Who this itinerary would appeal to
People who know Madrid already and know that they'll enjoy passing through it three times. Opportunities to take Day Trips from the bigger cities is factored into the itinerary.
For more on travel from Madrid, see Madrid Transport - Arriving & Departing from Madrid
Budget
For details on how much money you need in Spain, see this article on How Much Money You Need in Spain
Journey Summary
- Cities Visited on This Itinerary:
- Day 1-3: Madrid
- Day 4-6: Granada
- Day 7: (Cordoba)
- Day 8-10: Seville
- Day 11-12: (Salamanca)
- Day 13-14: Madrid
- Day 15: Valencia
- Day 16-21: Barcelona
- Day 22-24: Bilbao
- Madrid
*Cities in parentheses can be omitted from your itinerary if necessary. Click on the links for details on what to do in each city. For pictures of these cities, see Pictures of Spain.
- Total Travel Time:
- By Bus 42h30 (Total Price: 191€)
- By Train 41h45* (Total Price: 263€*)
*It is not possible to do your entire journey solely by train. Where necessary, the relevant bus time and price have been added to the total.
- Longest Journey Time:
- By Bus Seville - Salamanca (8h). There is no alternative train, but Salamanca can easily be missed out if the journey time is too long.
- By Train Barcelona - Bilbao (9h). The bus is quicker (7h).
Travel Details:
Below are the times and prices for traveling by bus and train. All train tickets can be booked through Renfe, Spain's national train company, although it is usually easier to book in person at the train station (they always manage to add on funny surcharges when you come to pick up a pre-paid ticket).
Buses are typically half the price of the train, with journey times approximately 30% longer. However, due to a couple of quirks in the train times, it is actually only slightly quicker by train on this particular itinerary. The bus is much better value than the train, but it can be quite difficult to book. The Spanish bus network is split up into a number of different companies - I have indicated below which bus company to book with. For most bus timetables (but, frustratingly, not all), see Movelia. Movelia allow you to print tickets, which saves time as you can go straight to the bus with your print out, but as Movelia has not yet integrated all bus companies into its network, this service cannot be relied upon.
- Madrid - Granada
- By Bus: 5h30 (15€ with Continental Auto)
- By Train: 6h (35€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Granada - Cordoba
- By Bus: 3h (12€ with Alsina Graells)
- By Train: No train
- Cordoba - Seville
- By Bus: 1h45 (9€ with Alsina Graells)
- By Train: 45m (21€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Seville - Salamanca
- By Bus: 8h (28€ with Alsa)
- By Train: No train
- Salamanca - Madrid
- By Bus: 3h (16€ with Auto Res). Note that this route does not appear on Movelia and must be booked directly.
- By Train: 2h30 (15€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Madrid - Valencia
- By Bus: 4h (21€ with Auto Res)
- By Train: 3h30 (40€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Valencia - Barcelona
- By Bus: 5h30 (27€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 3h (37€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Barcelona - Bilbao
- By Bus: 7h (38€ with Alsa)
- By Train: 9h (37€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Bilbao - Madrid
- By Bus: 4h45 (25€ with Continental Auto)
- By Train: 6h (38€) Book this ticket (book direct)
- Notes & Variations:
- The Cordoba to Seville train route can vary in price from 7€ to 26€, with the journey time going between 45m and 1h30. Check when you buy your tickets.
- Trains from Madrid to Granada are infrequent and take longer than the bus (the train is also more expensive ).
- There are two fast buses a day from Madrid to Granada (at 8am and 5pm) that only takes 4h30 and costs 26€.
- The bus from Barcelona to Bilbao is more expensive than the train, but takes longer.
