A family’s first saving in Madrid is not on tickets, it is on fares. The Comunidad de Madrid grants full exemption on public transport to under-14s and to over-65s, so two adults with two children buy two tickets rather than four. From there the day is shaped by two conditions that appear on no list: which places require a booking and which require an adult to go in with the child.
What is free in Madrid with children? Transport for under-14s, municipal indoor pools for under-fives, the Royal Botanical Garden for under-18s on any day, and every municipal museum. Several free attractions require an advance booking, among them the Lope de Vega house and Andén 0.
Planning Madrid with children is mostly an exercise in calendars and paperwork rather than budget. The age exemptions are generous and apply automatically, but several of the places that cost nothing have capacity limits, fixed durations and compulsory booking, and that is where an improvised plan falls apart. The Lope de Vega visit runs 35 minutes in groups of 15, Andén 0 about 30 minutes, and the Royal Botanical Garden admits under-18s free on any day.
The free plans you have to book
This is the mistake that leaves a family at the door, and it affects precisely the places that cost nothing.
The Casa Museo Lope de Vega admits only guided visits of 35 minutes in groups of 15 with an advance booking, in Lope de Vega House Museum booking. Andén 0, at the Chamberí ghost station, is free, lasts about 30 minutes, needs booking and opens only Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in Andén 0 Chamberí. The Temple of Debod is free and booked too, in Temple of Debod booking.
What costs nothing, by age
Worth seeing together, because each authority sets its own bracket.
| Service | Free up to | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal museums | No limit, for everyone | Madrid city council |
| Royal Botanical Garden | 18, on any day | CSIC research council |
| Public transport | 14 | Comunidad de Madrid |
| Municipal indoor pools | 5 | Madrid city council |
Free transport is what most changes a family’s arithmetic, in Madrid public transport tickets explained. The Botanical Garden’s rule is in Royal Botanical Garden tickets, and the municipal museums in Madrid city museums free entry.
When the adult has to go in too
One condition is not about price at all, and it catches out anyone planning by budget.
At the municipal indoor pools, under-14s must be accompanied by an adult holding a valid ticket to the pool service. So a child under five enters free while the adult still pays 2.50 €, in Madrid indoor pools.
The biggest stretch of playground
For an outdoor day one space concentrates more than any other.
Madrid Río has 17 children’s play areas with 65 elements, plus 30 kilometres of cycle paths and 33 sports courts along more than 6 kilometres, in Madrid Río park guide. In summer the municipal pools charge 2.25 € an adult session across 25 sites, in Madrid’s summer pools.
Sitting down to eat is where the plan usually breaks, and the obstacle is the clock rather than the venue: lunch does not start until about 2pm and dinner until 9pm, leaving a gap of up to six hours after breakfast.
For the street emergency, the 130 public toilet cabins carry a fold-down baby changing table, cost €0.10 a use and give you 15 minutes on the clock.
Frequently asked questions about Madrid with kids
Do children pay for transport in Madrid?
Under-14s travel free, as do over-65s, because the Comunidad de Madrid maintains full exemption for those brackets. A family of two adults and two children under 14 buys two tickets rather than four.
Which family plans need booking in advance?
The Lope de Vega house museum, with 35-minute guided visits in groups of 15, Andén 0 at the Chamberí ghost station, and the Temple of Debod. All three are free and all three refuse entry without a reservation.
Which museums are free for children in Madrid?
The municipal museums charge nobody on any day, and at the Royal Botanical Garden under-18s enter free every day of the year. The eight state museums cost 3 €, generally free on Saturdays from 2pm and on Sundays.
Can a child use the indoor pool alone?
No. Under-14s must be accompanied by an adult holding a valid pool access ticket, so the adult pays an entry even when the child does not. Under-fives have free access to the indoor pool service itself.
Where are the biggest playgrounds in Madrid?
Madrid Río holds 17 children’s play areas with 65 elements, alongside 30 kilometres of cycle paths and 33 sports courts spread along more than 6 kilometres of linear park beside the river.
With children in Madrid the spending sorts itself out, and what needs planning is the paperwork.