PUBLIC TRANSPORT
WHAT TO DO?
Your best bet for reaching the different venues in the city where La noche en blanco 2009 will be held and to go from one to another is clearly public transport. All the cultural activity points in La noche en blanco 2009 are sully served by the numerous EMT lines. Plus, a large central area in the city where most of the activities are concentrated will be closed off to traffic starting at 9 pm in order to make public transport even more convenient.
BY FOOT AND ON WHEELS
From 9 to 11 pm, the Tourism Board of the Madrid Town Hall proposes a series of self-guided routes for the entire family which will depart from the Plaza Mayor. Giving children the chance to experience a magical night with their parents has inspired several different routes brimming with surprises. In the Plaza Mayor a face painter will turn children into cats, give them a free backpack along with a brochure showing the self-guided routes and pastimes, plus the chance to participate in a game where every kid is sure to win a prize. As a memento of this night, the participants can take a family photo in front of a photocall created just for the occasion.
Plus, from 10:15 pm to 1:15 am the Tourism Board suggest guided outings on bicycle and roller skates. Every participant can either bring their own from home or rent them from one of the companies that will remain open all night long. Skaters will also be given a free copy of the publication “Haz Deporte en Madrid”, which suggests two routes for the occasion.
EMT
EMT will considerably step up its service, especially after 12 midnight, which is when its night-time lines begin to operate. That night they will reinforce both the network of 24 Búhos lines and the network of 11 MetroBúhos lines, which will follow the Metro routes and continue the Metro service starting at 1:30 am.
EMT NIGHT-TIME LINES
The huge concentration of people that is expected in Plaza de Cibeles due to the ongoing activities of numerous La noche en blanco 2009 performances there makes it impossible to keep the usual Cibeles terminal for the 24 Búho lines. As a result, all night long the terminal stops on the Búho lines will be moved to three different locations near Cibeles, with the following line assignments:
Plaza de la Independencia: N2, N3, N4
Plaza de Colón: N1, N5, N6, N7, N8, N22, N23, N24
Plaza de España: N16, N18, N19, N20, N21
Plaza de Neptuno: N9, N10, N11, N12, N13, N14, N15, N17
Passengers can transfer between lines at different locations by walking through the large pedestrian zone that will be set up a Cibeles.
MAIN OPTIONS
In addition, just like in previous editions, in order to improve the mobility between the different La noche en blanco 2009 venues, EMT will adapt the route of the two circular night-time lines in the Búho system that operate on the weekends, transforming it into a double Circular Line NB1 and NB2 that will connect Plaza de Cibeles, Argüelles, Moncloa, Plaza de España, Bailén, Puerta de Toledo, Glorieta de Embajadores, Atocha and Paseo del Prado. These stops will connect many of the hotspots in La noche en blanco 2009, including the National Library, Centro Conde Duque, Templo de Debod, Palacio Real, Circo Price, La Casa Encendida and Museo del Prado. The stops and buses in these lines will have special signs and identification just for the night. Plus, special attention will be paid to access to three La noche en blanco venues far from the central area where the majority of activities will take place: the Paraninfo auditorium at the campus in Ciudad Universitaria, the surroundings of Santiago Bernabéu stadium and El Matadero.
To ensure access to these venues, lines N23 and N24 heading towards Santiago Bernabéu stadium, line N14 heading towards El Matadero and line L3 going to the Paraninfo auditorium and facilitating its connecting with Conde Duque and El Matadero will receive special attention in terms of service, signage and adaptation to La noche en blanco 2009.
Specifically, line L3 of MetroBúhos, usually running from Legazpi to Moncloa, will have a special route just for that night to the Paraninfo auditorium, called line L3 Legazpi-Paraninfo, with special reinforcements in the extended stretch between Moncloa and Paraninfo.
SUMMARY
The following night-time bus lines are recommended to help you enjoy La noche en blanco 2009 to the utmost:
To reach the Paraninfo auditorium, which will be a hotspot of activity, take line L3 in the MetroBúhos system from Moncloa and Plaza de España. To reach these points from the Cibeles area, we recommend line N21.
To reach the events being held along the Paseo de la Castellana and especially near Santiago Bernabéu stadium, take lines N23 and N24 in the Búhos system from Plaza de Colón
To reach the El Matadero area, take line N14 in the Búhos system from Plaza de Neptuno and line L3 in the MetroBúhos system from Paraninfo, Moncloa and Plaza de España
To reach the activities being held near Gran Vía, Plaza de España, Palacio Real or Argüelles, lines N19, N20 and N21 in the Búhos system from Alcalá; / Gran Vía
To get from one venue to the next, take the special Noche en Blanco CIRCULAR lines, NB1 and NB2
To get between the venues at the Paraninfo auditorium, Conde Duque and
El Matadero, take line L3 in the Búho system
All of these lines will begin operating at 12 midnight.
