A snowy weekend in the Sierra de Guadarrama is an hour and a half from Madrid by bus, but for the 2026-27 winter only one resort is running normally: Valdesquí. The Puerto de Navacerrada resort closed its season on 25 March 2026, shows 0 of 6 lifts and has announced no new season, and La Pinilla, over the border in Segovia, has closed its skiing until further notice. Valdesquí has 22 km across 29 runs and 15 lifts, between 1,860 and 2,260 metres, and bus 691 from Moncloa stops in its car park for €3.
Valdesquí is a ski resort in the Sierra de Guadarrama, in the municipality of Rascafría, opened in 1972 between the Bola del Mundo and the Valdemartín peak.
Where can I ski near Madrid without a car? Without a car, you ski near Madrid at Valdesquí, with 22 km and 29 runs, reached on bus 691 from Moncloa in about 90 minutes for €3. At weekends it leaves 8 times between 8am and 9.45am. Navacerrada closed in March 2026 and La Pinilla remains shut.
Is a ski day from Madrid worth it?
If you are in Madrid for a city break and want one day on snow, yes. If you are planning a ski holiday, no. The resort is compact and local, used as a day trip by people from Madrid, and what makes it different from a big Alpine or North American resort is how small and weather-dependent it is.
- It suits beginners, families and intermediate skiers. There is a beginners’ area with three meadows, two school runs and two conveyor lifts, and 22 km is plenty for one day.
- It does not suit a week of skiing, or anyone who wants to ski late: the lifts run from 9am to 4pm or 4.15pm.
- Snow is not guaranteed. La Pinilla, the other resort within reach, managed only seven days of skiing in 2025-26, according to its own statement of January 2026. Valdesquí sits higher, but check that it is open on the morning you go.
- Getting there is cheap. Two single tickets make €6 return, and there is no need to book the bus.
How do I get to Valdesquí by bus?
Bus 691, run by Avanza, leaves the Moncloa interchange and stops in the Valdesquí car park. It runs all year, but according to the Madrid Regional Transport Consortium it only continues to Valdesquí when the resort is open; otherwise it ends at Cotos, about 2.2 km down the road.
| Day | Departures from Moncloa to Valdesquí | Last bus back |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sunday, holidays | Every 15 minutes, 8am to 9.45am | Leaves the resort about 6.20pm, passing Navacerrada village at 6.45pm |
| Monday to Friday | 8.30am, 9.30am, 2.55pm, 4.55pm | Leaves the resort about 6.30pm, passing Navacerrada village at 6.55pm |
From central Madrid, Moncloa is on Metro lines 3 and 6, and the bus bays are inside the same interchange. Straight from the airport, take Metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios and change to line 6; the airport Metro stations charge a separate supplement, explained in the airport Metro supplement.
Which ticket: a single interurban ticket costs €3, bought from the driver, and a 10-journey ticket for zones A to C2 costs €22.40, with the current discount running until 31 December 2026. Valdesquí is in zone C2, so a zone A Tourist Travel Pass does not cover this bus; whether the Tourist Travel Pass is worth it and Madrid transport zones explained cover the details.
The alternative, a train to Cercedilla and the road service that replaces the C-9 line to Cotos, needs a reserved seat and two more changes, and Valdesquí mentions a free skiers’ shuttle from Cotos but publishes no timetable. That route is described in hiking near Madrid by train.
What does a ski day look like on the bus timetable?
Take one of the first buses: the 8am arrives at about 9.30am, with the lifts already turning, while the 9.45am gets in at about 11.15am.
Spanish lunch runs late, often 2pm or later, which clashes with a lift day that ends at 4.15pm, so pack food or eat early.
Going down, buses leave at about 2.45pm and 3.20pm for a half day, then 4.20pm, the relaxed choice after the last run, 5.20pm, 5.50pm and 6.20pm. Miss that last one and there is no other 691 that day. The timetable the Consortium publishes lists the time at Navacerrada village, 25 minutes after the bus leaves the resort.
Which resort is worth it this winter?
This winter the choice is made for you. Puerto de Navacerrada, the closest slopes to Madrid, has its lifts standing and its own website still points visitors to a train that is not running. La Pinilla’s Saturday coach from Plaza de Castilla is irrelevant while its slopes are shut.
Valdesquí’s car park has more than 600 free spaces, which the resort says can be booked online, if you change your mind and hire a car. Its opening date and lift-pass prices for 2026-27 are not published yet.
What if I have no gear, or there is no snow?
Snozone Madrid, the indoor slope in the Madrid Xanadú shopping centre in Arroyomolinos, opens every day from 9.30am to 10pm. Lift passes, according to Snozone, come in 1, 2 or 3 hours or a full day and include boots, skis or a board, poles and a helmet; clothing hire is €14.99, gloves are compulsory and under-12s must ski with an adult. Prices show when you book on its website.
It is the better call for a first try, a short session with children or a day when the sierra is bare. For other indoor ideas, see what to do in Madrid on a rainy day.
Skiing near Madrid questions from visitors
Can you go skiing near Madrid without a car?
Yes. Bus 691 runs from the Moncloa interchange to the Valdesquí car park in about 90 minutes, and a single ticket costs €3, paid on board. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays there are 8 departures between 8am and 9.45am.
What time is the last bus back from Valdesquí?
At weekends and on public holidays the last bus 691 leaves Valdesquí at about 6.20pm and passes Navacerrada village at 6.45pm. On weekdays the last one leaves at about 6.30pm. The official timetable lists the Navacerrada time, and buses coming from the resort leave it 25 minutes earlier.
Do I need to book the bus to Valdesquí?
No. Bus 691 takes no reservations, and a single ticket of €3 is bought from the driver when you board at Moncloa. At weekends buses leave every 15 minutes from 8am to 9.45am, so if one is full the next is a quarter of an hour behind.
Is Navacerrada ski resort open?
The Puerto de Navacerrada resort closed its season on 25 March 2026, shows 0 of 6 lifts running and has announced nothing for 2026-27. Its own website still says to take the Cotos train, which is not running. Valdesquí is the resort operating near Madrid.
Can I ski near Madrid without my own equipment?
At Snozone Madrid, the indoor slope in the Madrid Xanadú shopping centre in Arroyomolinos, lift passes of 1, 2 or 3 hours or a full day include boots, skis or a board, poles and a helmet. Clothing hire costs €14.99 and gloves are compulsory. It opens daily from 9.30am to 10pm.
When does Valdesquí open for 2026-27?
Valdesquí has not yet published its opening date or lift-pass prices for 2026-27; its calendar still shows the 2025-26 season and its online shop says the resort is closed. Bus 691 only continues to Valdesquí once the resort is open.
One resort, one early bus from Moncloa and one last bus down: that is the whole plan for skiing near Madrid this winter.