Is Madrid worth a day trip?

Yes: 7 hours in Madrid, £122 for the whole day, 30 min into town each way. Enough for the main sights and a proper lunch without rushing.

How long do you actually get in Madrid?

About 7 hours in Madrid. Landing to take-off is 10.3 hours; the trip into town and back, passport checks and the time at the airport come off that.

How do you get from Madrid airport into town?

Metro 30 min, €5. A day ticket on local transport is Billete Turístico, Zone A, 1 day, €10.30.

What does a day in Madrid cost, not counting the flight?

About £49 a person for the day: local transport, lunch, dinner and a drink. Paid attractions are listed separately because most people do one or none, and an average that includes them is a number nobody actually pays.

Is the flight price on this page the one I will pay?

The fare shown is the cheapest recently seen on this route, not a live quote for these exact flights. Check the airline or the booking link for the price you will actually pay.

How early do I need to be back at the airport?

Leave the city by 17:45. That allows 30 min to get back to the airport and 120 min there, including 30 min for passport checks on the way out, before the 20:15 flight home.

Will passport checks eat my day?

We allow 20 min on landing for the EU Entry/Exit System (fingerprints and a photo on your first trip) and 30 min extra on the way out. That is already taken off the 7 hours shown. These are estimates; queues run longer on busy days.

Day trip to Madrid.
From Edinburgh, back by 22:15.

Spain·Tue 1 Dec · 7.0 hours in the city

£122

the whole day

7.0 hours

in the city

22:15

back in Edinburgh

Time in the city

7.0 hours

after transfersAfter transfers and airport time

Airport distance

13km

to the centreFrom Madrid centre (MAD)

Daylight

9.5 hours

08:18 to 17:49Sunrise 08:18, sunset 17:49

First EU trip since 2025? Allow 25 min more.

FlightAirport, immigration and transportIn the city

06:00
Leave Edinburgh
Ryanair, direct
10:45
In the city
Lands 09:55, 20min immigration, 30min from the airport
17:45
Leave the city
30min back, 120min at the airport incl. immigration
22:15
Back in Edinburgh
Flies 20:15 with easyJet

Leave EdinburghRyanair, direct06:00
Land in Madrid2h 55min09:55
In the city20min immigration, 30min from the airport10:45
Leave the city30min back, 120min at the airport incl. immigration17:45
Fly homeeasyJet, 2h 55min20:15
Back in Edinburgh22:15

Last bus or train to the airport: about 02:00.

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

Museo Reina Sofía is closed on Tuesdays, so we've put CaixaForum Madrid in its place.

10:5660 min there

6 min walk

12:02120 min there

6 min walk

14:0890 min there

15 min walk

15:5390 min there

about 17 min walk

17:45Back to the airport

Express bus · 40 min

AirportFlight 20:15

Typical weather for this date

12°C

average high

3°C

average low

2 in 10

years it rained

This date is too far out to forecast. These are Madrid's actual figures for the same date across the last 10 years.

Also on in Madrid

Coming up in Madrid: Cabalgata de Reyes Magos de Madrid, 5 Jan

Things to do in MadridShow

Royal Palace of MadridTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Prado MuseumTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Santiago Bernabéu StadiumTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link
Parque de Atracciones MadridTickets on TiqetsAffiliate link

All things to do in Madrid · Tiqets, affiliate link

With kids in MadridShow

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Day Trip Flight Details

How we'd do it

Open up the maps to see full detail.

Museo Reina Sofía is closed on Tuesdays, so we've put CaixaForum Madrid in its place.

10:5660 min there

6 min walk

12:02120 min there

6 min walk

14:0890 min there

15 min walk

15:5390 min there

about 17 min walk

17:45Back to the airport

Express bus · 40 min

AirportFlight 20:15

What a day in Madrid costs

Flights and on-the-ground spend, per person.

£122/ all in, per person

Metro to city centre and back£8

Local transport£9

Lunch£12

Dinner£20

Beer calculator× 0£0

Entry fees, on top (optional)

Museo Nacional del Prado£13 (€15)

Royal Palace of Madrid£15 (€18)

Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza£12 (€14)

Opening days vary, so check before you go.

Museo Reina Sofía main building (individual visitors only), Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is free on Mondays 12:00-16:00, Royal Palace of Madrid is free Monday-Thursday 17:00-19:00, El Retiro Park, Plaza MayorFree

On the ground£49

Prices checked 3 Oct 2026

Return flight from£73

Google Flights price. Checked 8 days ago.

Getting to Edinburghfrom free

All in, per person£122

Out with Ryanair, back with easyJet. Two separate tickets. Book both before you go.

Estimated cost. Fares last checked 8 Oct, 11:20. Prices and availability change and are set by the airline or agent when you book.

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Half the price, kept for good, for the first 1,000 members.

£19a year, locked for life

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Try it for 14 days. Full refund if it's not for you.

Built by Josh and Samar

£19 today for your first year, then £19 a year for as long as you stay.

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Getting to the airportShow

Getting to Edinburgh

Per person. Not in the total above. Prices checked 25 Sept 2026.

Free

Free drop-offFree
Long Stay car park: free for 0-30 minutes, then £14 (30min-1hr), but no shuttle bus, 10-min walk to terminal Source

Train

From Edinburgh city centre (via Edinburgh Trams, no direct rail link)£7.50 each way30 min
Advance single; On the day £7.50. First train 06:30, last train 22:52 Source
First train too late for this flight: it gets you to Edinburgh less than 90 min before take-off.

Coach

Lothian Buses Airlink 100 from Edinburgh£6 each way
Cheapest advertised single. Source
Lothian Buses Service 17 from Ocean TerminalPrice not published
Source

Taxi

From Edinburgh city centre£24-£29 one way~8 miles
Estimate, not a quote.

Parking at the airport

Paid drop-offfrom £8.50
Multi-storey ground floor quick-stop: up to 10 min £8.50, then £1/min; local EH-postcode residents get 50% off the first 10 min Source
Terminal Parking£90
Same-day rate. Source
Long Stay Parking£60
Same-day rate. Source
Plane Parking£45
Same-day rate. Source

More parking

FastParkNo same-day price
Source
Mid Stay ParkingNo same-day price
Source

Parking nearby

No same-day price published. See multi-day prices

Secure Airparks Park & Ride£37.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 2 min. Source
Flying Scot Park & Ride£38.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 3 min. Source
Low Cost Park and Ride£38.98
Multi-day price, not a same-day quote. Shuttle 5 min. Source

Costs people forgetShow

Costs people forget

Not in the total above. Worth a minute before you go.

Phone data. EE, Vodafone and Three charge about £2.75 a day to use your allowance in Europe. O2, Tesco Mobile and giffgaff include it free.
Card fees. Many cards add a foreign-exchange fee to every payment abroad. Check yours before you go, or take one that doesn't charge it.
Ryanair airport check-in. £55 per person, per flight, if you don't check in online. Without a paid seat, online check-in opens 24 hours before and closes 2 hours before. Ryanair, fees
Ryanair bags. One small bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) under the seat is free. A 10kg cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) needs Priority & 2 Cabin Bags, £12.49 to £36 when booked. An oversize bag at the gate is refused or put in the hold for £70 to £75. Ryanair, fees

Ask about Madrid

Your hours, your budget, what you like. Answered from real costs and tips from people who have been.

Tips from day trippers

Nobody has left a tip for Madrid yet. Tap a place on the map to be the first.

Day trip to Madrid.
From Edinburgh, back by 22:15.

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Related reading

Day Trip to Madrid from the UK: What 9 Hours Actually Cost Us

Related reading

Day Trip to Madrid from the UK: What 9 Hours Actually Cost Us

Day trip to Madrid.From Edinburgh, back by 22:15.

Become a founder

Day Trip Flight Details

Become a founder

Related reading

Day Trip to Madrid from the UK: What 9 Hours Actually Cost Us

Related reading

Day Trip to Madrid from the UK: What 9 Hours Actually Cost Us

Day trip to Madrid.
From Edinburgh, back by 22:15.