4.9
4.6
Travel Information
Compare bus, train, and flight for Madrid to Barcelona
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Madrid to Barcelona among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the train with prices starting from €29. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 2h 7m. 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 €29, and a flight costs an average of €57.
Distance: 504 km
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Bus | Flight |
|---|---|---|
€82 Average price Cheapest | €83 Average price | €223 Average price |
4h 8m Average total duration 3h 38m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 10h 51m Average total duration 10h 21m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 5h 7m Average total duration Fastest 2h 7m Onboard + 3h 0m Additional time* |
0.2 - 0.5kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 0.5 - 1.3kg CO2 emissions | 1.5 - 3.0kg CO2 emissions |
 Most popular train company |  Most popular bus company |  Most popular airline |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
Travel optionsfrom Madrid to Barcelona
How to get from Madrid to Barcelona by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from Madrid to Barcelona is by taking a train because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
03083Cheapest
NormalFastest
IB411Other options
0628106011
06471NormalNormalNormal
UX7701IB407IB413Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
Compare prices and tickets Prices for trains, buses and flights
Compare bus, 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.
Jan 10
Jan 11
Jan 12
Jan 13
Jan 14
Jan 15
Jan 16
Jan 17
Jan 18
Jan 19
Jan 20
Jan 21
Jan 22
Jan 23
Jan 24
Jan 25
Jan 26
Jan 27
Jan 28
Jan 29
Jan 30
General Information about the Journey from Madrid to Barcelona
Travelling the 624 kilometres from Madrid to Barcelona can be done quickly and conveniently by bus, train and plane. The plane offers the speediest choice reaching Barcelona in an hour and fifteen minutes. However, the fast AVE train offers a close second with a trip between city centres that takes under three hours. Passengers can also opt for the slower regional train or for the bus for a more leisurely journey.
Buses from Madrid to Barcelona
Direct buses leave Madrid throughout the day for the five and a half to seven and a half hour journey to Barcelona. Exclusively run by Alsa, the buses can be boarded at Aeropuerto Madrid, Barajas T4 bus station, Mendez Alvaro bus station or Avenida America bus station. Buses run from early morning to late evening and terminate at Barcelona (Nord).
Trains from Madrid to Barcelona
Getting to Barcelona from Madrid is a breeze on Spain's highly efficient railway system. Passengers have two options. The fastest is the AVE high-speed train which offers around two dozen daily departures from Madrid Puerta de Atocha station on weekdays and some 16 on the weekend. For a slower option, a regional express train - the Combinado - leaves the same station once a day in the late morning. It takes over six hours to reach Barcelona-Sants making many stops along the route.
Flights from Madrid to Barcelona
Passengers have a choice of around nine flights daily for the 75-minute hop from Barajas airport (MAD) Madrid to Barcelona Airport (BCN). Carriers Iberia, Air Europa and Vueling offer departures throughout the day with Air Iberia offering its Iberia Air Shuttle to Barcelona eight times daily.
More than 1,000 travel companies trust us to sell their tickets all in one place.
FAQs: Travel from Madrid to Barcelona
Travel to Barcelona 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 Madrid to Barcelona.
You can get to Barcelona from Madrid 3 different ways: train, coach or flight.
The cheapest way to go to Barcelona from Madrid is by taking a coach, which costs on average €15.
This is compared to other ways of getting from Madrid to Barcelona:
Taking a coach costs €11 less than taking a flight, which costs on average €26 for the same trip.
Taking a coach costs €7 less than taking a train, which costs on average €22 for the same trip.
The fastest way to get to Barcelona from Madrid is by flight with an average travel time of 1 h 15 min.
Other travel options to Barcelona take longer:
Getting to Barcelona by coach takes 7 h 20 min on average.
Train takes 2 h 30 min on average.
The Madrid to Barcelona distance is approximately 504 km.
The average frequency per day from Madrid to Barcelona is:
- 35 coaches a day.
- Around 24 flights per day.
- 34 trains per day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your trip between Madrid and Barcelona as scheduled services by train, coach or flight can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points for travellers from Madrid to Barcelona:
- Coaches from Madrid to Barcelona most often leave from Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses and arrive in Barcelona, Estación de Autobuses de Sants.
- Flights from Madrid to Barcelona most often leave from Madrid Barajas Airport and arrive in Barcelona El Prat Airport.
- Trains mostly depart from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes and arrive in Barcelona Sants.
Omio works with many trusted partners that can help you travel the best way from Madrid to Barcelona:
- You can travel from Madrid to Barcelona by coach with Alsa or FlixBus. You can find cheap tickets on Omio for €15 with Alsa from Madrid to Barcelona.
- You can take a flight from Madrid to Barcelona with Iberia, Vueling Airlines, Air Europa or Royal Air Maroc. Cheap tickets can be found for €26 with Iberia from Madrid to Barcelona.
- You can travel by train from Madrid to Barcelona with Ouigo, AVE, iryo, Renfe AVLO, Renfe Regional Exprés or Renfe Viajeros, and you can find Ouigo Madrid to Barcelona tickets for €22 on Omio.
Yes, there are direct services available from Madrid to Barcelona with the following travel companies:
- 34 direct coaches per day with Alsa or FlixBus.
- Direct flights with Vueling Airlines or Air Europa with 13 direct flights per day.
- 34 direct trains per day with Ouigo, AVE, iryo, Renfe AVLO or Renfe Viajeros.
Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Barcelona as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets to Barcelona from Madrid.
Travelling from Madrid to Barcelona: related information
Here are some other resources that might have the information you need
Travel to popular destinations by train, bus or flight
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.
