How to travel from Madrid to Cartagena

Sun, Sep 13
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Alsa
AVE
Iberia
Renfe AVLO
SNCF OUIGO
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Alsa
AVE
Iberia
Renfe AVLO
SNCF OUIGO
1,000+ more
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Travel Information

Compare bus, train, and flight for Madrid to Cartagena

Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from Madrid to Cartagena among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price, take the train, with an average ticket price of €33 For those with little time, consider booking a flight, which has an average total journey time of 3h 52m. If you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint, the train is your best option, with estimated CO2 emissions of 0.1 - 0.4kg. Average ticket prices depend on the travel mode: a train costs an average of €33, while a flight costs an average of €67.

Distance: 391 km

Compare train with

Most popular
Train
Bus
Flight

€33

Average price

Cheapest

€39

Average price

€67

Average price

4h 46m

Average total duration

4h 16m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

5h 41m

Average total duration

5h 11m

Onboard

+

30m

Additional time*

3h 52m

Average total duration

Fastest

1h 52m

Onboard

+

2h 0m

Additional time*

0.1 - 0.4kg

CO2 emissions

Lowest

0.4 - 1.0kg

CO2 emissions

1.2 - 2.3kg

CO2 emissions

AVE

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.

The cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Cartagena is a train with an average price of €33.

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

A train is €6 less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Madrid to Cartagena costing on average €39.

A train is €35 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Cartagena costing on average €67.

The fastest way to travel from Madrid to Cartagena is by flight with an average journey time of 3h 52m.

Other travel options to Cartagena take longer:

Train takes on average 4h 46m.

Bus takes on average 5h 41m.

It's helpful to compare your options as there are 3 ways to travel between Madrid and Cartagena including taking a bus, train, and flight.

Travel options
from Madrid to Cartagena

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

Our recommendation

train

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

  • Renfe AVLO05668+Renfe PROXIMIDAD14512
    6:15 AM5h01
    Madrid Chamartín
    11:16 AMCartagena station
    351One-way
    1 transfer

Cheapest

  • Renfe AVLO05668+Renfe PROXIMIDAD14512
    6:15 AM5h01
    Madrid Chamartín
    11:16 AMCartagena station
    351One-way
    1 transfer

Fastest

  • Air EuropaUX4047
    7:00 AM1h10
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    8:10 AMAlicante Elche Airport
    421One-way
    0 transfers

Other options

  • Renfe AVLO05668+Renfe PROXIMIDAD14542
    6:15 AM8h03
    Madrid Chamartín
    2:18 PMCartagena station
    351One-way
    1 transfer
  • AVE05962+Renfe PROXIMIDAD14542
    10:00 AM4h18
    Madrid Chamartín
    2:18 PMCartagena station
    431One-way
    1 transfer
  • AVE05962+Renfe PROXIMIDAD14544
    10:00 AM9h13
    Madrid Chamartín
    7:13 PMCartagena station
    431One-way
    1 transfer
  • AlsaNormal
    12:30 AM5h20
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    5:50 AMCartagena, Estación de Autobuses
    421One-way
    0 transfers
  • AlsaNormal
    8:30 AM5h20
    Madrid, Estación Sur de Autobuses
    1:50 PMCartagena, Estación de Autobuses
    421One-way
    0 transfers
  • AlsaNormal
    7:45 AM6h05
    Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid)
    1:50 PMCartagena, Estación de Autobuses
    421One-way
    0 transfers
  • Air EuropaUX6013 · UX4024
    10:15 AM25h25
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    11:40 AMAlicante Elche Airport
    1491One-way
    1 transfer
  • Air EuropaUX4049
    3:10 PM1h10
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    4:20 PMAlicante Elche Airport
    1531One-way
    0 transfers
  • Air EuropaUX6031 · UX4024
    8:20 AM3h20
    Madrid Barajas Airport
    11:40 AMAlicante Elche Airport
    1701One-way
    1 transfer

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

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FAQs: Travel from Madrid to Cartagena

Travel to Cartagena 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 Cartagena.

FAQs
There are 3 options to travel between Madrid and Cartagena including taking a bus, train, and flight.
The cheapest way to travel from Madrid to Cartagena is a train with an average price of €33.

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

A train is €6 less than a bus for this route with tickets for a bus from Madrid to Cartagena costing on average €39.

A train is €35 less than a flight for this route with tickets for a flight from Madrid to Cartagena costing on average €67.

The fastest way to travel from Madrid to Cartagena is by flight with an average journey time of 3h 52m.

Other travel options to Cartagena take longer:

Train takes on average 4h 46m.

Bus takes on average 5h 41m.

The Madrid to Cartagena distance is approximately 391 km.
The average frequency per day from Madrid to Cartagena is:
  • Around 15 flights per day.
  • Around 13 buses per day.
  • Around 2 trains per day.

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

These are the most popular departure and arrival points from Madrid to Cartagena:
  • Flights mostly depart from Madrid Barajas Airport and arrive in Alicante Elche Airport.
  • Trains mostly depart from Madrid Chamartín and arrive in Murcia Del Carmen.
  • Buses mostly depart from Madrid, Terminal de autobuses T4 (Aeropuerto de Madrid) and arrive in Cartagena, Estación de Autobuses.
If finding a good deal is your main consideration for your trip from Madrid to Cartagena, then we'll help you find the best value travel companies for you:
  • Travel with Alsa, Alsa Supra, BlaBlaCar to go to Cartagena by bus.
  • Travel with AVE, Renfe AVLO, SNCF OUIGO, Renfe INTERCITY to go to Cartagena by train.
  • Travel with Iberia, Air Europa, Volotea, Air Nostrum, Vueling, Alba Star to go to Cartagena by flight.
Yes, there are direct services available from Madrid to Cartagena with the following travel companies:
  • 13 direct buses per day with Alsa, Alsa Supra, BlaBlaCar.
  • 4 direct flights per day with Iberia, Air Europa, Volotea, Air Nostrum, Alba Star.
Omio customers who travel from Madrid to Cartagena often also extend their vacation to go to Murcia, Alicante, Valencia, Barcelona, Alicante Elche Airport. Omio can help you plan your trip by finding the best connections between Cartagena and these popular destinations at a great price.

Travelling from Madrid to Cartagena: related information

Here are some other resources that might have the information you need

HomeTravelTravel to CartagenaHow to travel from Madrid to Cartagena

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