“During my four years at Schiller International University as an undergrad student, I especially appreciated being taught by professors with real world experience ready to equip us to confront real situations in our professional careers. SIU offers a great international environment where teamwork is put into practice. I enjoyed the very open-minded and rich interaction with the classmates and professors during my BBA program at SIU.
Edgar Barroso
Transportation
Madrid has a modern and efficient public transport system.
Metro-Bus
For central Madrid, you can use the same fixed price tickets on both the metro system and the buses. Outlying areas may require an additional charge (eg. to the airport).
You can buy individual tickets on buses or at the metro station but it is cheaper to buy the 10 trip abono transportes. You can buy this either at the metro station or at any newspaper kiosk.
If you are under 23 and/or are taking more that 2 trips per day, it is probably worth buying a monthly ticket which is valid for unlimited trips for a month. You will need to apply for a travel card at an “Estanco” along with ID and a couple of photos. This will take about a week to process. You can then buy a monthly ticket at either the metro station or at an Estanco at the begining of each month.
Madrid train stations:
- Estación de Atocha – mainly to the south coast
- Estación de Chamartin - mainly to the north and France
Both these stations have high speed trains (AVE) and also local suburban trains.
- Estación de Nuevos Ministerios is an important hub for suburban trains and has a link to the metro system. It is 10 minutes from the SIU Madrid Campus or 1 stop on the Metro.
Coaches
It is usually cheaper to travel by coach than by train – though please bear in mind that your journey will be longer.
Taxi
It is always easy to find a taxi in Madrid. Taxis showing a green light or the word “Libre” can be flagged down on the street. Taxi charges are based on area, time, and number of pieces of luggage. There are additional charges for the airport and the major train stations.
Taxis must switch on their meters when they pick up passengers and you can ask for an official receipt (un recibo).
To request cab service, call Radio Taxi 91 5478200
Rent-a-car
To hire a car, you must be 25 or over and have held a licence for at least one year. However, some agencies accept drivers aged 21-24. You should have your driving licence and passport with you. You can find most intemational rent-a-car companies, such as Avis, Europcar, or Hertz in Madrid and its airports.
Plane
Barajas
Madrid is served by Barajas airport. This is one of Europe´s busiest airport and an important hub for Central and South America. There are 4 terminals and most long distance flights and flights by Iberia leave from T4. Low cost flights and domestic flights tend to leave from T1-3. Please check where you arrive as T4 is quite a distance from the other terminals.
All Terminals are connected by Metro to central Madrid. There is a direct connection from Nuevos Ministerios (10 minute walk or 1 metro stop from Schiller Madrid). You can also find buses to central Madrid and numerous taxis.
