Bellringer 10/11

Bellringer 10/11

El Metro en Madrid

Madrid’s public transportation system is user friendly and dependable Madrid’s public transportation system is user friendly and dependable. There are 11 subway lines, each of which is numbered and color coded to avoid confusion. If you’re traveling outside of the city center, the city’s buses are a good bet-although traffic renders them less useful in the more central areas. And if you’re staying out into the wee hours, head to the Plaza de Cibeles and catch a buho (night bus; literally owl), which departs every half hour, all night long. Despite its 5 million inhabitants, Madrid’s center is manageable for pedestrians. Weather permitting, walking is a great way to get around and to familiarize yourself with the city’s sights and sounds. Unfortunately the center is not as friendly to cyclists, as there are no special bike lanes.

Madrid’s metro provides efficient service-expect trains to arrive every two to five minutes on most lines during the day. The system has no express trains, which means some cars may arrive so overcrowded that you’ll have to let one or more go before you can squeeze on. When planning a late night out, be aware that the metro system shuts down at around 1:30 AM and starts up again at around 6:00 AM. Digital clocks have been installed on most platforms to let you know how much time will pass before the next train arrives.

1. Where am I going? Identify the station nearest your destination. Every metro line runs in two directions, and with the exception of gray-colored line 6, which is circular, each has two ends. To make sure you’re headed in the right direction, check the signs posted throughout the stations and on the platforms. To figure out how to get where you’re going on the metro, ask yourself three questions: 1. Where am I going? Identify the station nearest your destination. 2. Which line(s) will take me there? If your starting and ending stations aren’t on the same line, change trains where their lines meet on the metro map. 3. In which direction am I traveling? Follow station signs for your desired line and direction. Your direction is the end-station you’re heading toward on the metro map. For example, if you want to take line 5, you’ll go toward either Casa de Campo or Canillejas.

All metro tickets can be purchased inside any metro station from vending machines, which accept both cash and credit cards and provide English-language instructions, or from station attendants, who take only cash. You can buy a sencillo (single-ride ticket) or a ticket that holds several rides, such as the metrobus, which holds ten rides. Once inside the station, you’ll use just one ride per trip, no matter how far in the system you travel or how many times you switch trains. After you dip your ticket at the turnstile, be sure to retrieve and keep your ticket for the rest of the trip-if a metro employee checks for tickets on the train, you could be fined if you don’t have a ticket with you.

Entrances

Buying Tickets

Underground

Inside the Train

The Art

Performers