Order your taxi on WhatsApp: how to book a taxi in Madrid step by step (with messages to copy)

To book a taxi on WhatsApp, all you need to do is open a chat with the dispatch centre, send the origin, destination, day, time and number of passengers in a single message, and wait for the reply with the confirmation and the price. You do not need to install any app or sign up: you use the WhatsApp you already have on your phone. With us it works for any journey between Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (T1, T2, T3 and T4) and the city of Madrid or the towns of the Madrid region, in both directions and at any time of day.

In this guide we walk you through the whole process from your side, with sample messages you can copy and fill in. If you want to book right now, go straight to our WhatsApp airport taxi service.

A taxi booked on WhatsApp works just as well as one booked by phone, with one difference: everything you agree is in writing. To make the most of it, have this ready before you open the chat:

• The contact. You can open the conversation from the WhatsApp button on our website or save the number in your contacts under an easy-to-find name, such as “Airport taxi”.
• The full address, with the number, entrance or name of the housing estate. If you are not sure of it (a hotel, a friend's house), your phone's location gets you out of a fix.
• Your flight details: departure time and terminal if you are going to the airport; flight number if we are picking you up there.
• How many of you are travelling and what luggage you have, in case a larger vehicle or a child seat is needed.

If you just write “Hi, I need a taxi”, we will have to ask you where from, where to, when and for how many: four answers and four waits. If the first message already has everything, the reply can go straight to the confirmation with the price.

Replace what is in square brackets and send. If you save your template in your phone's notes with your address already filled in, next time you will only need to change the date and time.

Leaving from home or from your hotel

Taxi for [day of the week and date] at [time]. Pickup: [street, number, entrance], [neighbourhood or town]. Destination: airport, terminal [T1/T2/T3/T4]. There are [number] of us with [number] suitcases. Contact: [name and phone number].

Early-morning flight

Taxi for the night of [day] to [following day], at [time] in the early hours. Pickup at [address]. Flight at [time] from terminal [terminal]. [Number] passengers and [number] suitcases.

Naming both dates of the night removes the most common doubt: a pickup at 0:30 on Saturday is the night from Friday to Saturday.

Arriving at Barajas

I need a taxi from the airport on [day and date]. Flight [flight number], due to land at [time]. Destination: [full address]. There are [number] of us with [number] suitcases.

Large group or lots of luggage

Large taxi for [number] people on [day] at [time], from [address] to terminal [terminal]. We have [number] large suitcases and [other items: skis, pushchair, bike].

From five passengers upwards, or with bulky luggage, the right choice is a taxi with up to 7 seats: ask for it directly in your message.

Travelling with small children

Taxi on [day] at [time] from [address] to terminal [terminal]. There are [number] adults and a child aged [age]: can you bring a child seat?

The child's age is the key detail for choosing the seat; availability is confirmed in the reply.

A taxi for someone else

I would like to book a taxi for [name], phone [number]. Pickup on [day] at [time] at [address], destination [terminal or address]. Travelling [alone/with others] with [number] suitcases.

It is very handy for your parents coming back from holiday, a friend coming to visit or a client of your company: afterwards, forward the confirmation to the traveller so they know the time and the meeting point. If you often book business transfers, our guide to airport taxis for businesses will interest you.

Sharing your location ensures the taxi arrives at the exact spot. In the chat, tap the paperclip icon (on Android) or the “+” sign (on iPhone), choose Location and then Send your current location. Before sending it, check on the map that the point matches the entrance or door where you are going to wait.

Your current location marks a fixed point: it is the one you need if you are going to wait at home or at the hotel. Live location keeps updating for as long as you choose and only makes sense if you are on the move. For a booking made days in advance, write the address: the location is best shared on the day. And add a visible landmark (“entrance 3, next to the chemist's”, “entrance on the street behind”): it takes just a few words and saves calls to the driver.

The booking is made when you receive our reply with the time and the journey details; until then, it is only a request. If you spot a mistake in any detail, correct it in the same chat and wait for the change to be confirmed. In the reply you will also see the price: we work with a fixed fare by area, the same in both directions, which does not depend on traffic or the meter. From inside the M-30 it is €33, and the other amounts are in our fares by area.

Payment is normally made to the driver, by card or in cash. If you would rather pay in advance by card, you can make the same booking with the form on the website, which shows the price instantly.

If we are picking you up at the airport

For the return, write your flight number: with it we check the terminal and confirm the meeting point. If your flight time changes, let us know in the same chat. We explain the whole process on the Barajas pickup page, and if you are not sure which terminal your airline uses, see which Barajas terminal you need to go to.

If you need the taxi with less than 2 hours' notice, if you are already in the street with your suitcases, if your battery is low or if the chat is not answering as quickly as you need, call 911 76 00 81. We explain why in the advantages of ordering a taxi by phone.

• Sending the details in bits, in five separate messages. Better a single one, using one of the templates above.
• Assuming the booking is made without a reply. If you have not received confirmation, the taxi is not booked.
• Not checking the message before sending it, especially the date and the terminal, which are the details most often mixed up.
• Forgetting the luggage. Three large suitcases or a pushchair may need a bigger vehicle.
• Booking with too little margin. Work out the pickup time with time to spare; we help you in how far in advance to book your taxi.