Traveling from Spain to Germany: Tips and Recommendations

The most popular way to travel from Spain to Germany

Germany and Spain are home to beautiful cities drenched in history, populated with ornate buildings, and filled to the streets with culture. Find plenty of options to help you travel from Spain to Germany. Venture to Berlin, Germany’s home to fringe culture, Dresden, the medieval city rebuilt in a modern image, or to Munich, the capital of cool refreshing beer.

Trains present a much quicker land option than buses, but the direct options between Spain and Germany are limited. They can also be cheaper than travelling by air and allow you to watch the changing landscape flutter by as you travel. Trains are also the greenest option, however, unlike road vehicles, they are restricted to railways and existing stations.

If you choose to travel by bus it will take longer than the train but is likely cheaper. Buses are slower-moving vehicles than trains but roads provide many more avenues for the journey and you can see many sights along the way.

Choosing to travel by plane will come at a greater expense than travelling via train or bus but it will get you there much quicker than any land-based option.

Cheapest tickets to travel from Spain to Germany

Bus tickets from Spain to Germany are the cheapest option, but they are also the slowest method. Booking your tickets in advance can help you save money as they are often cheaper ahead of time.

Bus tickets are also most expensive at the height of tourist season so consider travelling outside of school holidays and other popular travel periods.

Find the cheapest tickets for all your travelling options. Whether you want to find the best-priced flight tickets from Spain to Germany or just the most inexpensive way to travel.

The buses you use to travel from Spain to Germany are packed with facilities including sleeping spaces and onboard WIFI.

How many hours do I need to travel from Spain to Germany

Spain to Germany travel time is around three hours if you are able to book a direct from the limited options. The direct distance from Spain to Germany by flight is 1162 miles (1870 km).

Indirect flights from Spain to Germany offer changeovers in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and even Lisbon. Indirect flights from Spain to Germany take between 5 and 10 hours depending on how long you have to wait at the stopover airport.

If you want to travel by bus, you should expect to travel for at least a day. The distance from Spain to Germany by bus is increased due to a stop-off in the center of France. A bus journey between the two capitals takes around 36 hours. You can cut this down by four hours if you travel from Barcelona because the stop-off in France takes place in the more southern Lyon as opposed to Paris.

Train journeys typically take around 24 hours but can reach up to 34 hours. The earlier you are willing to leave, the shorter the travel time will be. Leaving Madrid between 6.00 am and 7.00 am cuts the journey down to 23 hours. The routes follow a similar pattern into Germany. They only differ once departing from Mannheim.

Berlin Reichstag. Source: Unsplash

What companies run services between Spain and Germany?

Train providers

You cannot find train tickets for direct trains from Spain to Germany. When travelling from Madrid you can get a train to Barcelona Sants with Iryo. From there, you travel to Paris Gare de Lyon with !nOui. You will then have to change stations to Paris Gare de l’Est where you can travel to Mannheim Hbf with SNCF. Now you are in Germany there are plenty of direct routes to Berlin with Deutsche Bahn.

If you are willing to leave a little earlier you can cut down the travel time to around 23 hours. These routes follow a similar pattern but after reaching Mannheim you split up the journey with DB to reach Berlin quicker.

Bus providers

You can travel with one of the most recognizable bus services across the whole of Europe, FlixBus. Over the past decade, it has become a staple for people travelling between European cities and is known for affordable travel.

Another addition to the affordable transport options between Spain and Germany isBlaBlaBus. It runs routes throughout the week.

Airlines

You get a great choice of airlines when you choose to book a journey between Spain and Germany through Omio. One of the most prominent options is Lufthansa. It is the flagship airline of Germany and the second largest in Europe. It is probably more expensive than other companies but has a reputation for good service having held a 5-star rating on Skytrax for many years.

You can also find other flag-carrying airlines such as Air France and KLM that operate routes which allow you to travel by air between Spain and Germany.

There are more affordable options from low-cost airlines such as RyanAir. The best low-cost airline option when you’re travelling from Spain is Iberia Express. It is a subsidiary of the Spanish flag carrier Iberia.

As a Spanish company, it provides plenty of flights from airports all across the country. The options for direct journeys between some cities in Spain and Germany are very limited but if you are willing to be flexible you can find options for yourself. Flying from Barcelona gives you the most direct options.

The most popular routes from Spain to Germany

Here is a list of popular routes you can take between Spain and Germany. There are direct flights along with indirect options, but all of the bus and train journeys are indirect.

• Bulbato to Franfurt (flight time = 4h 10m; bus time = 21h 55m): Starting your journey from the north of Spain, where Bilbao is located, cuts down on travel time.
• Bilbao to Munich (flight time = 5h 40m; bus time = 27h 35m): This is a popular route for those wishing to visit the famous Oktoberfest.
• Barcelona to Dusseldorf (flight time = 2h 20m; bus time = 27h 05m): This route takes you to the capital city of North Rhein-Westphalia, the state where you can also find the popular city Cologne.
• Valencia to Berlin (flight time = 5h 50m; bus time = 38h 15m): Those of you in Andalucía and elsewhere in the South of Spain can still find great options for travelling to Germany.
• Barcelona to Munich (flight time = 2h 10m; bus time = 29h 25m): From the Camp Nou to the Allianz Arena, you can zip between the homes of two of the greatest football teams in Europe.
• Munich the capital of cool refreshing beer.

Hamburg Sunset. Source: Unsplash

The most popular stations in Spain & in Germany

When it comes to leaving Spain, there are a wealth of options to get into Germany. Start your journey at one of these popular stations in Spain.

• Madrid-Puerta de Atocha Train Station - start your journey from the capital.
• Barcelona Sants - you can access this station from the Barcelona Metro.
• Barcelona El Prat Airport - flying from further north than Madrid allows you to reduce the period for which you are travelling.
• Seville Station Square - the largest city in Andalucía has plenty of connections to move within and out of Spain.
• Valencia Airport - this is a great launching pad for those in the south of Spain.

You can find key transport hubs in prominent German cities, that help you get elsewhere in one of Europe’s largest countries. Frankfurt is home to one of the busiest airports in Europe and Berlin is one of the most populous capitals in Europe so stations in the city offer numerous routes out of the city.

• Berlin Hbf - travel across the city from the Berlin U-Bahn which you can access from this station.
• Munich hbf - this station is placed near to the city center
• Dortmund Airport - a great landing spot for the west of Germany.
• Leipzig Halle Airport - this city is better for visiting the east of the country.
• Stuttgart Train Station - visit the Mercedes-Benz museum and you can travel to Stuttgart by train.

Munich. Source: Unsplash

Best destinations & highlights in Germany

Germany is home to around 80 Großstadts, cities with a population exceeding 100,000 people. It is a diverse list of cities containing strong and differing cultural identities. While you might know of currywurst and Lowenbrau, there is so much more to discover about Germany.

Check out these fantastic destinations for some great ideas:

• Berlin: As former resident David Bowie could probably tell you, Berlin is a monument to counter-culture. It is filled with galleries and there are always events going on around the city for artists. It is also famous for the nightlife, you may already be familiar with Berghain but there are plenty of nightspots to meet other artists and drink
• Munich: You might know about the famous beer festival and premier football team, but Munich is also perfect for exploring Bavaria. This state is home to Schloss Neuschwanstein and acres of countryside glowing with greenery.
• Hamburg: The largest city in the European Union that is not a capital. Hamburg is an interesting blend of modern and historic architecture. Check out one of the most acoustically advanced concert halls at the Elbphilharmonie as well as two UNESCO heritage sites, the Speicherstadt and Kontorhausviertel.
• Dresden: Visit Dresden to see ornate Medieval buildings that were rebuilt in modern times after their untimely collapse. Actual ruins of churches and royal buildings raised in their original image.
• Mannheim: When Carl Benz first created a single-unit chassis and engine powered by gasoline, he did it in Mannheim, the Baden-Württemberg city. The innovative city also saw the invention of the bicycle and tractor. Check out a wealth of engineering museums here.
• Cologne: This city is documented to have existed over 2000 years ago, in 38 BCE. It provides a great place to explore the history of Germany.

Best time to travel from Spain to Germany

Travelling to Germany is hugely popular in the winter due to the picturesque town views and the famous Christmas markets.

The best time to travel in terms of route availability is during the early spring or later in the summer. The prices will be cheaper than at the height of the school holidays and you can benefit from a smaller influx of people.

Start making your plans for Germany today with Omio.