How to travel from Barcelona to Madrid

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

Renfe is Spain’s national train company operating freight and passenger 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. The Renfe AVE trains run at high speed and serve long-distance routes, Alvia trains combine high-speed and normal speed trains serving domestic routes, Altaria serves domestic routes into southern Spain, Euromed offers domestic routes along the Mediterranean coast, Avant trains serve regional commuter routes and Trenhotel offers night train 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. 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 a Spanish low-cost high-speed rail service that operates the routes between the cities of Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, and Valencia by the national rail company Renfe. Avlo trains travel at speeds of up to 186 mph (300 km/h). All Avlo tickets are in Economy or "Básica" Class.

Renfe Regional Exprés 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. The most popular routes for Renfe Regional Expres are Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia, and Madrid-Seville.