Ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, Madrid residents will face major changes in city public transport. From December 22 to January 7, the municipal carrier EMT is implementing a special bus schedule to ease travel around the city during the busy season of shopping, gatherings, and celebrations. During this period, timetables are adjusted, bus frequency is increased on the most popular routes, and special measures are introduced for night and express lines.
A total of 23 daytime routes will be affected by these changes, including lines 1, 2, 6, 9, 17, 18, 20, 23, 31, 32, 35, 50, 51, 53, 74, 133, 146, 147, 148, 150 and M1. On these routes, the number of buses will increase on weekdays, especially during the afternoon from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in response to the surge in trips for shopping and cultural events. Additionally, lines 001 and E1 will have increased service from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., allowing passengers to reach their destinations across the city more quickly.
Holiday dates
The most significant changes apply to the main holidays: December 24 and 25, as well as December 31 and January 1. On these days, both the time of the last bus departures and the start of morning services will change. On Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), the last buses will leave the final stops between 8:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., and on the morning of December 25, service will resume between 7:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., depending on the route. Exceptions apply to special lines and buses running to cemeteries.
A similar schedule will be in effect for New Year’s: on December 31, buses will run slightly later—between 9:30 and 9:45 pm, and on January 1, service will begin between 7:15 and 8:45 am. This allows residents and visitors to plan their trips in light of holiday restrictions.
Night routes
Night bus schedules will also be adjusted. Night lines N1–N26, departing from plazas Cibeles and Alonso Martínez, will begin operating at 10:00 pm on Christmas Eve and at 10:30 pm on New Year’s Eve. Service continues until 7:00 am. Lines N28 and N31, connecting Moncloa with Aravaca and El Pardo respectively, will adjust their first and last trips between 10:20 pm and 6:30 am.
Ring routes NC1 and NC2 will run with varying frequency on Christmas night: from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am, buses will depart every 35 minutes, and from 4:00 am to 6:45 am, every 70 minutes. This will help maintain service even during the lowest passenger demand hours.
Express and university lines
The airport express bus (Exprés Aeropuerto) will also operate on a special schedule. On December 24, the last daytime departure from Atocha is at 8:45 pm and from terminal T4 at 8:30 pm. After that, night service starts at 10:00 pm. On New Year’s Eve, the final daytime buses from Atocha and T4 depart at 9:45 pm and 9:30 pm respectively, with nighttime service beginning at 10:30 pm.
University routes E, F, G, and U will be completely suspended from December 22 to January 7 due to the holiday break. Lines A and H will switch to a reduced schedule with longer intervals between buses. Regular service on all university routes resumes January 8.
Special routes and bike rental
Some special lines will also be temporarily suspended. Bus 180 will not operate from December 21 to January 7, after which it will resume its usual route between Legazpi and El Pozo. Temporary routes connected to construction work on the A-5 highway (SE 866 and SE 898) will adjust their schedules on holiday nights and start running later than usual on December 25 and January 1.
The bicimad city bike-sharing system is also adapting to holiday traffic. Several stations in the city center, including Mayor Street, and the squares Celenque, Provincia, Carretas, Jacinto Benavente, and Tres Cruces, will remain closed until January 6 due to the large crowds and safety concerns.
Intermodal Hubs
Transport interchange hubs (intercaladeros) are also adjusting their operating hours, but this will barely affect bus service. The only exception is minor schedule changes at the Elíptica Square hub during the holidays.
Residents and visitors in Madrid are advised to review the latest changes in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises when planning trips during the holiday season.
