4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare bus, train, and flight for Barcelona to Madrid
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Barcelona to Madrid among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the bus, with an average ticket price of $48 For those with little time, consider booking a train, which has an average total journey time of 3h 34m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.2 - 0.5kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $48, while a flight costs an average of $226.
Distance: 313 miles (504 km)
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Bus | Flight | Driving |
|---|---|---|---|
$78 Average price | $48 Average price Cheapest | $226 Average price | $122 Average price (fuel + tolls) |
3h 34m Average total duration Fastest 3h 4m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 9h 49m Average total duration 9h 19m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 4h 20m Average total duration 2h 20m Onboard + 2h 0m Additional time* | 6h 16m Average total duration (door-to-door) |
0.2 - 0.5kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.5 - 1.3kg CO2 emissions | 1.5 - 3.0kg CO2 emissions | - CO2 emissions |
 Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company |  Most popular airline | Your own car or car rental |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
This is compared to other travel options from Barcelona to Madrid:
A bus is $29 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Barcelona to Madrid costing on average $78.
A bus is $177 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Barcelona to Madrid costing on average $226.
Other travel options to Madrid take longer:
Flight takes on average 4h 20m.
Bus takes on average 9h 49m.
The journey is about 3h 12m faster (3h 4m by train vs 6h 16m by car) and roughly $45 cheaper once you factor in fuel and tolls ($78 vs $122). You'll also arrive in the city centre rather than hunting for parking, and you can work, read, or watch the landscape go by instead of concentrating on the road.
Driving is still worth considering if you want to stop along the way or need a car once you arrive.
Travel optionsfrom Barcelona to Madrid
How to get from Barcelona to Madrid by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
- Normal3:00 PM7h50Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord10:50 PMMadrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América$331One-way0 transfers
Cheapest
- Normal3:00 PM7h50Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord10:50 PMMadrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América$331One-way0 transfers
Fastest
- UX77088:30 PM1h25Barcelona El Prat Airport9:55 PMMadrid Barajas Airport$921One-way0 transfers
Other options
- 031907:25 PM3h02Barcelona Sants10:27 PMMadrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes$531One-way0 transfers
066108:20 PM3h28Barcelona Sants11:48 PMMadrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes$541One-way0 transfers
062007:40 PM3h02Barcelona Sants10:42 PMMadrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes$561One-way0 transfers
- Normal4:30 PM7h50Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord12:20 AMMadrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América$331One-way0 transfers
- Normal10:00 PM7h50Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord5:50 AMMadrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América$431One-way0 transfers
- Normal9:30 AM7h20Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord4:50 PMMadrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)$481One-way0 transfers
- UX6103 · UX603010:00 PM14h05Barcelona El Prat Airport12:05 PMMadrid Barajas Airport$961One-way1 transfer
- UX6103 · UX609610:00 PM24h35Barcelona El Prat Airport10:35 PMMadrid Barajas Airport$1131One-way1 transfer
IB6444:10 PM1h25Barcelona El Prat Airport5:35 PMMadrid Barajas Airport$1501One-way0 transfers
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights
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How to Travel from Barcelona to Madrid
The journey from Barcelona to Madrid is popular with both business and leisure travelers in Spain. Direct journeys between Barcelona and Madrid are available by plane, train, and bus. Key departure points include Barcelona Sants train station, Barcelona Nord Bus station, and Barcelona Prat airport.
Cheapest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid
Taking the bus is the cheapest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid. Alsa is the main bus company in Spain and operates all the buses from Barcelona to Madrid. Alsa buses take approximately 7:20 h to travel from Barcelona to Madrid and depart 16 times per day. Alsa's buses depart from Barcelona Nord bus station and arrive at Madrid's Intercambiador Avenida de America.
Fastest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid
Flying is the fastest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid and is 6 hours faster than taking the bus. Flights traveling from Barcelona to Madrid depart from Barcelona's El Prat airport and arrive at Madrid's Barajas airport. Airlines that travel directly from Barcelona to Madrid include Iberia, Air Europa, and Vueling. Another fast option to get from these cities is to take a high-speed AVE train, taking about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Most popular way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid
Taking the train is the most popular way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid. While the train is often more expensive than taking the bus or flying, the time saved avoiding traveling to and from the airport makes up for the additional cost for most travelers. Some of the train ticket cost can be offset by planning ahead and booking your Barcelona to Madrid travel as far ahead of time as possible. All trains traveling from Barcelona to Madrid are operated by Renfe, and depart from Barcelona Sants train station, and arrive at Madrid Puerta de Atocha. There is at least one departure every hour throughout the day, seven days a week. High-speed trains traveling from Barcelona to Madrid take approximately two and a half hours.
How to get from Barcelona to Madrid
The Best Way According to our Users
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FAQs: Travel from Barcelona to Madrid
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This is compared to other travel options from Barcelona to Madrid:
A bus is $29 less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Barcelona to Madrid costing on average $78.
A bus is $177 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Barcelona to Madrid costing on average $226.
Other travel options to Madrid take longer:
Flight takes on average 4h 20m.
Bus takes on average 9h 49m.
- Around 40 flights per day.
- Around 40 trains per day.
- Around 23 buses per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Barcelona and Madrid as scheduled services by bus, train, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.
- Flights mostly depart from Barcelona El Prat Airport and arrive in Madrid Barajas Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Barcelona Sants and arrive in Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes.
- Buses mostly depart from Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord and arrive in Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América.
- Travel with Alsa, FlixBus to go to Madrid by bus.
- Travel with Iberia, Vueling, Air Europa, Iberia Express, ITA, CitizenPlane, Royal Air Maroc, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Alba Star, Swiss, BA Cityflyer, Lufthansa City Airlines, Air Baltic, Helvetic Airways, British Airways, Edelweiss Air to go to Madrid by flight.
- Travel with iryo, AVE, SNCF OUIGO, Renfe AVLO to go to Madrid by train.
- 21 direct buses per day with Alsa.
- 13 direct flights per day with Iberia, Vueling, Air Europa, Iberia Express, CitizenPlane.
- 40 direct trains per day with iryo, AVE, SNCF OUIGO, Renfe AVLO.
Travelling from Barcelona to Madrid: related information
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