How to get to Madrid from Barcelona

Fri 27 Feb
+ Add return
Travel by coach, train, flight with
iryo
Alsa
Iberia
Ouigo
AVE
1,000+ more
iryo
Alsa
Iberia
Ouigo
AVE
1,000+ more
QR-Code
Scan to get our free app
Use our app to get live travel updates and book mobile tickets for trains, buses, flights, and ferries.
App Store
rate4.9
42K ratings
Google Play
rate4.6
136K reviews

Travel Information

Compare coach, train and flight for Barcelona to Madrid

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Barcelona to Madrid among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the train with prices starting from £20. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 4h 27m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.2 - 0.5kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a train costs an average of £20, and a flight costs an average of £25.

Distance: 504 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Coach
Flight

£44

Average Price

Cheapest

£47

Average Price

£144

Average Price

5h 33m

Average total duration

5h 3m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

6h 40m

Average total duration

6h 10m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

7h 27m

Average total duration

Fastest

4h 27m

Onboard

+

3h 0m

Additional time*

0.2 - 0.5kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.5 - 1.3kg

CO2 emissions

1.5 - 3.0kg

CO2 emissions

iryo

Most popular train company

Alsa

Most popular bus company

Iberia

Most popular airline

Direct Options

Direct Options

Direct Options

Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.

Travel options
from Barcelona to Madrid

How to get to Madrid from Barcelona by train, bus, flight or ferry.

Our recommendation

train

The best way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by taking a train because it’s the best combination of price and speed.

Ouigo06540
13:503h02
Barcelona Sants
16:52Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
£301One-way
0 changes

Cheapest

AlsaNormal
10:308h05
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
18:35Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
£281One-way
0 changes

Fastest

Vueling AirlinesVY1006
08:401h25
Barcelona El Prat Airport
10:05Madrid Barajas Airport
£471One-way
0 changes

Other options

Ouigo06500
10:403h17
Barcelona Sants
13:57Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
£401One-way
0 changes
Ouigo06570
17:403h02
Barcelona Sants
20:42Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
£301One-way
0 changes
iryo06020
11:253h17
Barcelona Sants
14:42Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes
£381One-way
0 changes
AlsaNormal
07:007h50
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
14:50Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
£281One-way
0 changes
AlsaNormal
09:307h35
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
17:05Madrid, Intercambiador de Avenida de América
£301One-way
0 changes
AlsaNormal
09:308h00
Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord
17:30Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
£301One-way
0 changes
IberiaIB408
10:351h25
Barcelona El Prat Airport
12:00Madrid Barajas Airport
£591One-way
0 changes
Air EuropaUX7706
11:501h30
Barcelona El Prat Airport
13:20Madrid Barajas Airport
£551One-way
0 changes
IberiaIB414
15:051h25
Barcelona El Prat Airport
16:30Madrid Barajas Airport
£501One-way
0 changes

Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .

Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, coaches, flights and ferries

Compare coach, train and flight prices over the next three weeks. See the best deals at a glance, find the lowest fares, and choose the option that fits your budget.

Fri
27 Feb
Sat
28 Feb
Sun
01 Mar
Mon
02 Mar
Tue
03 Mar
Wed
04 Mar
Thu
05 Mar
Fri
06 Mar
Sat
07 Mar
Sun
08 Mar
Mon
09 Mar
Tue
10 Mar
Wed
11 Mar
Thu
12 Mar
Fri
13 Mar
Sat
14 Mar
Sun
15 Mar
Mon
16 Mar
Tue
17 Mar
Wed
18 Mar
Thu
19 Mar

How to Travel from Barcelona to Madrid

It is possible to make a direct journey between the two cities by plane train or bus. Journey times are between 3.5 and 9 hours approximately. Travelling by train is the quickest route, as although actual flight times are short, journey times to and from airports and security checks add to the time taken when flying. The slowest journey time between the two cities is by bus.

Barcelona to Madrid Travel Comparison

Average Price

Travel Time

Cheapest Time to Book

buses

£29

7:50 h

1 Week Before

trains

£80

2:30 h

2 Months Before

flight

£40

1:25 h

2 Months Before



What is the best way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid?

Cheapest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid


cheap

Buses are definitely the cheapest option for travel from Barcelona to Madrid, however, it’s also the slowest by some distance. ALSA operates a route from Barcelona which takes around 7.5 hours to reach Madrid. Buses leave from Barcelona Nord Coach Station, arriving at Madrid Intercambiador Avenida de America. There are around 16 departures a day, seven days a week.


Fastest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid


fast

The Spanish provider RENFE operates its high-speed AVE route between the two cities, leaving from Barcelona Sants Train Station and arriving at Madrid Puerta de Atocha. There is at least one departure an hour throughout the day, seven days a week. The journey time is approximately 3 hours. There are also two slower early morning trains which take around 9 hours. When Check-In and Journeys to and from the airport are included, the train proves the quickest option between the two cities.


Most popular way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid


popular

The total flight time between Barcelona Prat Airport and Madrid Barajas Airport is around 1 hour 15 mins, with three airlines offering a direct service, seven days a week. Iberia has 7 departures a day, Vueling and Air Europa have 3 departures each. The frequency of departures and low cost of the flights mean that they remain a popular choice.


More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.

Trenitalia
Easyjet
Deutsche Bahn
SNCF

FAQs: Barcelona to Madrid

Travel to Madrid 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 Barcelona to Madrid.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Barcelona and Madrid including taking a train, coach and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is a train with an average price of £20.

This is compared to other travel options from Barcelona to Madrid:

A train is £3 less than a coach for this route with tickets for a coach from Barcelona to Madrid costing on average £23.

A train is £4 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Barcelona to Madrid costing on average £25.

The fastest way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by flight with an average journey time of 1h 20m.

Other travel options to Madrid take longer:

Train takes on average 2h 36m.

Coach takes on average 7h 20m.

The Barcelona to Madrid distance is approximately 504 km.
The average frequency per day from Barcelona to Madrid is:
  • Around 37 trains per day.
  • Around 30 flights per day.
  • Around 20 coaches per day.

However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your route between Barcelona and Madrid as scheduled services by train, coach and flight can vary by season or day of the week.

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Barcelona to Madrid:
  • Flights mostly depart from Barcelona El Prat Airport and arrive in Madrid Barajas Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Barcelona Sants and arrive in Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes.
  • Coaches mostly depart from Barcelona, Estació d'Autobusos Nord and arrive in Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid).
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Barcelona to Madrid, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Iberia, Vueling Airlines, Air Europa, GetJet Airlines, Stobart Air, Royal Air Maroc to go to Madrid by flight.
  • Travel with Alsa, BlaBlaCar, Infobus, FlixBus to go to Madrid by coach.
  • Travel with iryo, Ouigo, AVE, Renfe AVLO, Renfe, Renfe Viajeros, Ouigo to go to Madrid by train.
Yes, there are direct services available from Barcelona to Madrid with the following travel companies:
  • 11 direct flights per day with Iberia, Vueling Airlines, Air Europa.
  • 19 direct coaches per day with Alsa, BlaBlaCar, FlixBus.
  • 37 direct trains per day with iryo, Ouigo, AVE, Renfe AVLO, Renfe, Renfe Viajeros, Ouigo.
Omio customers who travel from Barcelona to Madrid often also extend their vacation to go to Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Paris, Lisbon. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Madrid and these popular destinations at a great price.
HomeTravelTravel to SpainTravel to MadridHow to get to Madrid from Barcelona

The Omio App Makes Travel Planning Easy

We’ll get you where you want to go. From live train updates to mobile tickets, our innovative app is the ideal way to plan and keep track of your travel.

ios-badge
android-badge
Hand With Phone