How to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

Fri, Oct 11
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Travel Information between Madrid and Donostia-San Sebastian

distanceDistance218 miles (352 km)
modeAvailable travel modesTrain, bus or flight
priceTicket price range$19 - $99
cheapestCheapest modeTrain • $19 (€16) • 4 h 55 min
fastestFastest modeFlight • $99 (€86) • 1 h 10 min
carriersPopular travel companiesAlsa, Iberia or Renfe (3)

Travel 218 miles (352 km) by train, bus or flight from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian. The most popular travel companies which serve this journey are Alsa, Iberia or Renfe (3) 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.

Alsa
11:45PM6h55
Madrid, Estación Sur/Gare routière Méndez Alvaro - 83
06:40AMSan Sebastián / Donostia, Federico García Lorca
$501One-way
0 transfers
Cheapest
Alsa
11:45PM6h55
Madrid, Estación Sur/Gare routière Méndez Alvaro - 83
06:40AMSan Sebastián / Donostia, Federico García Lorca
$501One-way
0 transfers
Fastest
GetJet Airlines
09:30AM3h30
Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
01:00PMSan Sebastián Airport (EAS)
$2551One-way
1 transfer
Other options
Alsa Supra
06:30PM5h25
Madrid
11:55PMSan Sebastián / Donostia, Federico García Lorca
$861One-way
0 transfers
Alsa Supra
06:45PM5h10
Madrid
11:55PMSan Sebastián / Donostia, Federico García Lorca
$871One-way
0 transfers
GetJet Airlines
10:35PM9h20
Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
07:55AMSan Sebastián Airport (EAS)
$1581One-way
1 transfer
Vueling
05:20PM14h35
Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
07:55AMSan Sebastián Airport (EAS)
$1991One-way
1 transfer
GetJet Airlines
09:30AM7h10
Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD)
04:40PMSan Sebastián Airport (EAS)
$3901One-way
1 transfer

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.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

All travel companies: Airlines, Train and Bus from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

Find the best journey between Madrid and Donostia-San Sebastian with Omio's travel partners Renfe, Alsa and Iberia! You'll find the best deals, schedules and tickets when comparing and booking the most affordable journey for you.

Renfe is Spain’s national travel company operating freight and passenger travel 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. You can use these savings offers and discount cards on Omio when booking your Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian trip. Renfe has a vast fleet of travel with different levels of comfort, amenities and speed. The Renfe AVE travel run at high speed and serve long-distance routes, Alvia travel combine high-speed and normal speed travel serving domestic routes, Altaria serves domestic routes into southern Spain, Euromed offers domestic routes along the Mediterranean coast, Avant travel serve regional commuter routes and Trenhotel offers night travel routes.

    Alsa is the main travel company in Spain, a subsidiary of the UK travel company National Express. Alsa offers a wide variety of national and international routes and transports more than 300 million passengers every year. Apart from the Standard fare, Alsa provides ticket types like Minimum, Reduced and Flexible fares on select routes for those looking to save money on travel journeys. While most travelers don’t mind traveling on normal travel with basic services like bathrooms, free WiFi, footrests and onboard entertainment, some others may want to check out Alsa’s deluxe travel like the Alsa Supra, Alsa Eurobus and Alsa Premium, which provide more luxurious amenities on specific routes.

      Iberia is Spain’s leading airline, headquartered in Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas in Madrid, offering flights around Europe and across the world. It offers different fares for your next travel between Madrid and Donostia-San Sebastian including: Basic Fare, Classic Fare, Flexible Fare and Business Club.

        FAQs: Travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

        FAQs: 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 travel options to Donostia-San Sebastian from Madrid. You can take a train, bus or flight.

        The cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian is a train with an average price of $19 (€16).

        This is compared to other travel options from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian:

        A train is $31 (€27) less than a bus for this trip with tickets for a bus from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian costing on average $50 (€43).

        Taking a train costs $80 (€69) less than taking a flight, which average ticket prices of $99 (€86).

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

        Getting to Donostia-San Sebastian by bus takes 5 h 10 min on average.

        Train takes 4 h 55 min on average.

        The distance is approximately 218 miles (352 km) from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian.

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

        • Around 14 buses per day.
        • 1 train a day.

        However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route 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 board their bus from Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses and arrive in Donostia-San Sebastian, Estación de Autobuses.
        • Most travelers catch their flight from Madrid Barajas Airport and arrive in San Sebastián Airport.
        • Most travelers take a train from Madrid Chamartín to Donostia-San Sebastián.

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

        • Travel with Alsa, Alsa Supra, BlaBlaCar, Infobus, Conda, Autobuses Pamplona Madrid, Ourbus or FlixBus to go to Donostia-San Sebastian by bus. For a good deal on tickets, you can find Alsa Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian tickets on Omio for $50 (€43).
        • Iberia, Air Nostrum, Air Europa or Vueling Airlines can get you to Donostia-San Sebastian by plane. You can find a good deal for plane tickets with Iberia from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian for $99 (€86) on Omio.
        • Travel with Renfe (3), Renfe, Renfe Intercity, Renfe ALVIA, Renfe (13) or AVE for trains to Donostia-San Sebastian. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for Renfe ALVIA Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian tickets on Omio for $19 (€16).

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

        • You can find 7 direct buses per day to take to Donostia-San Sebastian with Alsa, Alsa Supra or FlixBus.

        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.

        Many of our customers traveling from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian don't make Donostia-San Sebastian their final stop. Some of the destinations worth visiting after Donostia-San Sebastian are Bilbao, Barcelona, Pamplona or Paris, either of which you could add to your trip itinerary. Check Omio for the best and cheapest ways to travel from Donostia-San Sebastian to any of these top destinations today!
        HomeTravelTravel to SpainTravel to Donostia-San SebastianHow to travel from Madrid to Donostia-San Sebastian

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