Local buses, Madrid

Madrid has a modern & efficient buses net. In bus stops you can see detailed city maps posted (useful even if you're not planning to take a bus) where you can see bus routes. Prices are 1,10 euros for a single journey. You can buy METROBUS, a 10-journeys ticket valid for both bus and metro (at Metro Stations, Tobacco shops, and some press kiosks, 5,20 Euros). Monthly passes, which are also valid on the metro, can be purchased in Estancos where you'll need your DNI card (for Spaniards) or your passport (for non-Spaniards) and a passport-sized photo; they can be shared for travel by more than one person on a journey. From 33,60 euros. The buses run from 6:00am to 23.30pm, after which you will have to rely on night-buses (called 'buhos', meaning owl - see below) or taxis.
BUHOS: if you go out late at night (after midnight), you might need to take one of these night buses. They leave from Cibeles square. They leave every half hour (on the half hour) between midnight and 3:00 am and every hour on the hour between 3:00 am and 6:00 AM.

There are three main bus terminals in Madrid – Estacion Sur de Madrid, Estacion de Avenida de America and Estacion de Conde de Casal. The buses are called EMT and are red. There are special bus lanes for them to operate on and usually their times are from 6.00am to 11.30pm. Madrid also has night buses which operate from 11.30pm through to 5.00am.

The Moncloa Station has been a recent addition to Madrid. Opened by the Mayor of Madrid and the President of the Region of Madrid in 2008, the new bus station is over 3 levels, mostly underground, and allows for 34 bus arrival and departure points. These buses connect to around 47 intercity bus lines. Buses to El Escorial also depart from this station.

Excellent and wide network. You can buy a single ticket from the driver or a 10 trip ticket, but not on the bus but the metro stations for example. With that ticket, called MetroBus, you can save much money and it's valid for both, bus and metro.

For more information, visit the site.

Buses who wants to get on them, well I thought this was a great way of moving about specially when your are lost. We where totaly lost.....and I was told by one of the locals to get on the bus to my final destination we did just that. A bus operator getting of his shift told us exactly what to do, he rode with us to one stop telling us where to get the next bus and where to get off. I thought this man was a hero! I was overwhelmed by his courtesy.

There are a number of different bus routes that run within Madrid. Buses here are similar to those in most European capital cities, prone to lateness and can take a while to arrive at their destinations. However, taking a bus will you the opportunity to see the city at a slower pace, and if theres no traffic, they're not that bad!

The bus service is really good; clean, comfortable and cheap buses, well distributed bus stops, where you can find city maps with a lot of information about the routes. You can buy a "Metrobús", the ticket that allows you 10 trips of bus or subway.

El servicio de autobuses es realmente bueno; autobuses limpios, cómodos, con conductores amables, con paradas bien distribuidas en donde puedes encontrar planos de la ciudad con mucha información acerca de los recorridos. Puedes adquirir un "metrobús", un boleto que te permite 10 viajes de metro o de bus.

The Empresa Municipal de Transportes (EMT) is the company of the Madrid bus network. There are more than 180 lines in service between 6:00 a.m. and midnight. Special nightbuses (buhos) operate from midnight to 5:00 a.m.
Two interesting lines are No. 5 which goes from Puerta del Sol via Plaza de Cibeles to Estacion Charmartin; No. 27 operates along the Paseo del Prado and the Paseo de la Castellana.
See also my Off The Beaten Path Tip.