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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Alcobendas
Skip Alcobendas as a destination: it's a Madrid commuter suburb with one free science museum. Use it only if you need a budget bed near the airport or have a specific interest in MUNCYT.
Alcobendas is a northern suburb of Madrid that grew from an industrial town into a commercial and transport hub. It has no historic centre or tourist draw beyond the National Museum of Science and Technology (MUNCYT, free entry). Most travellers should stay in Madrid and visit Alcobendas only as a half-day side trip for the museum.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €40–60 excl. bed · Mid €60–100 excl. bed · High €100+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- Police 091 · Fire and ambulance 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
Get in
By air
- MAD · Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas
- About 15 km (9.3 mi); taxi 20–30 min, or Metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios then line 10 to Alcobendas (about 50 min)About 9.3 mi (15 km); taxi 20–30 min, or Metro line 8 to Nuevos Ministerios then line 10 to Alcobendas (about 50 min)
Typical fares
- Metro single (zone B1)
- about €2.60 (check)
- Cercanías single to Madrid Chamartín
- about €2.60 (check)
- Taxi from MAD airport to Alcobendas
- €25–35 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Metro line 10 (zone B1) and Cercanías C-4a cover the town. A single MetroNorte ticket or a zone T tourist pass works. Buses connect the residential areas.
See and do
Known for
- Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (MUNCYT)
- Madrid Metro line 10 and Cercanías C-4a connection
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Madrid | Metro line 10 to Tres Olivos then change to line 10 towards the centre, or Cercanías C-4a to Chamartín (about 25 min) | 30–40 min |
| El Escorial | Cercanías C-4a to Chamartín, then C-3 to El Escorial (about 1 h 15 min) | 1.5 h |
| Alcalá de Henares | Cercanías C-4a to Chamartín, then C-2 or C-7 to Alcalá (about 1 h) | 1–1.25 h |
| Aranjuez | Cercanías C-4a to Sol, then C-3 to Aranjuez (about 1 h 15 min) | 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Near Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes station
- Closest to Cercanías and Metro; Ibis and other budget chains.
- La Moraleja
- Upscale residential area with some hotels; quieter, further from the station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Holaoh-lah |
| Thank you | Graciasgrah-thee-ahs |
| How much? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?kwahn-toh kweh-stah |
| Where is the museum? | ¿Dónde está el museo?don-deh es-tah el moo-seh-oh |
| A ticket to Madrid, please | Un billete a Madrid, por favoroon bee-yeh-teh ah mah-dreed, por fah-vor |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- MUNCYT is outside the standard metrobus zone: you need a MetroNorte add-on or a Combinado ticket.
- Last Metro and Cercanías trains run around 01:30; taxis are available but scarce late at night.
- No historic centre or pedestrian old town: the town is modern and spread out.
Safe suburb; standard precautions for pickpocketing on public transport and at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alcobendas yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Museo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (MUNCYT)
- Madrid Metro line 10 and Cercanías C-4a connection
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Alcobendas, revision 5082960 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5082960
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/alcobendas). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.