How to travel from Madrid to Bilbao

There are 3 travel options from Madrid to Bilbao: train, bus or flight.

The cheapest way to travel between Madrid and Bilbao is a train with an average price of $17 (€16).

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

Taking a train costs $13 (€11) less than taking a bus, which costs on average $30 (€27) for the same trip.

A train is $26 (€24) less than a flight for this trip with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Bilbao costing on average $43 (€39).

The quickest way to travel from Madrid to Bilbao is by flight, which takes on average 1 h   compared to other travel options that take longer:

Bus takes 3 h 55 min on average.

Taking a train requires on average 4 h 40 min of travel time.

You should expect to travel around 200 miles (322 km) between Madrid and Bilbao.

The average frequency per day from Madrid to Bilbao is:

• Around 25 buses per day.
• 15 flights a day.
• 2 trains a day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points when traveling from Madrid to Bilbao:

• Most travelers who book a bus ticket from Madrid to Bilbao depart from Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses to Bilbao, Estación de Autobuses.
• Most travelers who buy a plane ticket from Madrid to Bilbao depart from Madrid Barajas Airport to Bilbao Airport.
• Most travelers board their train from Madrid Chamartín and arrive in Bilbao-Abando.

The following travel companies offer services from Madrid to Bilbao:

• Travel with Alsa, Alsa Supra, FlixBus or Empresa Municipal de Transportes for buses to Bilbao. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for Alsa Madrid to Bilbao tickets on Omio for $30 (€27).
• Air Europa, Iberia, Air Nostrum or Vueling Airlines can take you to Bilbao by plane. If searching for a good deal on flights, you can find tickets for Air Europa from Madrid to Bilbao for $43 (€39).
• Travel with Renfe ALVIA or Renfe Viajeros to go to Bilbao by train. For a good deal on tickets, you can find Renfe ALVIA Madrid to Bilbao tickets on Omio for $17 (€16).

Yes, there are direct routes from Madrid to Bilbao with the following travel companies:

• You'll find 24 direct buses a day to Bilbao with Alsa.
• You can check for a direct flight to Bilbao with with 7 direct flights per day.
• You can check for a direct train to Bilbao with Renfe ALVIA or Renfe Viajeros with 2 direct trains per day.

Direct services to Bilbao 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 trip.