How to travel from Barcelona to Madrid

Wed, Jun 25
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Travel Information between Barcelona and Madrid

distanceDistance312 miles (504 km)
modeAvailable travel modesTrain, bus or flight
priceTicket price range$21 - $23
cheapestCheapest modeBus • $21 (€19) • 7 h 5 min
fastestFastest modeFlight • $23 (€21) • 1 h 20 min
carriersPopular travel companiesAlsa, Iberia or Ouigo

Travel 312 miles (504 km) by train, bus or flight between Barcelona and Madrid. The most popular travel companies which serve this trip are Alsa, Iberia or Ouigo among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, flight or train from Barcelona to Madrid.

Travel options
from Barcelona to Madrid

How to get from Barcelona to Madrid by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation
bus

The best way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

AlsaNormal
10:30AM7h40
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
06:10PMMadrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
$541One-way
0 transfers
Cheapest
AlsaNormal
10:30AM7h40
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
06:10PMMadrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
$541One-way
0 transfers
Fastest
Air Europaux7708
08:30PM1h30
Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
10:00PMMadrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
$1481One-way
0 transfers
Other options
AVE03830
01:25PM2h37
Barcelona Sants
04:02PMMadrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
$791One-way
0 transfers
iryo06150
02:55PM2h37
Barcelona Sants
05:32PMMadrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
$771One-way
0 transfers
Ouigo06540
01:50PM2h37
Barcelona Sants
04:27PMMadrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
$801One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
10:30AM8h05
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
06:35PMMadrid, Avenida de América
$541One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
07:00AM7h35
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
02:35PMMadrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
$541One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
07:00AM7h50
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
02:50PMMadrid, Avenida de América
$541One-way
0 transfers
Air Europaux7706
11:50AM1h30
Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
01:20PMMadrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
$3401One-way
0 transfers
Air Europaux6103 · ux6048
10:00PM15h50
Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
01:50PMMadrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
$2971One-way
1 transfer
Air Europaux6073 · ux6048
06:45PM19h05
Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
01:50PMMadrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
$3341One-way
1 transfer

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

Whether it is for business or leisure, in order to travel from Barcelona to Madrid, 64,59% of our customers choose the train as their preferred mode of transportation. By traveling by train on this route, you can enjoy the comfort of spacious seats, spectacular views—and in some cases free Wi-Fi—in both second and first class. Our customers have decided that the train is the best way to get from Barcelona to Madrid and have chosen to enjoy this fast, safe and efficient way to arrive at their destination. Taking the train also avoids long lines or potential expenses for transfers to/from the station—especially since most main railway stations are located in the city center. Train companies in Europe vary from country to country, but most of them offer high-speed train routes, therefore when you add up at the end-to-end journey time, the train is often also the fastest way to get to your destination.

Search on Omio to find cheap tickets from Barcelona to Madrid. It’s easy to find the most attractive prices and choose your preferred route for your journey. Book on web or app, and travel with your mobile ticket —without the stress of printing your ticket.

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Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

All travel companies: Airlines, Train and Bus from Barcelona to Madrid

Travel from Barcelona to Madrid on AVE, Renfe and Air Europa travel with Omio. When comparing schedules and tickets, we will also show you other options with multiple connections or other travel modes if they’re available.

Travel comfortably with AVE, Renfe's high-speed train. Check all the AVE schedules and find the cheapest ticket on Omio!

    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.

      Air Europa is Spain's 3rd most popular airline with flights around Europe and the rest of the world and a choice between Economy or Business fares for your journey

        FAQs: Travel from Barcelona to Madrid

        FAQs: Travel to Madrid easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from Barcelona to Madrid.
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