Metro card, prepaid and appartment

Moving around in Madrid is pretty easy because of the public transport. The only downside I have noticed is that moving is quite slow.

I don't recommend to use the taxi because it is very expensive.

METRO CARD

If you are under 25, charging a public transport card costs 20 euros / month (the card itself costs 4 euros). With the card, you are allowed to use bus and subway and you don't have to care about the zones.

How to get the card?

One option is to reserve an appointment to a public transport card management office. You can reserve it here or by calling to 012.

While reserving an appontment you can choose the office. If you live near the center or you can go there easily, you should choose for example Sol. You can also choose for example The Nuevos Ministerios, Avenida de América, Plaza de Castilla, Ciudad Unicersitaria or Moncloa. The above-mentioned offices are also metro stations and the offices are located in the stations.

When going to the appointment, remember to take a passport and a copy of the passport with you.

You can also get the card on the internet, in tobacconists or by post. Here is
more information about the public transport card.

Metro

Madrid's metro system is the second longest in Europe. So you can go almost everywhere by subway.

You can download an app Metro de Madrid Ofical. It is useful because there is the metro map and you can find the best routes easily.

Bus

If you want to go outside of the city centro, bus is a good option. There is big bus stations in Príncipe Pío and in Moncloa.

PREPAID

I bought my prepaid in Fodafone Sol. My prepaid cost 10 € / month and it includes 1 Gb internet, 20 mins airtime (inside Spain) and unlimited airtime with my Madrid friends (to another prepaid from the same chain). So I can´t call or text home (Finland) but I needed the prepaid only for calling to my friends and I think this is the best option for me.

There are a lot of options and different chains if you are looking for something else. Other big mobile providers are Orange, Movistar and Yoigo.

APPARTMENT

I recommend Airbnb and I think it is the easiest way to get a appartment. Airbnb is reliable because of its paying system. You can also read previous occupant's comments of the place you are interested in.

How the paying goes?

First you pay Airbnb when booking the place
The host gets the payment 24 hours after you have checked in