Madrid–Barajas Airport Terminal Map

Madrid's airport lies about 13 km from the city centre and handles around 68.2 million passengers a year (2025), making it one of Europe's busiest hubs. Its structure is two terminal clusters about 2 km apart: T1, T2 and T3 form one group, while T4 and its satellite T4S form a second — and a cross-cluster connection is the most common mistake travellers make here.

The two terminal clusters

How to tell where you are:

• Iberia and oneworld are in the T4 cluster — long-haul flights mostly leave from T4S, reached from T4 by an underground automated people mover in about 3–5 minutes.
• T1, T2 and T3 are linked on the ground level, so moving between the three can be done on foot.
• The two clusters are not connected, so a transfer means a free shuttle bus (24 hours, about 15–20 minutes) and a second security check.

Our diagram draws the T4 cluster as a block separate from T1–T3, with T4S marked out on its own, precisely to show that cross-cluster distance.

Transfers and connections

1. Check first whether both flights use the same cluster — staying within the T4 cluster (T4S included) or within T1–T3 makes for the quickest connection.
2. T4 and T4S are linked by the people mover; waiting plus the ride is about 10 minutes, so allow 90 minutes for a long-haul to long-haul connection.
3. For a cross-cluster connection allow more than 2 hours, because you will travel landside by shuttle and clear security again.

Routes and flights

• Routes — around 90 airlines flying to about 200 destinations, and Europe's primary gateway to Latin America; long-haul points include Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Bogotá, Lima, New York, Los Angeles and Tel Aviv.
• Flights — 68.18 million passengers in 2025 (+3.0%, a record), with about 431,000 aircraft movements.
• Aircraft — main base is Iberia and oneworld (T4/T4S), followed by Air Europa, Ryanair and Vueling; Iberia flies the A320 family plus A330/A350 widebodies.

Getting into Madrid

• Metro Line 8 — has its own stations at T1–T3 and at T4 and runs straight into the city's metro network; the cheapest option.
• Cercanías line C-1 — calls only at T4, running direct to Atocha and Chamartín; the shortcut if you are changing to a mainline train.
• Airport Express bus, route 203 — runs 24 hours direct to the city centre, and the reliable choice for a late-night arrival.
• Taxi — about 13 km, with a flat rate towards the city centre, so traffic does not change the price.

Practical tips

• Madrid is Europe's main gateway to Latin America, and almost all long-haul flights to Latin America leave from T4S. Checking in at T4 and boarding at T4S is the norm, so arrive with the people-mover transfer time built in.
• You can only board the Cercanías C-1 at T4; if you are staying on the T1–T3 side, take the shuttle or the metro across to T4 first.
• Airlines move terminals from time to time, so before you set off, go by your boarding pass and the airport's official information.