"You should get a transport abono soon after arriving. To purchase your abono, you go to a Tabaco store (found everywhere with yellow and brown signs). If you are under 21, you will need to apply for the abono and wait 2 weeks for it. If you are above 21, you can get the abono immediately. Remember to bring your passport and small photos when getting it. With the abono, you can purchase a combined bus and subway pass for unlimited rides for each month. For those under 21 years old, it costs about $24 per month and for those above 21, it costs about $40 per month. These also can be used on the late night buses. In general, the subway system and the buses are very easy to navigate after a little practice. The subway runs from about 6am until 1:30am. Taxis are fairly inexpensive compared with many other cities of Europe, and are found everywhere so they are a good, safe way to get home late at night. Bike riding is quite rare in Madrid and I would not recommend purchasing one unless you are accustomed to navigating small, crowded streets and heavy traffic."

"Buy a month-long unlimited Metro pass immediately if you are arriving at the beginning of a month or a ten-pass if you arrive at the end of a month.) You need to first bring a passport-size photo and your passport to a tobacco store to receive your "Abono" card. Once you receive this you can buy the actual Metro pass at any Metro stop. If you are 21 or over you can receive the adult abono right away, but if you are under 21 you must wait 1-2 weeks to receive your abono (so do it right away!) Taxis are fairly cheap, especially if you share them and Metro passes also work for the bus system if you can figure out what bus you need to take."

"Regarding public transportation, I usually only used my Metro pass, which also works for the buses to get around the city. The public transportation system in Madrid is amazing! It is really efficient and relatively cheap. An "abono" can be purchased for only 36 Euros a month and it allows you unlimited use of the Metro and the buses for the month. If you are under 21 years old, you get a discount. Nobody I know purchased a bike, but one German guy had his girlfriend bring his to Madrid, so he biked around all the time. Taxis are a viable option when coming home late at night after the Metro has stopped running. Usually a cab only cost me about 5 Euros, even less if I carpooled."

"ABONO: is the monthly Metro + bus pass, this can save you if you will use it frequently to get to school and around town, but forcing yourself to walk was a nice change. For my last month I did not buy one."

"The Metro is very efficient. It runs from 06:00-01:45ish daily. If you use it everyday to go to your internship, it’s definitely worth it to buy an abono. I hardly ever saw anyone in Madrid with a bike. Most people walk. As the seasons progress, it becomes very easy to walk four or five Metro stops on foot. Taxis aren’t too expensive. My friends had abonos so we always took the Metro. The abono can also be used on the bus."