The advantages of a taxi ride around Madrid when walking is not an option

A taxi ride around Madrid is the most comfortable way to see the city when walking a lot is not possible or you do not feel like it: with an elderly relative, with reduced mobility, on a rainy or very hot day, to see the Christmas lights or during a few free hours with your luggage in tow. Just tell the driver which areas you want to cover; in the city the price is set by the meter according to the official fares, including during stops.

Older people or those with reduced mobility

Central Madrid is best enjoyed on foot, but it has hills, long distances between sights and plenty of cobbled streets. For someone who tires quickly, seeing Gran Vía, Cibeles or the Royal Palace from the window, with the odd short stop, is the difference between getting to know the city and staying in the hotel. If a wheelchair-accessible vehicle is needed, it is worth finding out beforehand; we explain how in accessible taxis for people with disabilities.

Rainy, cold or very hot days

In the middle of August or on a rainy November afternoon, a tour by car lets you see the essentials without ending up soaked or exhausted. It is a good option for your first day, before deciding which areas deserve a visit on foot.

The Christmas lights

During the festive season, the lights on streets such as Gran Vía, Alcalá, Serrano and around Puerta del Sol draw large crowds. Seeing them by car avoids the packed pavements, although you should expect more traffic and occasional closures in the centre on those days.

Without leaving the taxi, a tour of the centre and the Prado and Castellana boulevards lets you see much of Madrid's classic image:

• Gran Vía, from Plaza de España to Alcalá, with its early twentieth-century buildings.
• Cibeles and the Puerta de Alcalá, with the Retiro in the background.
• Paseo del Prado, with the great museums on either side.
• Calle de Bailén, between the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral.
• Paseo de la Castellana, up to the towers in the north of the city.

If you want a more detailed route, with stops and visiting times, you will find it in sightseeing tour of Madrid by taxi. And to decide what is worth getting out of the car for, go over what to see in Madrid or, if you are only going inside one place, start with the Royal Palace.

If several of you are travelling, the cost is split between you all; for groups of five or more, you will not fit in a standard taxi and you need a larger vehicle, such as the 7-seater taxi.

Many visitors use their last hours in Madrid for a ride around before their flight. Our service focuses on transfers between the city and Barajas, with a fixed price by zone: from the centre, inside the M-30, it is €33, and the other amounts are listed in the fares. If you are staying near Gran Vía, you will find the pickup information on taxi from Gran Vía to the airport.