In Spain the presents arrive with the Three Kings, Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, on the night of 5 to 6 January, and the ritual that leads up to it is the letter. Children write their wish list in December and post it to the Kings or give it to a royal page, a paje real, who carries it to them. A visiting family can join in: in Madrid there are two free ways to post it in town and two paid ways to hand it over in person, out in the mountains.
Where can children post a letter to the Three Kings in Madrid? For free in the city, at the EMT Christmas bus in Plaza de Cibeles, which has a royal postbox inside, or at a Correos post office with a Christmas postbox. In person to a royal page, on the Navacerrada Christmas train, which cost 5 euros a person in 2025, or with King Melchior at Peque Navidad for 24 euros.
How does the Three Kings letter tradition work?
Letters close on the eve of Epiphany, 5 January, when the Three Kings parade crosses the centre in the evening. Children leave their shoes out that night, and on the 6th many places close, so plan a quiet morning. More free ideas are in Madrid with kids, the nativity scenes and Christmas in Madrid.
Which option suits a visiting family?
On a short city break, the Cibeles bus is the one to plan around: it is free, central and needs no booking, and a single ticket on the Metro gets you there, priced in Madrid Metro ticket prices.
Go in the morning slot: lunch is served late in Spain, from about 14:00, which is when the bus closes for its afternoon break. The Navacerrada train and Peque Navidad suit families with a car and half a day to spare, and both sell timed tickets that go first at weekends.
When does each option run?
The EMT Madrid Christmas bus parks in Plaza de Cibeles, a short walk from the Christmas lights on Gran Vía and Alcalá. In recent seasons it opened daily from 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00, except 24 and 25 December, and the Ayuntamiento publishes each year’s last day in December: it has been the 29 December in one season and 3 January in another.
Correos, the Spanish postal service, sets up Christmas postboxes in some of its offices each year, and in 2025 they ran until 5 January. Ask at the counter whether that branch has one; the same offices sell letter packs with envelope and stickers.
The Navacerrada train and King Melchior
The regional government launched a Christmas train in 2025 to the Christmas House above Navacerrada, where a royal page receives the letters, and the Comunidad sets the rules for meeting him.
A family of two adults and two children paid 20 euros, since every passenger, adult or child, needs a ticket. Only children who arrive on the train meet the page, always with an adult, and each meeting ends when a bell rings, so the time with the page is short.
Peque Navidad, the Santa’s house in Brunete and Navacerrada, switches to King Melchior from 26 to 30 December and 2 to 5 January: a two-hour slot at 24 euros, booked online only, with the details in where to see Santa in Madrid. If you are in town over the December long weekend, Santa is still on duty there.
Letter to the Three Kings in Madrid FAQ
When do children write to the Three Kings in Spain?
Through December and up to 5 January, the eve of Epiphany. The Kings bring the presents on the night of 5 to 6 January, so every letter channel in Madrid closes on the 5th or the 6th.
Can tourists’ children post a letter to the Three Kings in Madrid?
Yes. The EMT Christmas bus in Plaza de Cibeles and the Christmas postboxes in some Correos post offices are free and need no booking, and a letter in English is as welcome as one in Spanish.
Do Spanish children leave their shoes out for the Three Kings?
Yes. On the night of 5 January children leave their shoes by the door or the window, often with a snack for the Kings and water for their camels, and the presents appear beside them on the morning of the 6th.
Where can children meet one of the Three Kings near Madrid?
At Peque Navidad in Brunete or Navacerrada, where King Melchior receives families from 26 to 30 December and from 2 to 5 January, in two-hour slots at 24 euros, booked online only.
What time is the Cibeles Christmas bus open?
In recent seasons the EMT Christmas bus opened every day from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00, except 24 and 25 December. It is free, and the 2026 dates are announced in December.
Post the letter in Cibeles, watch the Kings ride past on the 5th, and the tradition is done.