Madrid Airport SIM Card: Where to Buy One at Barajas
Madrid-Barajas is a big airport. It has four terminals plus a satellite building, T4S, and Aena lists a free bus and a shuttle train to link them. So the SIM counter a blog told you about may be in another terminal, or it may close before your bags come out. Here is the short answer on a Madrid airport SIM card. Aena, the airport operator, lists one SIM seller: SimLocal InMotion, in Terminal 1 and Terminal 4. Both points are on the arrivals floor, in the public zone, open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aena lists no Vodafone, Orange, or Movistar shop. If you land late, or at T2 or T4S, set up an eSIM before you fly.
In short:
- Aena's shop lists show SimLocal InMotion in T1 and T4, and no SIM seller in T2 or T4S, checked November 6, 2026.
- SimLocal sells SIM cards and eSIMs from MásMóvil, Cube, Lyca, and Lebara. Aena publishes no prices.
- The free Wi-Fi is Airport Free Wifi Aena. You get 15 minutes to confirm your email, then no time limit.
- To the center: Metro line 8, the Exprés Aeropuerto bus at €5 around the clock, or the C1 train from T4.
Spain eSIM from $3.50Install at home, connect when you land.See plans
We sell eSIMs, so we have a stake in this. We have not visited these counters or tested the networks. Hours and prices come from the pages under Sources.
Where to buy a SIM card at Madrid Airport
Rows come from Aena's SimLocal page and its terminal shop lists.
| Terminal | SIM seller on Aena's list | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | SimLocal InMotion | Floor 0, arrivals, public zone | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| T2 | None listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| T4 | SimLocal InMotion | Floor 0, arrivals, public zone | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| T4S | None listed | Not listed | Not listed |
Aena's SimLocal page shows two points but does not say which terminal each is in. SimLocal is on the T1 and T4 lists, so we read it as one point in each. Hours can change on holidays, Aena adds. The public zone is open to everyone, not only to passengers, so you should reach the counter after baggage claim.
What it sells. SIM cards and eSIMs from MásMóvil, Cube, Lyca, and Lebara. Aena's page pitches staying connected "for €1 a day" but lists no plans, totals, or payment methods. Ask for the total, the data, and the end date before you pay. SimLocal sells eSIMs, so it competes with us.
What is not on Aena's lists:
- Vodafone, Orange, and Movistar. No carrier shop appears for T1, T2, T4, or T4S.
- Betel and MasMovil shops. Travel guides in search name them in T1 and T4. Neither is on Aena's lists.
- SIM cards at WHSmith. Aena lists WHSmith in all four terminals but says nothing about SIM cards.
We did not check Aena's T3 list.
Moving between terminals
Your arrival terminal decides whether a SIM counter is near you, so check it in your airline's app. Aena lists these links:
- Free bus between T1, T2, and T4. It runs 24 hours. It comes every 5 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and every 20 minutes at night. The loop from T4 stops on the arrivals floor (Floor 0) of T4, T3, and T2, then at T1, Floor 1.
- Train between T4 and T4S. An automated train links T4 and its satellite in about 5 minutes. It runs all day, every day, every 4 to 12 minutes.
Land at T2 at 9:30 p.m., and the listed counters in T1 and T4 close in half an hour. A slow bag can eat that time. An eSIM set up at home skips the rush.
What to bring
Aena's SimLocal page does not say which ID the counter asks for. Spanish law makes sellers of prepaid cards record the buyer's identity document, as our Spain guide explains. For a US visitor, that means your passport.
Your phone must also be unlocked, so ask the staff to test the card before you pay. An iPhone 14 or later bought in the US has no SIM tray, as our iPhone guide explains, so ask for an eSIM.
What a SIM costs at Madrid Airport
Aena publishes no prices for SimLocal, and the counter prices in travel blogs are not on any first-hand page we found.
For comparison, Vodafone's data-only eSIM for tourists is 35 GB for 7 days at €15, per its April 2026 press release. Our Barcelona Airport guide has the full table, and our Spain guide prices Orange and Vodafone plans with a Spanish number.
Free Wi-Fi at Madrid Airport
Aena's Wi-Fi page for Madrid gives these steps:
- Connect to the network Airport Free Wifi Aena.
- On the welcome page, sign in as a guest with your email, or log in with an Aena Club account. You can also register for Aena Club there.
- Open the email Aena sends and confirm it. You get 15 minutes of free internet to do that.
Once you confirm, Aena says there is no time limit. If the login page does not appear, our guide to a Wi-Fi login page not showing has fixes. Aena's Wi-Fi help desk is serviciowifi@aena.es or +34 900 928 053.
Save your hotel address and an offline map before you walk out.
Getting from Barajas to the center
Fares come from Aena, the Madrid transport consortium (CRTM), and EMT, the city bus company, checked November 6, 2026.
| Option | Airport stops | In the city | Fare | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro line 8 | T1-T2-T3 station (in T2, Floor 1) and T4 station (Floor -1) | Nuevos Ministerios | €1.50 to €2, plus a €3 airport supplement | 6:05 a.m. to 2 a.m. |
| Exprés Aeropuerto bus, line 203 | T1, T2, T4 | Plaza de Cibeles, Atocha | €5 | 24 hours |
| Cercanías C1 train | T4 only, Floor -1 | Chamartín, Atocha, Príncipe Pío | €1.70 to €2.60, by zones | See Renfe |
Metro line 8. The zone A single is €1.50 to €2 by number of stations, plus €3 to enter or leave an airport station. The last train leaves each end at 1:33 a.m.
Exprés Aeropuerto. One fare of €5, paid to the driver in cash, by bank card, or by phone, with no surcharge. Buses come every 15 to 20 minutes by day and about every 35 at night. EMT puts the ride from Atocha at about 30 minutes to T1 and 40 to T4. The tourist travel pass is not valid on it, per CRTM.
Cercanías C1. A single is good for one trip within 2 hours. Aena does not say which zone fare reaches the center, so check the machine. It is free with an AVE high-speed ticket that connects with your flight.
Roaming with Verizon or AT&T
Both carriers charge by the day, checked November 6, 2026:
- Verizon TravelPass lists $12 a day in "other TravelPass countries." You get 5 GB of high-speed data a day, then 3G speeds for the rest of the 24-hour session. Background data can start one.
- AT&T International Day Pass is $12 a day, plus $6 for each extra line used the same calendar day. The 24 hours start with your first data use, text, or call.
Neither page names Spain, so check your carrier's list. Five days cost $60 on either, against $9.50 for our 5 GB plan, though a pass keeps your US number for calls and texts. Our TravelPass comparison goes deeper. If your US plan already includes Spain, keep it and skip the SIM.
When an eSIM is easier
Our Spain eSIM runs on Orange and Movistar, per our catalog. Prices on November 6, 2026:
| Data | Days | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 | $3.50 |
| 3 GB | 30 | $7 |
| 5 GB | 30 | $9.50 |
| 10 GB | 30 | $15.50 |
| 20 GB | 30 | $28 |
You install it at home over Wi-Fi with a QR code, and days count from your first connection in Spain. As a generous guide, 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or 1.5 hours of video calls. You can add data to the same eSIM. Your regular number stays on as a second line. The plan is data only, with no Spanish number. Check your phone first, because it must support eSIM and be unlocked.
An eSIM helps most when:
- You land after 10 p.m. No SIM counter on Aena's list is open.
- You land at T2 or T4S. Aena lists no SIM seller there.
- You want maps and a ride app on as you walk out. Your data works before you reach the exit.
Now the honest part. If you want a Spanish number, or you will stream a lot, a local plan gives you more. The Vodafone data-only eSIM above gives far more data per dollar than our 10 GB plan at $15.50. If you land at T1 or T4 by day and do not mind a counter, SimLocal is on the arrivals floor.
Questions
Is there a Vodafone or Orange store at Madrid Airport?
Not on Aena's shop lists for T1, T2, T4, and T4S, checked November 6, 2026. The only SIM seller listed is SimLocal InMotion.
Can I buy a SIM card at Madrid Airport Terminal 4?
Yes. SimLocal InMotion is on Aena's T4 list, on Floor 0 of arrivals in the public zone, open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Can I buy a SIM card at Madrid Airport at night?
Not from a listed counter. SimLocal's hours end at 10 p.m. Use the free Aena Wi-Fi, or set up an eSIM before you fly.
How do I get from Madrid Airport to the center late at night?
The Exprés Aeropuerto bus runs 24 hours for €5. The last Metro line 8 train leaves at 1:33 a.m.
Sources
- SimLocal InMotion, Madrid-Barajas, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Shops and restaurants T1, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Shops and restaurants T2, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Shops and restaurants T4, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Shops and restaurants T4S, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Transport between terminals, Madrid-Barajas, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Wi-Fi, Madrid-Barajas, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Underground, Madrid-Barajas, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Trains, Madrid-Barajas, Aena, checked 2026-11-06
- Public transport tickets to Madrid airport, CRTM, checked 2026-11-06
- Exprés Aeropuerto line 203, EMT Madrid, checked 2026-11-06
- Vodafone Spain, Data Only eSIM press release, 2026-04-29, checked 2026-11-04 for our Barcelona guide
- Verizon, TravelPass FAQs, checked 2026-11-06
- AT&T, International Day Pass, checked 2026-11-06