Night-time and peace of mind: late-night taxis to Barajas Airport

For an early-morning flight or a midnight arrival, a late-night taxi to the airport is the most direct way to travel between Madrid and Barajas: the metro stops running at night, the Cercanías (commuter rail) train does not run either and the night bus has few stops. If you book in advance, the taxi waits for you at your front door or at the terminal at the exact time, and with a fixed price you pay the same as during the day: from Inside the M-30, 33 euros.

Many airlines, especially low-cost ones, schedule very early departures and late arrivals to get the most out of their aircraft. The tickets are usually cheaper, but they leave a question hanging: how do I get to the airport at four in the morning, or how do I get home at one?

At those hours, the public transport options shrink considerably:

• The metro closes during the early hours and does not open until first thing in the morning.
• The Cercanías train to T4 does not run in the early hours either.
• The airport express bus runs 24 hours a day, but it makes few stops in the city, so for many travellers it means a walk or a second form of transport with their luggage.

We compare all the alternatives, by day and by night, in the ways to get to Barajas Airport.

This is where the main difference lies between hailing a taxi in the street and booking one:

In a metered taxi, the night, from 21:00 to 07:00, is charged at a higher rate than the weekday daytime rate; we explain how it works in taxi fares in Madrid. With a fixed price, on the other hand, the time makes no difference.

In the early hours there is no room for improvising: if no free taxi passes down your street at four in the morning, your flight will not wait for you. That is why, in these cases, the most sensible thing is to book.

You can do it all on the airport taxi booking page or, if you find it more convenient, order it on WhatsApp. And if the car ever fails to turn up on time, what to do if your taxi is late explains how to proceed.

Arriving at Barajas at midnight, tired and with suitcases, is when you most appreciate having your transport sorted. With airport pickup you give us your flight number, we check the terminal and confirm the meeting point. If the flight time changes, let us know by phone or WhatsApp.

If you would rather take a taxi on arrival, always do so at the terminal's official, signposted taxi rank and turn down anyone who offers you transport in the arrivals area. At night, with fewer people around, it pays to be extra careful; you will find more advice in safety tips for travelling by taxi in Madrid.