Madrid’s public transport is free for people over 65, but only if they live here. The Abono +65 of the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid costs nothing and lasts 365 days, yet it sits on a personal card that requires a registered address in the region. A visitor over 65 pays adult fares: €7.30 for 10 rides in zone A, or €10.30 for a one-day tourist ticket. Where seniors do save on a short trip is at the big museums and on Renfe trains with the Tarjeta Dorada.
Do seniors get free public transport in Madrid? Only residents. The Abono +65 is free for a year on Metro, EMT buses, interurban buses, light rail and Cercanías up to zone C2, but it needs a personal card linked to a padrón address in the region. Visitors over 65 pay adult fares, starting at €7.30 for 10 rides in central Madrid.
Can a visitor over 65 ride free on Madrid public transport
No. The personal card that carries the Abono +65 is reserved for people who live in the Comunidad de Madrid or in a listed town of Castilla-La Mancha or Castilla y León. The tourist ticket has no senior rate either: the Consorcio sets a single reduction for it, 50 % for children under 11.
That leaves two options, both sold at the machines of every Metro de Madrid station:
| Ticket | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 10-ride ticket, zone A | €7.30 on a €2.50 Multi card | Two or three rides a day, shared by travellers |
| Tourist ticket, zone A | €10.30 one day, €27.80 four days, €43.20 seven days | Many rides a day, or arriving by Metro from the airport |
The Multi card is anonymous, so the Consorcio lets different people use it. How it works is covered in our guide to the Multi card.
Is the tourist pass or the 10-ride ticket cheaper over 65
The tourist ticket wins in one case: the Metro from Barajas. With it you skip the €3.00 airport supplement that the 10-ride ticket pays, as explained in the airport Metro supplement guide. The Airport Express bus is separate, a flat €5.00 paid on board. For a full comparison of passes, see whether the tourist travel pass is worth it.
Which museums and trains give a senior discount
Age discounts do exist in Madrid, just not on the city buses and Metro. These are the ones a visitor over 65 can claim with proof of age at the desk:
| Place | Over-65 price | Standard price |
|---|---|---|
| Museo Reina Sofía | Free, ticket from the desk | Paid ticket |
| Museo del Prado | €7.50 | €15 |
| Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza | €10 | €14 |
| Royal Palace (Palacio Real) | €9 | €18 |
On top of the senior rate, the Prado opens free to everyone in its last two hours, and the Reina Sofía has free hours of its own, listed in Madrid’s free museums.
For trains, the Tarjeta Dorada is the senior card. According to Renfe, anyone over 60 can buy it for €6 a year at station ticket offices and travel agencies, and it takes 25 % off AVE and long-distance fares, 25 % off Avant on weekdays and 40 % at weekends, and 40 % off Media Distancia and Cercanías singles. On the €13.90 Avant to Toledo, that brings a weekend ticket down to about €8.30; the rest of that day trip is in Madrid to Toledo by train or bus.
How to get the free Abono +65 if you move to Madrid
Once you are on the padrón, the free pass is yours in two steps. First the Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal, which costs €4:
- Online, with a recent colour photo, your passport or residence permit and a padrón certificate. It is posted to you within a week.
- In person, at an Oficina de Gestión with an appointment booked online or on 012, or +34 915 804 260 from outside the region. The photo is taken there and you leave with the card.
The office at Ríos Rosas, Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás 3, opens Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00. Then load the Abono +65 for free in the Tarjeta Transporte app, a Metro or Cercanías machine or a tobacconist; the machine offers it once it reads your age. It is renewed from 10 days before the year runs out, and the new year starts when the old one ends.
Registering on the padrón comes first; what to bring is in the padrón registration guide.
Does the senior pass reach Toledo or Guadalajara
Up to zone C2, the outer edge of the Comunidad de Madrid. It does not cover zones E1 and E2 in Castilla-La Mancha, where a 30-day adult pass costs €66.30 and €79.00. A resident in zone A saves €32.70 a month, the 2026 price of an adult 30-day pass there. Which town falls in which zone is set out in Madrid transport zones explained.
Free travel over 65 depends on an address, not a passport.
FAQ about senior transport in Madrid
Do seniors get free public transport in Madrid?
Residents do. The Abono +65 is free for 365 days on Metro, EMT buses, interurban buses, light rail and Cercanías trains up to zone C2, but it is loaded on a personal card that requires a registered address in the region. Visitors over 65 pay the same fares as any adult.
Is there a senior discount on the Madrid tourist travel pass?
No. The tourist ticket has no age discount, only 50 % off for children under 11. In zone A it costs €10.30 for one day, €27.80 for four and €43.20 for seven.
What is the cheapest way for a senior visitor to use the Metro?
For two or three rides a day, a 10-ride ticket at €7.30 on a €2.50 Multi card beats the tourist pass. Fifteen rides over five days cost €17.10 that way, against €33.40 for a five-day tourist ticket.
Can a foreign resident over 65 get the Abono +65?
Yes, if they are registered on the padrón in the Comunidad de Madrid. The personal card costs €4 and is requested online with a photo, passport or residence permit and a padrón certificate, or in person with an appointment.
Do over-65s pay the airport supplement on the Madrid Metro?
Residents with the Abono +65 do not, because the €3.00 supplement is charged only on single and 10-ride tickets. A visitor using a 10-ride ticket pays it at Barajas; with the tourist ticket it is included.
Which Madrid museums are free or cheaper for over-65s?
The Reina Sofía is free for over-65s with a ticket collected at the desk. The Thyssen charges €10 instead of €14, the Royal Palace €9 instead of €18 and the Prado €7.50 instead of €15.
Every other ticket and fare is in Madrid public transport tickets and which to buy.