How to travel from Madrid to Bilbao

There are 4 ways to travel from Madrid to Bilbao including taking a bus, ferry, flight or train.

The cheapest way to go to Bilbao from Madrid is by taking a train, which costs on average $7 (€6).

This is compared to other ways of getting to Bilbao:

A train is $44 (€38) less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Madrid to Bilbao costing on average $51 (€44).

A train is $42 (€37) less than a flight for this journey with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Bilbao costing on average $49 (€43).

The fastest way to get to Bilbao from Madrid is by bus with an average travel time of 4 h 15 min.

Other travel options to Bilbao can usually take longer:

In comparison, going by flight can take 15 h 20 min   on average.

In comparison, going by train can take 4 h 28 min   on average.

The Madrid to Bilbao distance is around 200 miles (322 km).

The average frequency per day from Madrid to Bilbao is:

• 1 train a day.

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

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

• Buses from Madrid to Bilbao most often leave from Madrid, Estación Sur/Gare routière Méndez Alvaro - 83 and arrive in Bilbao.
• Flights from Madrid to Bilbao most often leave from Madrid Barajas Airport and arrive in Bilbao.
• Trains mostly leave from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes and tend to arrive in Bilbao-Abando.

Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Madrid to Bilbao:

• You can travel by bus from Madrid to Bilbao with Alsa Supra, and you can find Alsa Supra Madrid to Bilbao tickets for $51 (€44) on Omio.

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

• You'll find direct buses with Alsa or Alsa Supra.
• You can travel directly by plane with Air Europa or Iberia.
• You can book a direct train with Renfe Alvia.

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 journey.

Before traveling from Madrid to Bilbao, it’s good to know what ticket you can purchase and how much it will cost in the next 7 days:

• A bus ticket is costing on average $51 (€44) one way for this route.
• A plane ticket for this journey costs on average $49 (€43) one way.
• A train ticket costs $7 (€6) one way on average for this trip.

But we recommend booking Madrid to Bilbao tickets online a few months before your planned travel date to score the best deals and save money on your trip.