cercanías line links T4 with Chamartín. The yellow Exprés Aeropuerto bus 203 serves Atocha and Cibeles, bus 200 goes to the Avenida de America hub, and at night bus N27 runs to Cibeles.