Decisions to make before you travel
- How do you get in from the airport? Metro line 8 runs from Aeropuerto T4 to Nuevos Ministerios in under 20 minutes, and the Metro runs from 06:00 to 01:30 (Turismo de Madrid, checked 30 October 2026). The airport Metro stations normally add a €3 supplement; the tourist travel pass for zone A includes it (Consorcio Regional de Transportes, checked 30 October 2026).
- Which transit ticket? The zone A tourist travel pass costs €10.30 for one day, €23.10 for three and €43.20 for seven, counted in calendar days from first use, with 50% off for under-11s. It is not valid on Renfe high-speed or regional trains. The Madrid City Card costs exactly the same for one to five days and adds discounts, so choose it only if the pass suits you. On Cercanías trains you can tap a contactless bank card at the gates (single fares €1.70–€5.50 by zones), but you must tap out too or pay the network maximum (Renfe, checked 30 October 2026).
- What has to be booked? The Royal Palace sells timed tickets at €18 for a self-guided visit that cannot be changed or refunded; EU and Ibero-American citizens enter free Monday to Thursday 16:00–18:00 from October to March, at the ticket office only. The Prado's €15 ticket carries a time slot; its free last two hours are ticket-office only and subject to capacity. The Bernabéu Classic tour costs from €37 online and is non-refundable. Patrimonio Nacional calls advance purchase "essential" at El Escorial (€14), which is closed every Monday.
- What changes soon? Madrid's full Christmas programme is due online on 18 November 2026. The Plaza Mayor market is listed from late November to 31 December 2026 and the Cabalgata de Reyes for 5 January 2027 from 18:00. The Palacio de Cristal in Retiro is listed by the tourism board as closed for works until 2027. Retiro keeps winter hours of 06:00–22:00 from October to March, and the Real Jardín Botánico closes at 18:00 from November to February. Both the Royal Palace and El Escorial closed on 1 and 6 January in 2026; their 2027 lists were not published on 30 October 2026.
- Shopping tax-free? Visitors resident outside the EU can reclaim VAT if the shop issues an electronic refund form (DER) and they have it validated before leaving the EU, within three months of purchase (Agencia Tributaria). At Barajas the DIVA kiosks are in T1, T2, T4 and T4 Satellite (Aena, checked 30 October 2026).
Your planning order
Compare the main tickets
| Sight | Adult price checked 30 October 2026 | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Palace | €18 self-guided (+€0.77 online); €26 guided | No changes or refunds; free hours for EU and Ibero-American citizens |
| Prado | €15 with a time slot | Free last two hours, ticket office only |
| Thyssen | €14, temporary exhibitions included | Only the ground-floor show is timed; collection free Mon 12:00–16:00 |
| Paseo del Arte card | €32.80 | One visit each to the Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofía within a year |
| Bernabéu Classic tour | €37 online, €40 at the ticket office | Non-refundable; shorter route on match days and the day before |
| El Escorial monastery | €14; €7 reduced | Closed Mondays; free Wed and Sun afternoons for EU and Latin American citizens |
| Real Jardín Botánico | €4; €1 reduced | Free for everyone on Tuesdays 10:00–13:30 and for under-18s |
If this is your situation
What to recheck before you go
The date of the Royal Guard's Solemn Changing in November is unsettled: the Royal Guard's rule (first Wednesday, so 4 November) and esMADRID's listing (11 November) disagree. Also check the Christmas programme after 18 November, the 2027 closure lists at Patrimonio Nacional sites, any reopening date for the Palacio de Cristal, and the Bernabéu match calendar, which the club says is usually confirmed only two to three weeks ahead. Puerta del Sol's 2026 New Year's Eve access rules, capacity and station closures were not published on 30 October 2026. Each guide names the page it follows and the date it was checked; open that page again for your travel dates.
