Madrid and Barcelona are two of the most important cities in Spain. It is very common for people to travel between one and the other for business reasons or leisure. If you are living in Barcelona or coming for a visit, don’t miss the opportunity to also see the city of Madrid.
Travelling inside Spain is much cheaper than flying in from another country, so if you have the time, make your trip a two for one. There are several options for travelling between Barcelona and Madrid.
To choose the ideal one for you, you should take into account the price and duration of the ride/flight between the two cities. Taking the bus may be one of the cheapest options, but how far is Madrid from Barcelona? This means of transport takes you the longest, lasting a total of eight hours.
Traveling between the two cities by plane is also a possibility. But if you don’t want to be bothered with having to go through the whole airport/check-in/security check/boarding pass procedure you had to endure on your flight to Barcelona, you might want to go with another option.
Related article: Travel Around Spain from Barcelona by Train
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Travel from Barcelona to Madrid by train
If you have the time to spare, you can use the train to travel from Barcelona to Madrid. Unlike buses and airplanes, trains have enough room for you to get up and walk around if you feel like stretching your legs.
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The large windows provide you with “natural entertainment”, allowing you to observe the changing landscape as you make your way towards the capital. There are two trains that can get you from Barcelona to Madrid: the AVE, (a high speed train between Barcelona and Madrid), and the regional train.
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Travelling by AVE
The AVE train departs from Barcelona Sants station, arriving at Madrid Puerta de Atocha station. The regional train can depart from different stations in town. The direct regional train stops at Madrid Chamartin station.
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If you choose to travel with AVE, the length of the trip (between two hours and a half and three hours) will be slightly greater than the one by airplane (one hour and a half + the whole airport procedure), but significantly shorter than the one by bus (eight hours).
The AVE train offers excellent conditions, like video screens, an audio system, a coffee bar, and a restaurant. To learn more about this high-speed train, visit AVE’s webpage.
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Travelling by Renfe
If you think travelling by AVE is too pricey (ticket prices can go over 100€), your other option is to travel from Barcelona to Madrid using the regional train.
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The regional train can take up to nine hours to get from one city to the other, but it is a much cheaper option, costing less than one third of the AVE ticket.
To learn about the regional train’s timetable and prices, visit Renfe’s website.
Have you ever travelled from Madrid to Barcelona by train?
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