Getting home safely at night by metro, night bus, taxi or VTC

Key rules

• Metro: Madrid's metro closes at about 01:30, so have a night bus or taxi plan.
• VTC: You cannot hail a VTC in the street; it must be booked in advance.
• Unlicensed cars: Refuse any car without a taxi roof light or a blue VTC sticker.
• Emergencies: Call 091 or 112 if you feel unsafe or something goes wrong.

Plan your way home before you go out

Decide how you will get home before the night starts. The metro stops earlier than most newcomers expect, and a licensed taxi or VTC is your fallback. Never take a car that offers you a ride on the street.

Late metro: it depends on the city

• Madrid: the metro does not run all night. It closes at about 01:30 every day and reopens at about 06:00.
• Barcelona: on Friday and Saturday nights it runs through until morning. Sunday to Thursday it closes at about 00:00, and on Fridays it runs to about 02:00 as a minimum. Trams stop at about 00:30 to 01:00.
• Valencia: weekdays it runs until about 00:00 to 01:00. On Fridays, Saturdays and eves of holidays it runs until about 02:30 to 03:00.
• Seville: the metro runs to about 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and to 23:00 on other days. The tram (MetroCentro) stops at about 21:30 to 22:00.

Hours change with the season and during fiestas, so check the operator's timetable for your night.

Night buses

When the metro closes, switch to a night bus.

• Madrid: the Búho lines (N1 and up) run from about 23:30 to 06:00. Most start from Plaza de Cibeles. They come about every 35 minutes, and more often on Fridays, Saturdays and eves of holidays on some lines.
• Barcelona: NitBus runs all night, with a bus about every 20 minutes. Busy nights can be every 10 to 20 minutes.
• Valencia: the Nit Bus lines (N1 to N9) leave from Plaza del Ayuntamiento. They run from about 23:00 to 05:00 or 06:00, every 30 to 60 minutes.
• Seville: night lines run mainly on Fridays and Saturdays, from about 23:00 to between 02:00 and 05:00.

Look up your line and where it starts before you leave. The operator sets the exact lines and times, so check its website.

If you travel alone after dark, ask the driver whether you can get off between stops. Several cities have offered this on night lines. It is for getting off only, and which lines and hours apply depends on the operator, so ask the driver when you board.

Taxi or VTC

A taxi can be hailed in the street, found at a rank or booked by phone or app. A VTC is a car with a driver that you must book in advance, for example through Uber, Cabify or Bolt. You cannot hail one in the street. Some areas, especially Catalonia and the Barcelona area, require a minimum booking time. VTC prices are free, and the app shows the price before the ride.

Spot a licensed car before you get in:

• A taxi has a roof light, usually green when free and off when occupied. It also shows a licence number on the doors and rear, a visible tariff display and a taximeter. Colours depend on the city: Madrid taxis are white with a red diagonal band, Barcelona's are black and yellow, Valencia's are white, and Seville's are white with a coloured stripe.
• A VTC has a blue VTC sticker on the front and rear windscreen. It has no roof light or taximeter.
• An unlicensed car has none of these marks. If someone offers you a ride without them, say no.

Details vary by city and can change.

Safe habits in the car

• Book through an app or radio-taxi, or use a rank.
• Match the plate and driver with the app.
• Share your trip with a friend and keep your phone charged.
• Sit in the back.
• In a taxi, check the taximeter is on and the tariff is right.
• For fixed-price trips such as airport rides, agree the price or ask for an estimate first.
• Ask for a receipt and note the licence number.

If something goes wrong, call the police on 091 (Policía Nacional) or 112. File complaints about a taxi with your city's taxi authority.

The checklist, timeline and FAQ below cover the same points in short form.

Night bus, taxi and VTC compared by cost, safety, availability and booking

Night buses are the cheapest way home, taxis are the easiest to find, and VTC cars (Uber, Cabify, Bolt) show you the price before you ride. Which one works depends on the city and the hour.

Side by side

Night bus: check your city's lines

• Madrid: the Búho network runs from about 23:30 to 06:00. Most lines start from Plaza de Cibeles. Buses come about every 35 minutes, and every 15-20 minutes on some lines on Fridays, Saturdays and the eves of holidays.
• Barcelona: NitBus runs all night, roughly 22:00 to 05:00-06:00. Buses come about every 20 minutes on average, and every 10-20 minutes on busy nights.
• Valencia: the night bus runs from about 23:00 to 05:00-06:00, and most lines meet at Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Expect a wait of 30-60 minutes.

Lines, times and frequencies change. Check the city bus operator's website before you rely on a route.

The metro is not a reliable late option on most nights. Madrid's closes at about 01:30 every day. Barcelona's runs through the night on Fridays and Saturdays. Valencia's and Seville's run later on Fridays and Saturdays only.

Taxi: regulated, easy to find

Each city sets its own fares and updates them yearly, so the figures differ between Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville. The pattern is the same everywhere: a minimum fare, a rate per kilometre, a waiting rate, and a higher tariff for nights, weekends and holidays. Special dates such as New Year's Eve, and in Seville the Feria de Abril, can have their own tariff. Madrid also has fixed-price airport-to-centre trips.

Check the current tariff with your city council. In the Barcelona area, check with the metropolitan taxi authority.

To book, these apps and radio-taxi services cover the four cities:

• Madrid: Free Now, PideTaxi, the Taxi Madrid app, Radioteléfono Taxi.
• Barcelona: Free Now, Taxi Barcelona, Radiotaxi 033.
• Valencia: Radio Taxi Valencia, PideTaxi, Free Now.
• Seville: Radio Taxi Sevilla, Tele Taxi Sevilla, PideTaxi, Free Now.

Coverage changes, so confirm that the app works in your city before you need it at 3 a.m.

VTC: price upfront, booking only

VTC rides must be booked in advance, so a car cannot stop for you in the street. Prices are free, so a busy night can cost more than a taxi. The app shows the price before you confirm, so you can compare it with a taxi.

Rules differ by region. Catalonia and the Barcelona area are the strictest, including a minimum wait between booking and pickup. Madrid has no extra regional limits. The rules are being changed, so check what applies locally.

Which to pick

• Bus still running and your stop is near a line: take the bus.
• Several people sharing, or no bus: compare the VTC price in the app with a taxi. A taxi is the safer fallback when the app shows a very high price.
• Phone dead or no data: a taxi from a rank or hailed in the street is the only option that needs no app.

Timeline and deadlines

• Barcelona Metro runs without stopping on Friday and Saturday nights: all night on Saturdays and eves of holidays; closes at about 00:00 Sunday to Thursday

• Switch to a night bus once the metro has closed: after the last metro of your city

Checklist

• Check the last metro time for your city and night before you go out.

• Look up the night bus line that gets you home and where it starts, such as Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid.

• Book taxis or VTC through an app or radio-taxi, or use a taxi rank, and refuse offers from touts.

• Check the car has a taxi roof light or a blue VTC sticker before you get in.

• Sit in the back and check the taximeter is on.

Frequently asked questions

Can I hail an Uber, Cabify or Bolt car in the street?

No, a VTC car must be booked in advance through an app, so you cannot wave one down in the street. The car also cannot cruise looking for passengers. In Catalonia and the Barcelona area there is a minimum pre-booking time too, which was 15 minutes under the Catalan rule.

Does the metro run all night in Madrid?

No, Madrid Metro does not run all night: it generally closes at about 01:30 every day and reopens at about 06:00. After that, use the EMT night buses, called Búho, most of which leave from Plaza de Cibeles.

Can I ask the night bus driver to drop me between stops?

Sometimes, because some night bus operators in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville have offered request stops for getting off between stops after dark. You ask the driver on board, and it is only for getting off. Lines and hours differ, so ask the operator before relying on it.

How do I tell a VTC car from a taxi?

A VTC car has a blue VTC sticker on the front and rear windscreen, and no roof light or taximeter. A taxi has a roof light, a taximeter and a municipal licence number on the doors.