Barcelona Travel - Weekend trip 1: Madrid

Barcelona attracts over 5 million tourists every year. However, Barcelona can also lead travelers even deeper into the Spanish life and culture as it is a great place to begin traveling in Spain. You may have decided to go on sight seeing/adventure across Spain, or maybe you just want to explore the possibilities of Barcelona’s proximity to cities and cultures. Either way, I highly recommend travelling from Barcelona to Madrid one sunny weekend. And if you fancy getting out of the country, check out our tips on heading to Milan.

Travel from Barcelona by Train

The fact that you can visit Madrid as a day trip from Barcelona, is an incredible testament to Spain's excellent high-speed train system. The Madrid-Barcelona high speed rail line, connects Madrid with Barcelona in the north east of Spain passing the cities of Guadalajara, Zaragoza, Lleida, and Tarragona. These fast trains (which remind me of bullets) take only 2 and a half hours. There is also a slower traditional train between the two metropolis, however the time of travel is approximately 8 hours. Ticket prices depend on the type of train you are taking. If you choose the slow train, you’ll pay a little over €41 per person, one-way. If you choose the high speed trains, the ticket costs between €110 and €130 per person one way, depending on the hour of departure. The bullet trains enter Madrid via the Madrid Atocha station while the slower trains enter into Madrid from the station Chamartin. Trains are easy to board as there are several departure times daily.

Barcelona Travel by Plane

I found the bullet train to be fast, reliable and relaxing as I watched northern Spain’s beautiful scenery rush by my window. Numerous budget airlines fly between the two Spanish cities. Vueling, Iberia, Air Europa, and Spanair will all take roughly one and a half hours of your time before you arrive to your desired location. There are numerous flights daily between the various carriers and prices vary just as much. Vueling and Iberia are usually the cheapest, however this also means cheap service, cramped seats, and no pretzels! Remember that no matter which kind of transportation you decide to use, prices vary depending on the time of year. Prices are always higher during the busy summer season especially in Barcelona which some people consider to be the tourist capital of Spain.

Travel from Barcelona by Bus

Traveling by bus is one of the cheapest ways to travel through Spain. You can easily jump on a bus from Barcelona’s North station and after a 8 hours ride, you'll arrive to Madrid’s Mendez Alvaro station. There are several types of buses you can choose. The typical ones are the eurobus and the supra.  The eurobuses give you free entertainment such as movies and newspapers. In the supra buses there are also electrical sockets and wi-fi. The price of a tickets depends on the type of bus you choose. A ticket on a normal bus costs €28 per person, one way. A ticket on the eurobus costs €41 per person, one way and a ticket on the supra bus costs €35 per person. Madrid has so much to offer even for the most hardcore travel veterans. While I believe it is possible to spend a lifetime seeing the sites of Barcelona, its always great to escape the city and enjoy the beautiful backdrop of Spain. Let me know if you have any additional information about traveling between Barcelona and Madrid. How was your weekend getaway? Which of these two Spanish metropolis do you enjoy more? Share your stories here. If you're interested in more travels from Barcelona you should take a look at this blog! - Jade