How to get from Barcelona to Madrid by train, bus or flight.
The best way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by taking a flight because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
Distance | 312 miles (504 km) | |
Available travel modes | Train | |
Popular travel companies | SNCF OUIGO |
Travel 312 miles (504 km) by train between Barcelona and Madrid. SNCF OUIGO is the main travel company operating this journey. Travelers can even take a direct train 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.
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.
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.
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.
You can travel by train, bus or flight for as low as $16 (€15). When you search for schedules and tickets, Omio will show you the best trip.
Renfe Avlo is Renfe's low-cost high-speed AVE train provider offering trains between Barcelona and Madrid. It's a new service operating on some of Spain's most popular long-distance lines like Madrid to Barcelona-Figueres line. Avlo trains can travel up to 300 km/h. There is a single Economy Class with assigned tickets called Básica but this includes power sockets at each seat and vending machines. Avlo trains run between popular Spanish cities like Madrid, Zaragoza, Tarragona, Barcelona, Girona and Figueres. The routes Renfe-AVLO serves are expected to expand.
Alsa is the main travel company in Spain, a subsidiary of the UK travel company National Express. Alsa offers a wide variety of national and international routes and transports more than 300 million passengers every year. Apart from the Standard fare, Alsa provides ticket types like Minimum, Reduced and Flexible fares on select routes for those looking to save money on travel journeys. While most travelers don’t mind traveling on normal travel with basic services like bathrooms, free WiFi, footrests and onboard entertainment, some others may want to check out Alsa’s deluxe travel like the Alsa Supra, Alsa Eurobus and Alsa Premium, which provide more luxurious amenities on specific routes.
Travel Barcelona to Madrid by train.
Traveling by flight is also the quickest way from Barcelona to Madrid. It takes on average 1 h 20 min to travel this journey.
The distance is approximately 312 miles (504 km) from Barcelona to Madrid.
The average frequency per day from Barcelona to Madrid is:
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Barcelona and Madrid as scheduled services by train can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Barcelona to Madrid:
Let Omio help you find the best company to travel with from Barcelona to Madrid:
Yes, there is a direct service from Barcelona to Madrid:
Direct services to Madrid tend to save you time and add more convenience as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking tickets for your journey.
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