How to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

Sun, Nov 30
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Renfe (13)
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Renfe ALVIA
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Renfe Intercity
Renfe (13)
1,000+ more
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Travel Information from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

Distance218 miles (352 km)
Available travel modesTrain, bus or flight
Ticket price range$29 - $73
Cheapest modeTrain • $29 (€26) • 4 h 55 min
Fastest modeFlight • $73 (€66) • 1 h 10 min
Popular travel companiesAlsa, Iberia or Renfe ALVIA

Take a train, bus or flight to travel 218 miles (352 km) to Donostia-San Sebastian from Madrid. The most popular travel companies which serve this route are Alsa, Iberia or Renfe ALVIA among others. Travelers can even take a direct bus, flight or train from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian.

Travel options
from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

How to get from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian by train, bus or flight.

Our recommendation

bus

The best way to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

AlsaNormal
09:15AM5h45
Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
03:00PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$1041One-way
0 transfers

Cheapest

AlsaNormal
09:15AM5h45
Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
03:00PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$1041One-way
0 transfers

Fastest

IberiaIB443
07:30AM1h10
Madrid Barajas Airport
08:40AMSan Sebastián Airport
$2351One-way
0 transfers

Other options

Renfe (13)18061
09:06AM7h39
Madrid Príncipe Pío
04:45PMDonostia-San Sebastián
$1151One-way
0 transfers
Renfe ALVIA04087
07:20AM5h28
Madrid Chamartín
12:48PMDonostia-San Sebastián
$1431One-way
0 transfers
Renfe (13)18063
12:25PM7h58
Madrid Príncipe Pío
08:23PMDonostia-San Sebastián
$1151One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
09:00AM6h00
Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
03:00PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$1041One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
11:00AM6h00
Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
05:00PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$1041One-way
0 transfers
AlsaNormal
07:15AM6h45
Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
02:00PMDonostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses
$1041One-way
0 transfers
IberiaIB445
11:50AM1h10
Madrid Barajas Airport
01:00PMSan Sebastián Airport
$7531One-way
0 transfers
IberiaIB449
07:40PM1h10
Madrid Barajas Airport
08:50PMSan Sebastián Airport
$8001One-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

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Travel from Madrid to San Sebastian

If you are traveling in Spain and want to visit the beaches of San Sebastian or sample the unique culture of the Basque Country, there are plenty of buses, trains, and flights from Madrid every day. Buses and trains take around the same amount of time to reach San Sebastian (between 5 and 7 hours). That leaves flying as easily the fastest route, at about 55 minutes; however, it will take approximately 4 hours to fly from Madrid to San Sebastian when travel time to and from Madrid and San Sebastian's airports is taken into consideration.


Trains from Madrid to San Sebastian | Buses from Madrid to San Sebastian | Flights from Madrid to San Sebastian

Madrid to San Sebastian Travel Comparison

Average Price

Travel Time

Cheapest Time to Book

buses

€40

5:10 h

1 Week Ahead

trains

€43

5:23 h

2 Months Ahead

flight

€241

0:55 h

2 Months Ahead



What is the best way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian?

Cheapest way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian


cheap

Taking the bus is the cheapest way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian. Buses traveling from Madrid to San Sebastian depart from either Madrid's Estacion Sur De Autobuses, Avenida de América, or Aeropuerto Barajas T4 bus station and take at least 5 hours and 10 minutes to arrive at San Sebastian's Donostia bus station. Approximately 18 buses travel from Madrid to San Sebastian every day. The first Madrid to San Sebastian bus departs at 7:30 a.m. while the last departs at 12:30 a.m. All Madrid to San Sebastian buses are operated by Alsa.


Fastest way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian


fast

Taking a flight is the fastest way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian. Even when travel time to and from Madrid and San Sebastian's airports is taken into consideration, taking a flight is still at least an hour faster than traveling from Madrid to Paris by bus or train. Direct flights depart from Madrid's Barajas airport and arrive at San Sebastian airport after approximately an hour of flight time. Direct flights from Madrid to San Sebastian are operated by Iberia.


Most popular way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian


popular

Taking the train is the most popular way to travel from Madrid to San Sebastian. While taking a flight is faster, it is also significantly more expensive than taking the train or bus. Most travelers prefer the convenience and comfort of traveling from Madrid to San Sebastian by train. There are usually 4 trains traveling from Madrid to San Sebastian per day, with the first departing Madrid at 9:00 a.m. All trains traveling from Madrid to San Sebastian are direct and operated by Renfe.


How to get from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

The Best Way According to our Users

Whether it is for business or leisure, in order to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian, 52,91% of our customers choose the train as their preferred mode of transportation. By traveling by train on this route, you can enjoy the comfort of spacious seats, spectacular views—and in some cases free Wi-Fi—in both second and first class. Our customers have decided that the train is the best way to get from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian and have chosen to enjoy this fast, safe and efficient way to arrive at their destination. Taking the train also avoids long lines or potential expenses for transfers to/from the station—especially since most main railway stations are located in the city center. Train companies in Europe vary from country to country, but most of them offer high-speed train routes, therefore when you add up at the end-to-end journey time, the train is often also the fastest way to get to your destination.

Search on Omio to find cheap tickets from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian. 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.

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Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

Travel to Donostia-San Sebastian 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 Donostia-San Sebastian.

FAQs

There are 3 options to travel to Donostia-San Sebastian from Madrid including taking a train, bus or flight.

The cheapest way to go to Donostia-San Sebastian from Madrid is by taking a train, which costs on average $29 (€26).

This is compared to other ways of getting from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian:

Taking a train costs $5 (€5) less than taking a bus, which costs on average $34 (€31) for the same trip.

Taking a train costs $44 (€39) less than taking a flight, which costs on average $73 (€66) for the same trip.

The quickest way to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian is by flight, which takes on average 1 h 10 min   compared to other travel options that take longer:

Bus takes 5 h 10 min on average.

Train takes 4 h 55 min on average.

You should expect to travel around 218 miles (352 km) between Madrid and Donostia-San Sebastian.

The average frequency per day from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian is:

  • Around 18 buses per day.
  • Around 4 flights per day.
  • 4 trains per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip to Donostia-San Sebastian 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 Donostia-San Sebastian:

  • Most travelers take a bus from Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses to Donostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses.
  • Most travelers take a flight from Madrid Barajas Airport to San Sebastián Airport.
  • Most travelers catch their train from Madrid Chamartín and arrive in Donostia-San Sebastián.

The following travel companies offer services from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian:

  • Alsa, Alsa Supra, FlixBus or BlaBlaCar Bus can take you to Donostia-San Sebastian by bus. If searching for a good deal on buses, you can find tickets for Alsa from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian for $34 (€31).
  • Iberia, Vueling Airlines or Air Europa can take you to Donostia-San Sebastian by plane. If searching for a good deal on flights, you can find tickets for Iberia from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian for $73 (€66).
  • Renfe ALVIA, Renfe Intercity, Renfe (13), Ouigo or Renfe Viajeros can take you to Donostia-San Sebastian by train. If searching for a good deal on trains, you can find tickets for Renfe ALVIA from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian for $29 (€26).

Yes, there are direct routes from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian with the following travel companies:

  • You can find 16 direct buses per day to take to Donostia-San Sebastian with Alsa, Alsa Supra, FlixBus or BlaBlaCar Bus.
  • You can find 2 direct flights per day to take to Donostia-San Sebastian with Iberia.
  • You can find 4 direct trains per day to take to Donostia-San Sebastian with Renfe ALVIA, Renfe Intercity, Renfe (13) or Renfe Viajeros.

Direct services to Donostia-San Sebastian 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.

Omio customers who travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian often also extend their vacation to go to Bilbao, Barcelona, Pamplona or Paris. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Donostia-San Sebastian and these popular destinations at a great price.
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