Transportation from Madrid Barajas Airport

Easiest is a taxi, will take you straight to your hotel, but that's not the cheapest. I believe it's a flat rate of 30 euro one way. There's also an Express bus that runs 24/7 - https://www.esmadrid.com/en/airport-express It only costs 5 euro, but this bus only makes three stops in the city: on the corner of O’Donnell and Doctor Esquerdo (metro O’Donnell), on Plaza de Cibeles (the square from which all night buses depart) and next to Atocha train station (only between 6am and 11.30pm). So, you'd still have to walk or take a metro to your hotel.

I only used the taxi and am glad I did. After a trans-Atlantic flight my mom and I were beat and only too glad to split the fare of a taxi so that we didn't have to navigate buses or metro stations with our luggage.

The metro leaves from T2 and T4 and is very easy to navigate.

http://www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas.com/transportation/madrid-airport-bymetro.htm

The Cercanias C1 train is a commuter train that leaves from T4. It is €2,60 one way or free if you have a high speed train ticket for the same day. It makes fewer stops then the metro, stopping at Puerta del Sol and Atocha, although you may still have to transfer to the metro once you are in the city depending on the location of your hotel. Or you could take it into the city and then grab a taxi to take you directly to your hotel.

http://www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas.com/transportation/madrid-airport-bytrain.htm

We had an overnight layover in Madrid last year and found the Metro was easy to navigate, including getting tickets from a machine, and figuring out the connections from one line to another. We were there on a Saturday, flying home on a Sunday. Metro stations were easy to navigate and crowds were minimal on the weekend.

You've been given all the options - Metro, express bus, Cercanias, and taxi. But now you have to decide - do you want easiest or least costly? They are not the same.

My experience was the same as Kathy's - arriving very tired on a trans-Atlantic flight, I didn't want to have to find my way from Atocha or another station to my hotel, with luggage. So I took the fixed-rate taxi and was very glad I did. Not only is the rate fixed at €30 to the center, but that includes luggage and there's no need to top beyond this.

We are in Madrid now and arrived yesterday - 4 people, each with a carry on bag. We took Uber from the airport (its legal - I checked) and it cost 28 euros. It was not as easy as a taxi but almost - the taxis line up right outside the terminal and Uber you cross the little street and walk to the end. We had a nice driver in a nice car.

The hotel we use in Madrid is at the Puerta del Sol, so we take the metro and come out 50ft from our hotel's front door.

From what I've read, I can take the C1 line to Puerto del sol and not have to change trains. My hotel is close to puerta del sol so I'm hoping this is true. Then I can walk for about 4 minutes to hotel.