How to travel from Madrid to Bilbao

Sat, Feb 28
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Alsa
Renfe ALVIA
Iberia
Alsa Supra
Air Europa
1,000+ more
Alsa
Renfe ALVIA
Iberia
Alsa Supra
Air Europa
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare train, bus, and flight for Madrid to Bilbao

Omio recommends booking the bus as it is the most popular option from Madrid to Bilbao among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the bus with prices starting from $20. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 2h 36m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.1 - 0.3kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a bus costs an average of $20, and a flight costs an average of $44.

Distance: 200 miles (323 km)

Compare bus with

Most popular
Bus
Train
Flight

$50

Average price

Cheapest

$60

Average price

$157

Average price

5h 20m

Average total duration

4h 50m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

5h 20m

Average total duration

4h 50m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

5h 36m

Average total duration

Fastest

2h 36m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.3 - 0.8kg

CO2 emissions

0.1 - 0.3kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

1.0 - 1.9kg

CO2 emissions

Alsa

Most popular bus company

Renfe ALVIA

Most popular train company

Iberia

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Madrid to Bilbao

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

Our recommendation

train

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

Renfe ALVIA04187
07:20AM4h47
Madrid Chamartín
12:07PMBilbao-Abando
$361One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

Renfe ALVIA04187
07:20AM4h47
Madrid Chamartín
12:07PMBilbao-Abando
$361One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

Air EuropaUX7159
07:05PM1h00
Madrid Barajas Airport
08:05PMBilbao Airport
$1271One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Renfe Intercity04687+Renfe ALVIA00438
08:40AM7h13
Madrid Chamartín
03:53PMBilbao-Abando
$481One-way
1 transfer
Renfe ALVIA04187 · 00438
07:20AM8h33
Madrid Chamartín
03:53PMBilbao-Abando
$481One-way
1 transfer
Renfe Intercity04687 · 00280
08:40AM9h42
Madrid Chamartín
06:22PMBilbao-Abando
$481One-way
1 transfer
AlsaNormal
10:00AM4h40
Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
02:40PMBilbao, Estación de Autobuses
$541One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
07:00AM4h50
Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
11:50AMBilbao, Estación de Autobuses
$541One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
11:15AM4h40
Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
03:55PMBilbao, Estación de Autobuses
$541One-way
0 transfers
IberiaIB429
07:25AM1h05
Madrid Barajas Airport
08:30AMBilbao Airport
$1031One-way
0 transfers
Air EuropaUX7161
06:35AM1h05
Madrid Barajas Airport
07:40AMBilbao Airport
$991One-way
0 transfers
Air EuropaUX7157
10:45AM1h00
Madrid Barajas Airport
11:45AMBilbao Airport
$1801One-way
0 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

Compare train, bus, and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

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How to get from Madrid to Bilbao

The Best Way According to our Users

If you want to travel from Madrid to Bilbao there are several options available to you. For this route, however, 73,71% of our customers choose the bus as their preferred method of transportation. Nowadays, traveling by bus is a relaxing and entertaining experience. Most bus companies offer different on-board services; ranging from "welcome drinks" to free wi-fi or personal entertainment. For this reason, the bus is often chosen as the best way to get from Madrid to Bilbao. Bus companies normally offer comfortable journeys for reasonable prices, and if you choose to travel on a night bus you can even save the money of one night in a hotel. For that reason, the bus is most likely the cheapest way to get to your destination.

Search on Omio to find cheap tickets from Madrid to Bilbao. 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.

More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Madrid to Bilbao

Travel to Bilbao 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 Madrid to Bilbao.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Madrid and Bilbao including taking a train, bus, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Bilbao is a bus with an average price of $20 (€16).

This is compared to other travel options from Madrid to Bilbao:

A bus is $4 (€3) less than a train for this route with tickets for a train from Madrid to Bilbao costing on average $24 (€19).

A bus is $24 (€19) less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Bilbao costing on average $44 (€35).

The fastest way to travel from Madrid to Bilbao is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 0m.

Other travel options to Bilbao take longer:

Train takes on average 4h 40m.

Bus takes on average 3h 55m.

The distance from Madrid to Bilbao is approximately 200 miles (323 km).
The average frequency per day from Madrid to Bilbao is:
  • Around 25 buses per day.
  • Around 10 flights per day.
  • Around 2 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Madrid and Bilbao as scheduled services by train, bus, and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Madrid to Bilbao:
  • Flights mostly depart from Madrid Barajas Airport and arrive in Bilbao Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Madrid Chamartín and arrive in Bilbao-Abando.
  • Buses mostly depart from Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América and arrive in Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Madrid to Bilbao, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Iberia, Air Europa, Air Nostrum , Vueling Airlines, GetJet Airlines to go to Bilbao by flight.
  • Travel with Renfe ALVIA, Renfe (13), Renfe Intercity, Renfe, Renfe Viajeros to go to Bilbao by train.
  • Travel with Alsa, Alsa Supra, BlaBlaCar, Infobus, FlixBus, Empresa Municipal de Transportes to go to Bilbao by bus.
Yes, there are direct services available from Madrid to Bilbao with the following travel companies:
  • 7 direct flights per day with Iberia, Air Europa, Air Nostrum .
  • 2 direct trains per day with Renfe Viajeros.
  • 24 direct buses per day with Alsa, Alsa Supra, BlaBlaCar.
Omio customers who travel from Madrid to Bilbao often also extend their vacation to go to Donostia-San Sebastian, Barcelona, Paris, Pamplona, Vitoria-Gasteiz. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Bilbao and these popular destinations at a great price.
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