The Madrid Metro and Atocha station - Madrid - TravBuddy

In my personal opinion, I think Madrid's metro system is one of the most efficient subways around. Once you enter any metro stop you first pay 2 euros for a one way ticket anywhere in the main city of Madrid. If you want to go farther out, like Mostoles (a satellite town), you need to pay an additional ticket to access the southern part of the metro (Metro Sur). Once you pay the 2 euros it is easy to find where you want to go with many easy-to-use metro maps. After you find the correct train, the max you wait is up to 5 min. When I visited Madrid in spring break I absolutely loved this system, as it took me anywhere I wanted quickly and efficiently.

If you want to go out of Madrid to a near town or area, you should take the "Atocha" train station. The station is gigantic and grand, with decorative vegetation lining the middle. The system here is also pretty efficient. You go to the ticket booth and ask for tickets to the town you want to stop at. After you buy the ticket, you should check on which train platform you should be waiting at (if the train is not already there). Usually, trains depart every half hour and arrive on time. This system is very good!