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Madrid to Barcelona

2 ways to get from Madrid to Barcelona

MadridMadrid Puerta de AtochaBarcelonaBarcelona Sants
High-speed train
2h 30 published
From
from €35 by high-speed train
Distance
618.3 km by road
Operators
Renfe
Frequency
~30 high-speed train a day
  • High-speed train 2h 30
  • Transfer ~6h 53 est. drive
MadridBarcelona
  • High-speed train2h 30
    Madrid Puerta de AtochaBarcelona Sants
  • Transfer~6h 53 est.
    any addressany address
Drawn from the connection data on this page — not an illustration.

Which one to take

You need a journey time you can plan around
High-speed train
the only option here with a published time — 2h 30
You land outside the hours the timetable covers
Transfer
after the last high-speed train at 21:30 — door to door, no interchange

Journey times, operators and connections for the routes we cover. You book with the operator; we show you who runs it and how long it takes.

Options by mode

Journey times and carriers on this route.

Transfer~6h 53 est. drive
Madridany addressBarcelonaany address

door to door

Private road transfer — availability and price depend on the provider; this is not an offer

Before you land

The parts people get wrong. Each one links to where we checked it.

  • Hours

    The fastest direct AVE between Madrid Puerta de Atocha and Barcelona Sants runs about 2h30, with trains that call at Zaragoza-Delicias, Lleida-Pirineus or Camp Tarragona taking closer to 3h20-3h48 -- worth checking which type is booked before assuming the faster figure.

    renfe.com · checked 2026-09-07

  • Tickets

    An AVE ticket between Madrid and Barcelona includes a free connecting Cercanías (local rail) leg at either end under Renfe's Combinado Cercanías scheme -- worth using rather than buying a separate local ticket.

    renfe.com · checked 2026-09-07