Getting into town from the Aeropuerto Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez is straight-forward with fast and efficient train, bus and metro links from the main terminals.

Madrid has a efficient bus network which uses the same ticketing system as the metro.

Regular buses normally run through to midnight, but there are also night buses known as the búhos which run from around 11.30pm until 5.30am from central stops such as the Plaza de Cibeles.

For destinations outside the city, there are a number of terminals located around the city, including the Estación Sur de Autobuses and the bus stations at Conde de Casal, Moncloa and Príncipe Pío.

Madrid is a relative late-comer to the use of bicycles as way of getting round, but the local authority has made some attempts to make the Spanish capital more bike-friendly though there is still a long way to go.

The cycle path network is expanding and you can circle the city on the anillo verde route. The city runs an electric bike hire scheme know as BiciMad which has become increasingly popular with visitors.

Much of the city centre can be accessed on foot and wandering the maze of streets around the historic core is much the best way to get to know Madrid.

Otherwise Madrid has an excellent transport network with a state-of-the-art metro system, an integrated and comprehensive bus service, and clean, fast suburban trains.

Cars are best avoided unless you want to venture out of the city and even then you can reach most of the main tourist sights by train or bus.

The Madrid's metro is modern and clean and is the best way to get round the city. There are 13 lines, plus three linked tramlines to some of the outlying areas.

Routes are clearly sign-posted with the direction shown by the name of the final station on each line.

The metro is now run on a paperless ticketing system so you will have to buy a tarjeta multi (€2.50) the first time you use it and then load up the card according to the number of trips you want to make.

With the rise of apps like Uber, Cabify and Bolt, the taxi business has been revolutionised in Madrid as much as other European cities. However, the traditional white taxis with a red diagonal stripe across the front doors remain popular.

Prices are pretty reasonable and €10 will take you to most places in the centre. You will, however, have to pay a supplement to get to the airport, railway and bus stations or go beyond the city limits.

Madrid has two large mainline stations: Chamartín - Clara Campoamor in the north of the city and Atocha in the south. These will take you out to all the main destinations in Spain and are home to the sleek, high-speed AVE trains that head for cities such Barcelona, Sevilla, Vitoria, Málaga and Valencia.

The local commuter train network, known as the cercanias, is clean, fast and efficient and can take you across the city as well as to nearby destinations such as Guadalajara and Alcalá de Henares and up into the sierra.