MAD Terminals: T4 vs T1-T2-T3
Madrid-Barajas is really two airports sharing a name. The older T1-T2-T3 cluster and the newer Terminal 4 are more than 2 km apart, and picking a hotel on the wrong side adds a bus ride to a schedule that may not have room for one.
The two sides of MAD
T4, with its satellite building T4S, is the Iberia and oneworld hub and the airport’s showpiece. T1, T2 and T3 form a connected row you can walk between; they handle most other carriers, including easyJet, Ryanair and the Star Alliance and SkyTeam airlines. Terminal assignments shift, so trust your booking confirmation over habit.
Each side has its own Line 8 metro station. Only T4 has the Cercanías C-1 train, and only T4 has a hotel inside the building.
The free transit bus
A free bus links T1, T2, T3 and T4 around the clock: every 5 minutes from 6:00 to 22:00, every 20 minutes overnight. Budget about 10 minutes from T1 to T4 and up to 15 the other way. Between T4 and T4S you ride the underground people mover instead; it’s airside and takes 3 minutes.
Matching hotel to terminal
Flying from T4, Aerotel Madrid is unbeatable: it’s inside the building, one lift ride below arrivals. Meliá Barajas works for either side; its free minibus stops at T1, T2 and T4.
For the T1-T2-T3 cluster, Hilton Madrid Airport is about five minutes away with shuttle stops at every terminal, NH Madrid Barajas Airport shuttles to any terminal on request, and ibis Madrid Aeropuerto Barajas is a five-minute taxi from T1.
Novotel Madrid Feria and Airport and Crowne Plaza Madrid Airport sort by trip type instead: the Novotel rides Line 8 to both airport stations, and the Crowne Plaza’s €5 shuttle serves the terminals on a fixed timetable. AC Hotel Coslada Aeropuerto is the value pick when the 10 km distance doesn’t matter.
Connecting between terminals overnight
The transit bus never stops running, so a late T1 arrival can still reach the T4 day rooms or an early T4 departure. At 20-minute night frequencies, add buffer. For where to actually sleep, see sleeping in Madrid airport.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart are Madrid airport's terminals?
Terminal 4 stands more than 2 km from the T1-T2-T3 cluster. A free transit bus links them 24 hours a day: T1 to T4 takes about 10 minutes, T4 back to T1 up to 15. T1, T2 and T3 are walkable between themselves.
Which airlines use Terminal 4 at MAD?
T4 and its satellite T4S are the Iberia and oneworld hub, including British Airways, American Airlines and Qatar Airways. Most Star Alliance and SkyTeam carriers, easyJet and Ryanair use T1, T2 or T3. Always check your booking; assignments change.
Do both sides of the airport have a metro station?
Yes. Line 8 stops at Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and at Aeropuerto T4. The Cercanías C-1 commuter train and the in-terminal hotel are at T4 only.
Information last verified: August 20, 2026