Drive or take a taxi to the airport? How to work out which is better for you

Should you drive or take a taxi to the airport? As a general rule, your own car pays off on short trips of one or two days, when parking adds up to little; a taxi works out better on trips of several days, with the family or with lots of luggage, because its price does not grow with the number of days you are away. To decide in your case, add up the real cost of the car (fuel, tolls and parking by the day) and compare it with two taxi journeys at a fixed fare, there and back.

The usual mistake is to think only about petrol. The full calculation includes:

• Parking by the day: Aena (the Spanish airport operator) has car parks next to the terminals and long-stay ones, which are cheaper but further away; there are also private car parks with a shuttle bus. In all of them, the price goes up with each day of your trip. Check the current rates before you decide.
• Fuel and tolls there and back.
• Extra time: looking for a space, waiting for the shuttle or walking with your suitcases to the terminal.
• The return: collecting the car and driving after a flight, sometimes at night and tired.

What if someone gives you a lift?

Having a relative drop you off seems like the free option, but it means two journeys for that person, there and back, and in the departures area you can only stop long enough to let passengers out. To pick you up on your return, they will also have to park or wait.

With a fixed fare by area the calculation is simple: one price per journey, per vehicle and not per person, the same there as on the way back. From inside the M-30 it is €33; the price for your neighbourhood or town is on our fares page. It does not change with traffic or with the number of days you are away.

For the return, book your pickup at the terminal with your flight number and you will leave the airport without hunting for the car or queuing.

Peace of mind during your trip

Airport car parks have security, but some people would rather not leave their car away from home for several days. With a taxi there is nothing to collect when you get back.

The risk of cutting it fine

If you drive, you have to add parking and getting to the terminal, sometimes by shuttle, to the journey time. With a taxi you get out at the departures door. You will find more ideas for keeping things simple in forget parking problems with a taxi.

Groups and sharing the cost

In a taxi, the price is split between those travelling. If there are five or more of you, a 7-seater vehicle takes you all together with your luggage.

1. Check how many days you will be away.
2. Look up the price for those days on the Aena website or that of a private car park.
3. Add fuel and tolls there and back.
4. Compare it with two taxi journeys from your area.

If you live outside the city of Madrid, the comparison changes with distance: we look at a real case in how much it costs to get from Alcalá de Henares to the airport, and if your question is about your daily journeys around the city, in own car versus taxi. From the north, for example, you have the fare for the taxi from Tres Cantos to the airport.