Zone A is the city of Madrid, all of it, from the old centre to the outer districts and the four terminals of Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. A visitor who sleeps, eats and sightsees in Madrid never leaves it, which is why the eight-ring map in every Metro station is mostly irrelevant to a city break. The question that does matter is on the tourist pass, where the choice is zone A or zone T, and T only pays off with day trips to places such as Toledo, El Escorial or Alcalá de Henares. For residents the monthly Abono Transporte costs €32.70 in zone A in 2026.
What is zone A in Madrid? Zone A is the whole municipality of Madrid, airport terminals included, and it covers Metro, EMT buses, Light Metro 1 and Cercanías inside the city. A 30-day pass for it costs €32.70 in 2026. You only need a wider zone for trips out of the city, such as Las Rozas Village (B2) or Toledo (E2).
The ticket types that sit on top of the zones are in which Madrid transport ticket to buy.
Is Madrid airport in zone A
Yes. The airport is inside the city boundary, so zone A reaches all four terminals on Metro line 8. The catch is elsewhere: single and 10-trip Metro tickets add a separate airport supplement, explained in the Madrid airport Metro supplement, and the airport express bus has a fare of its own.
Should you buy zone A or zone T on the tourist pass
The tourist travel pass, the one most visitors buy, has only two zones. Zone A is the city and the airport. Zone T covers the entire network out to E2, so it reaches Toledo, Alcalá de Henares, El Escorial and Aranjuez on the same card. Children under 11 pay half on either.
The rule of thumb is simple. Stay in the city and zone A is enough; add one or two day trips and zone T starts to compete with buying separate return tickets. Whether the pass beats paying per journey at all is worked through in when the tourist pass is the wrong buy.
| Day trip | Zone | Covered by zone A |
|---|---|---|
| Las Rozas Village outlet | B2 | No |
| Alcalá de Henares | B3 | No |
| El Escorial | C1 | No |
| Aranjuez | C1 | No |
| Toledo | E2 | No |
Toledo is in the network, but the quicker way there is the high-speed train or the coach, compared in Madrid to Toledo by train or bus. For the others, see what a day in Alcalá de Henares costs and El Escorial tickets.
How much does a monthly pass cost in each zone
The 30-day Abono Transporte is the resident’s ticket. Fares come from the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid, the regional transport authority, and the Consorcio sets one price per zone. Each zone includes the ones inside it, so a B2 pass also works in A and B1. These are the 2026 prices after the 40 % subsidy, listed from the outside in:
| Zone | 30-day pass | Example towns |
|---|---|---|
| E2 | €79.00 | Toledo, Tarancón |
| E1 | €66.30 | Guadalajara, Illescas |
| C2 | €49.20 | Cercedilla, Rascafría |
| C1 | €49.20 | Aranjuez, El Escorial |
| B3 | €49.20 | Alcalá de Henares, Valdemoro |
| B2 | €43.20 | Las Rozas, Majadahonda, Móstoles |
| B1 | €38.20 | Alcobendas, Getafe, Leganés |
| A | €32.70 | City of Madrid |
Inside the region the price stops climbing at B3, so living in the mountains costs the same as living in Valdemoro. It only rises again across the border in Castilla-La Mancha. If you live and work outside the city without crossing zone A, an interzonal pass covers only the rings between its two ends, and the cheapest pairs of neighbouring zones cost €28.70.
Which zone should you live in if you move to Madrid
For anyone relocating, the zone is one more line in the rent comparison. Alcobendas, Getafe and Pozuelo de Alarcón add €5.50 a month over the city; Las Rozas and Majadahonda add €10.50; Alcalá de Henares and Collado Villalba add €16.50. Beyond B3 the pass stops getting dearer, which is why commuter towns in C1 and C2 cost the same to travel from as B3.
The monthly pass needs a Tarjeta Transporte Público Personal, a named card that requires registered residence in the region or a neighbouring member town and an appointment the first time. It cannot go on the anonymous card used for 10-trip tickets and tourist passes.
Do under-26s and over-65s pay less
Under the youth scheme of the Comunidad de Madrid, the Comunidad sets the Abono Joven at €10 a month, one price for every zone from A to E2, for ages 15 to 25, that is, until the day you turn 26. Turning 26 mid-load does not cost extra: you finish the 30 days at the young rate. Eligibility and the card it needs are in the Abono Joven youth travel pass.
Residents aged 7 to 14 travel free on a 30-day pass, under-7s on the free children’s card, and over-65s on the free Abono +65, valid for 365 days. A visiting family does not qualify, because all three need registered residence.
When do these prices end
Every figure here depends on subsidies the transport authority keeps until 31 December 2026: 40 % off passes for ages 26 to 64, 10-trip tickets and the Tarjeta Azul, and 50 % off the Abono Joven. Without them, the official zone A fare is €56.20. On a trip planned for 2027, check the Madrid Metro ticket price again in January.
Frequently asked questions about Madrid transport zones
What is zone A in Madrid?
Zone A is the municipality of Madrid, every district and neighbourhood of the city, including all four terminals of Barajas airport. A 30-day zone A pass costs €32.70 in 2026 and covers Metro, EMT city buses, Light Metro line 1 and Cercanías trains inside the city.
Is Madrid airport in zone A?
Yes. All four terminals of Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas sit inside the city boundary, so zone A reaches them on Metro line 8. Single and 10-trip Metro tickets add an airport supplement, which is worth checking before you land.
What is the difference between zone A and zone T in Madrid?
They are the two zones of the tourist travel pass. Zone A covers the city and the airport. Zone T covers the whole network out to zone E2, which takes in Toledo, Alcalá de Henares, El Escorial and Aranjuez. Children under 11 pay half.
What zone is Alcobendas or Las Rozas?
Alcobendas is zone B1, along with Getafe, Leganés and Pozuelo de Alarcón. Las Rozas is zone B2, like Majadahonda, Móstoles and Torrejón de Ardoz. A few individual stops in Las Rozas belong to a different zone, and the stop post shows which.
How much is a monthly transport pass in Madrid?
In 2026 the 30-day pass costs €32.70 for zone A, €38.20 for B1, €43.20 for B2 and €49.20 for B3, C1 and C2. Beyond the region it rises to €66.30 for E1 and €79.00 for E2.
For a city break, zone A is the answer; the other seven rings are for day trips and commuters.