Apps that will save your life in Madrid

Official Madrid Metro Map App (Free)

This app shows you the routes on the Madrid metro; it tells you things like the closest metro stop to you and it advises you if there are any reparation works on any of the lines. When any of the lines don't work, there are free buses so that passengers can continue with their journey. This app will save you in the first few weeks, but after a while, you won't need it because you'll know how to get to places just from memory in about a month.

EMT Madrid (Free)

This app is my favourite and is one of the apps that you will end up installing on your phone from your first day right up until your last day. This app works for the bus network inside the city of Madrid (they are blue), it doesn't show the routes of the green buses that go from Madrid to other cities a little further out from the capital that you could also need. This app tells you how to get from where you are to your preferred destination and what's better is that it tell you how long the routes are to the stop that you choose. I had the bus stop below my building, Madrid is very safe, but I would always prefer to stay in my apartment and go downstairs when the app told me that the bus was near, that is to say a couple of minutes away.

This is an example in the morning, the lines that mean to say that those don't run at that time. The nightbuses son the lines which have an "N" and which run less frequently in the morning.

GoBus Madrid EMT (Free)

This application can be used complementary to or instead of EMT Madrid. It's practically the same as above, but with the extra function that tells you the routes and the times of the buses that go outside of the capital and that a lot of the time they are available. At the same time it tells you how much you have to pay for the bus and reminds you when to put money on your card so that it works. That's a good extra that the previous application does not have.

Madrid MBC (Free)

This app includes the three main types of transport used in Madrid which are the Metro, the bus and the local trains. The latter is a kind of suburban train that takes you to other cities close to Madrid or to the airport. On occasion, it can be quicker to travel on the suburban trains than the Metro because compared to the Metro, it has fewer stops.

Cabify (Free)

In Madrid, the taxis offer a very good and reliable service, however, sometimes they can be very expensive. Cabify has come as tough competition; by installing this app on your phone you can order a private cab driver and calculate the cost of your journey from the palm of your hand, which a lot of times will be a lot more cheap than getting a normal taxi. You do not pay in cash and the service is quite reliable because you can rate your driver and if you forget something in the taxi it's a lot easier to get it back.

Carné Joven Madrid

On getting this card, you can enjoy incredible discounts which you will be able to consult when you download the app. You will also be able to participate in a lot of competitions raffles, all you have to do is wait for the notifications.

They always do a lot of raffles and lotteries, I would recommend that you pay attention to this app and download it!

Prado Museum visitor guide (Free)

If you are a fan of art like me and you want to save yourself some euros by not buying the audio guides in the museum, this app is definitely for you! The best thing of all is that this app can be used without internet and it will give you an introduction to the museum, a little about the history, it will talk to you about its structures and art, it will tell you how it is managed, it will provide you with practical information and it will boast about it's master pieces such as "Las Meninas" and the "Maja vestida" etc.

Madrid Airport (MAD) Flight Tracker ($17. 00MXN)

This app is different from the others as it's not free. However, it is very cheap for all the benefits that it has. You may not know Madrid Airport, but getting lost will no longer be one of your worries. With this app you can get the live arrival and departure boards from the three biggest airport terminals in Spain. You will be able to also access, without needing the internet, maps of the terminals to the car park information, to public transport and restaurant options.

The best way to organise your travel plans.

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