💡 A ticket is a billete: sencillo (single), de ida y vuelta (return); ask ¿A qué hora sale? (what time does it leave) and ¿De qué andén? (which platform).
💡 Discounts are descuento: for youth (joven), seniors (mayor), families (familia numerosa) and children; tarjeta is a card; ask ¿Hay algún descuento?
💡 At the machine (máquina expendedora) you choose language, destination, date and payment; insert or tap the card; the ticket comes out in the tray.
💡 An abono is a pass: abono mensual, abono joven; it is loaded onto a card (tarjeta transporte) which you must carry; ask about the photo and ID.
💡 You top up the card at a metro machine or kiosk; say recargar la tarjeta; ask how many trips or how much money; check the balance.
💡 The platform is andén; track vía; boards show salidas (departures) and llegadas (arrivals); the platform number appears minutes before departure.
💡 The carriage is coche, seat plaza or asiento; the ticket shows coche and plaza; ask ¿Es este el coche cinco?
💡 If someone is in your seat say politely: Perdone, creo que este es mi sitio and show the ticket; people usually apologise and move.
💡 Luggage is equipaje; it goes on the rack (portaequipajes) above the seat or at the end of the carriage; big suitcases go in the luggage area (zona de equipajes).
💡 Parada is a stop (in a train estación), llegada is arrival; ask ¿A qué hora llegamos? and ¿Cuál es la próxima parada?
💡 A ticket can be changed at the office or online (cambio de billete), sometimes with a surcharge; ask about conditions (condiciones); cheap fares often can't be exchanged.
💡 Cercanías is the suburban rail around big cities (Madrid, Barcelona etc.); tickets are bought at machines; lines are marked with letters and numbers (C-1, C-3).
💡 The metro is metro; station estación; entrance entrada; exit salida; line línea; change transbordo; dirección is direction.
💡 In the metro you go by line number and terminus (dirección Hospital); ask ¿Qué línea va a...? and ¿Dónde tengo que hacer transbordo?
💡 The barrier opens when you tap the card or insert the ticket; keep hold of it until you go through; at the exit a ticket is sometimes needed too.
💡 On a bus you say parada for stop; press the Stop button before the stop; you pay on entering or tap the card; ask the driver ¿Para en...?
💡 In many towns you buy the ticket from the driver (billete sencillo) in cash or by card; say Un billete, por favor; change is given only for small amounts.
💡 A change is a transbordo; look for signs with the line number and colour; correspondencia is the interchange passage.
💡 A delay is a retraso; cancelado means cancelled; huelga a strike; incidencia an incident; announcements say Disculpen las molestias.
💡 If a train is cancelled the carrier must offer another service or a refund; go to the ticket office or information; keep the ticket.
💡 If you missed the train say He perdido el tren; ask whether the ticket is valid for the next (¿Vale mi billete para el siguiente?).
💡 Taxis are taken at a rank (parada de taxis) or hailed: a green light on the roof means free; give the address; you pay by the meter (taxímetro).
💡 You can ask the price beforehand: ¿Cuánto cuesta más o menos?; the driver gives an estimate; there is also a fixed airport fare; suplemento is a surcharge.
💡 You pay by the meter; by card not always, ask at the start; tips are not obligatory; ask for a receipt (recibo) if needed.
💡 A taxi is ordered by phone or app (Free Now, Cabify, Uber); give the address and time; the driver phones when arriving.