How to travel from Barcelona to Madrid

Renfe AVE is a high-speed train service operated by the Spanish railway company Renfe with trains to Madrid from Barcelona. It is one of the most popular train services in Spain, connecting major cities across the country. The AVE trains are some of the fastest in Europe, reaching speeds of up to 310 km/h. They offer a comfortable and convenient way to travel, with spacious seating, air conditioning, and onboard entertainment. Renfe AVE offers several types of trains, including the AVE S-100, AVE S-112, AVE S-130, and AVE S-120. The AVE S-100 is the fastest, while the AVE S-120 is the most luxurious. Passengers can choose from a variety of ticket types, including single tickets, return tickets, and group tickets. Onboard facilities include Wi-Fi, power outlets, and a selection of snacks and drinks. The most popular routes for Renfe AVE include Madrid to Barcelona, Madrid to Seville, and Barcelona to Valencia.

Renfe is Spain’s national travel company operating freight and passenger travel on Spain’s extensive railway network as well as international routes to neighboring France and Portugal. Renfe has a wide range of ticket types to fit your budget like the Basic, Elige and Premium tickets. Renfe also offers discount cards like the Renfe Gold Card and +Renfe Youth Card 50 for qualified travelers. You can use these savings offers and discount cards on Omio when booking your Barcelona to Madrid trip. Renfe has a vast fleet of travel with different levels of comfort, amenities and speed. The Renfe AVE travel run at high speed and serve long-distance routes, Alvia travel combine high-speed and normal speed travel serving domestic routes, Altaria serves domestic routes into southern Spain, Euromed offers domestic routes along the Mediterranean coast, Avant travel serve regional commuter routes and Trenhotel offers night travel routes.

Iryo is a new brand from railway operator ILSA operating in Spain since 2022. Iryo uses Frecciarossa 1000 trains which are modern, can travel at up to 360km/h and have a minimal environmental impact. Iryo’s Frecciarossa trains have different classes, all of which come with free unlimited WiFi, power sockets, toilets and an onboard entertainment portal where you can watch films and TV series. The main classes are: Infinita Class, Singular Café Class, Singular Class, Inicial Class. These new trains take 2 hours and 30 minutes to travel between Madrid and Barcelona. They depart from Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants stations, and stop in Zaragoza along the way. Iryo services also cover Madrid, Cuenca, Valencia, Alicante, Córdoba, Seville and Málaga.

OUIGO is a low-cost train company based in France. It offers high-speed trains that run between major cities in France, as well as international destinations. The trains are divided into two types: TGV and Intercités. The TGV trains are the fastest, with speeds of up to 320 km/h, while the Intercités trains are slightly slower but still offer a comfortable journey. OUIGO offers a range of ticket types, including Standard, Flexi and Premium. Standard tickets are the most affordable, while Flexi and Premium tickets offer more flexibility and additional benefits such as priority boarding and access to the OUIGO Lounge. Onboard, passengers can enjoy free Wi-Fi, power sockets, and a selection of snacks and drinks. The most popular routes for OUIGO are Paris to Lyon, Paris to Marseille, and Paris to Lille.

Renfe Avlo is Renfe's low-cost high-speed AVE train provider offering trains from Barcelona to 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.

Renfe Regional Express is a regional train service operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company. It operates throughout Spain, with services running from early morning to late evening. Renfe Regional Expres offers a variety of train types, including the Media Distancia, and Larga Distancia. The Media Distancia and Larga Distancia are medium- and long-distance trains, respectively. Ticket types include in this type of train is just Turista. Onboard facilities include air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and power outlets. The most popular routes for Renfe Regional Expres are Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia, and Madrid-Seville.