You can get from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid by train, bus or flight.
To get from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid on May 22 we recommend taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, and flight, .
Distance | 218 miles (352 km) | |
Available travel modes | Bus, flight or train | |
Ticket price range | $38 - $78 | |
Cheapest mode | Train • $38 (€34) • 5 h 24 min | |
Fastest mode | Flight • $78 (€70) • 1 h | |
Popular travel companies | Alsa, Iberia or Renfe Intercity |
Travel 218 miles (352 km) by bus, flight or train between Donostia-San Sebastian and Madrid. If speed is a priority, then a flight is the best option with an average duration of 1 h; whereas, if saving money is more important, then a train is the best option with prices starting as low as $38 (€34). The most popular travel companies which serve this journey are Alsa, Iberia or Renfe Intercity among others. Travelers can even take a direct from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid.
Getting from San Sebastian in the north to the Spanish capital is easy, with direct daily bus, train and plane routes between the two cities. Flying is easily the quickest way to reach Madrid, at around 1 hour 15 minutes, although buses and trains will complete the journey in approximately 5 hours, so they are excellent budget options.
Trains from San Sebastian to Madrid | Buses from San Sebastian to Madrid | Flights from San Sebastian to Madrid
Average Price |
Travel Time |
Cheapest Time to Book |
|
---|---|---|---|
€36 |
5:10 h |
1 Day Ahead |
|
€49 |
4:56 h |
1 Week Ahead |
|
€273 |
1:15 h |
2 Months Ahead |
Taking the bus is the cheapest way to travel from San Sebastian to Madrid. Alsa is the main bus company in Spain and operates all the buses from San Sebastian to Madrid. Alsa buses take at least 5:10 h to travel from San Sebastian to Madrid and depart 19 times per day with the first leaving San Sebastian at 12:30 a.m. Most Alsa buses depart from San Sebastian Donostia bus station and arrive at Madrid's Intercambiador Avenida de America bus station.
Flying is the fastest way to travel from San Sebastian to Madrid. Taking a flight is still at least an hour faster than traveling from San Sebastian to Madrid by train or bus even when travel time to and from Madrid and San Sebastian's airports is taken into consideration. Flights traveling from San Sebastian to Madrid depart from San Sebastian airport and arrive at Madrid's Barajas airport after 1:15 h of flight time. Iberia is the main airline that offers direct flights from San Sebastian to Madrid, with around 5 direct flights departing per day.
Taking the bus is the most popular way to travel from San Sebastian to Madrid. While buses and trains take approximately the same amount of time to travel from San Sebastian to Madrid, buses are €13 cheaper on average. Alternatively, while flights are approximately an hour faster than buses when travel time to and from San Sebastian and Madrid's airports is considered, flights are also €237 more expensive on average.
You can travel from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid 3 different ways: bus, flight or train.
The cheapest way to travel from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid is by taking a train with an average price of $38 (€34).
This is compared to other travel options to Madrid:
Taking a train is about $4 (€4) less than taking a bus, which costs on average $42 (€38) for this route.
Taking a train is usually $40 (€36) less than taking a flight to Madrid, which costs on average $78 (€70) for the same trip.
The quickest way to travel to Madrid from Donostia-San Sebastian is by flight, which takes on average 1 h compared to other travel options that may take you longer to get to your destination:
In comparison, going by bus can take 5 h 15 min on average.
In comparison, traveling by train can take you on average 5 h 24 min.
You should expect to travel around 218 miles (352 km) between Donostia-San Sebastian and Madrid.
The average frequency per day from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid is:
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your journey to Madrid from Donostia-San Sebastian as scheduled services by bus, flight or train can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid:
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Before traveling from Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid, it’s good to know what ticket you can purchase and how much it will cost in the next 7 days:
But we recommend booking Donostia-San Sebastian to Madrid tickets online a few months before your planned travel date to score the best deals and save money on your trip.
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