Spain has a great transportation network, and this means getting from Barcelona to Madrid is actually faster and easier than you think.
Barcelona is a fantastic city, and Madrid has its own unique charm also, so why not visit both? Many tourists want to get their money worth when visiting Spain. So, for this reason, many tourists would like to visit both Barcelona and Madrid within the same trip. The good news is you can travel from Barcelona to Madrid quick and easy, in this post we explain the travel options.
So, what options are there to travel from Barcelona to Madrid? Well, four practical options will get you from Barcelona to Madrid, these are train, plane, car, and bus. Most people would think that flying would be the easiest way, unfortunately they would be wrong. Spain has a little transportation trick up its sleeve, and that is the AVE high-speed rail network. We take a look at each travel option to get you from Barcelona to Madrid, to see which is the most practical.
AVE High Speed Train Barcelona To Madrid
Undoubtedly, the best way to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by the AVE high-speed train. Spain has invested heavily in its high-speed rail network, the trains are modern, clean, and travel at 300 KMH. The travel time from Barcelona to Madrid using high-speed AVE trains is just 2 hours 30 minutes using the fastest service. This means if you leave Barcelona at 7:00am you will arrive at 09:30am, other services may take 2 hours 45 minutes.
But, flying is much quicker? Well, yes and no, travel time will be faster by flying than by high-speed train, but there will be more time to get to the airport. Furthermore, when you get to the airport you will have the usual hanging about until boarding, then more waiting on the plane. If you decided to take the train, you just need to show up at Barcelona Sants about 15 minutes before, show your ticket, board the train and you are off!
The other advantage of using the AVE high-speed train from Barcelona to Madrid is you will arrive in the city center. The Atocha train station in Madrid is just a few metro stops from the Puerta del Sol, the beating heart of Madrid. But, are high-speed trains expensive? Actually, they used to be expensive; however, there are now low-cost operators competing with RENFE, the Spanish train operator. So, this means fares are actually much cheaper now than they were, good news for all!
Flying From Barcelona To Madrid
If environmental friendly transport options are not your top priority, you can always opt to fly from Barcelona to Madrid. The flight time from Barcelona to Madrid Barajas Airport is around 1 hour 30 minutes. This makes flying one hour faster than traveling by high-speed train from Barcelona to Madrid. However, when you consider the time to get from the city to the airport and the hanging around the airport, it will take much longer overall.
Another important point to consider if you decided to fly from Barcelona to Madrid is getting from the airport to the center. Most people opt for the Metro to take them to the center of Madrid, this takes a good 30 minutes. When you consider the extra time that adds on to the flight time, it makes more sense to opt for high-speed train.
A one-way ticket from Barcelona to Madrid would cost around 45 euros to 100 euros, depending on overall demand. The average one-way plane ticket works out about twice as much as the high-speed train ticket.
And By Road?
If you want to travel from Barcelona to Madrid, another option would be by car. Many car rental companies offer a one-way service, so pick up the car in Barcelona and leave it in Madrid. If you decided to travel from Barcelona to Madrid by car, you would be able to explore places along the way.
The cheapest option to travel from Barcelona to Madrid is by bus. If you book in advance, you may pick up a very cheap ticket. Our advice is to also check the train prices, as every so often you can still pick up a cheaper train ticket. Travel time from Barcelona to Madrid by bus is around 7 hours 35 minutes.
Can You Travel From Barcelona To Madrid In A Day?
Yes, you can do a day trip from Barcelona to Madrid if you take the AVE high speed train. Take the 7am AVE train from Barcelona Sants to Madrid Atocha, this will arrive at 9:30am in Madrid. You could return using the AVE 8pm service to Barcelona Sants, arriving at 11:12 pm. This would give you 10 and a half hours to explore the sights of Madrid, such as Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, The Gran Via and The Retiro Park. So, in theory, you could have a day trip to Madrid from Barcelona. It would probably be quite tiring, but well worth doing.
