AVE from Madrid to Barcelona

Start in Madrid and end up in Barcelona

The journey from Madrid in central Spain to Barcelona on the east coast takes between 3 and 3.5 hours depending on the time of day you travel. Starting from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha the route passes through Guadalajara, Zaragoza and Lleida before arriving at Barcelona Sants station.



View Madrid to Barcelona by Train in a larger map


The journey times and duration quoted here are using the fast AVE service.


We'd recommend using this service for the trip as the intercity route takes considerably longer. Providing you don't travel at peak times this is a very straight-forward journey allowing you to see two amazing Spanish cities in one day!

Journey Information

Start CityMadrid, Spain
End CityBarcelona, Spain
Duration3 - 3.5 hours
Distance505 km (314 miles)
CostAround 120 GBP one way