HOW TO GET from Madrid to Granada

Best way to travel from Madrid to Granada

  • If you are in the airport, then the easiest is probably to continue by plane. Iberia (AirNostrum) offers 2 to 3 daily direct flights (1 h flight).
  • Train is also a great alternative to travel between Madrid and Granada. There are 3 daily high speed trains and the trip takes just over 3 h 30 min.
  • By car and bus the trip takes over 4 h.

Plane

Iberia (AirNostrum) offers 2 to 3 daily direct flights between Madrid and Granada. The flight takes about 1h. Depending on how far in advance you plan your trip, you can pay as little as 35 € for a ticket.

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MADRID'S AIRPORT

Madrid’s airport is called Barajas Adolfo Suárez (MAD) and is located 15 km north-east of the city center. There are several public transport options to get to/from the city center:

  • The public bus line 203, also known as “Express Airport,” connects the Atocha train station with the airport. It runs 24 hours per day, 365 day per year. There is one bus every 15-20 minutes during the day and the trip takes 30 to 40 minutes. One ticket costs 5€. At the airport, it stops at terminals T1, T2 and T4.
  • The public bus line 200 connects the Avenida de América bus station with the airport. It runs every 10-20 minutes, from 5am til 11:30pm. At the airport, it stops at terminals T1, T2 and T4.
  • The metro line 8 links the city center with the airport, stopping at all terminals.
  • The suburban train line C1 runs between Príncipe Pío station and the airport’s terminal T4. There is one train every half hour. AVE ticket holders can travel from the train station to the airport for free.

For up-to-date information on Madrid’s public transport: www.crtm.es

Another option to get to the city center is to take a taxi which has a fixed cost of 30€ (surcharges might apply – night, holidays, etc.).

The trip between the airport and the city center using public transport can take between 40 to 60 minutes. By car or taxi, it would be 25 to 30 minutes.

GRANADA'S AIRPORT

The airport of Granada, called Aeropuerto Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén (GRX), is located 17 km west of the city.

For information on how to get from the airport to the center, check out our page How to get from Granada's airport to the city center.

Car

The car ride from Madrid to Granada takes around 4 h 15 min. There is mainly one straight route following the A-4 and A-44 highways.

This route takes you through the region of Castilla la Mancha before entering Andalusia via the province of Jaen. About one hour after leaving Madrid, you can stop to visit the beautiful city of Toledo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Once in Andalusia, another interesting stop can be at the Renaissance towns of Ubeda and Baeza, also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

To find the best deals on rental cars, we recommend Discover Cars, which searches through the web for the best prices.

Train

Train is a great option to travel between Madrid and Granada since the high speed train (AVE) connects both cities in about 3 h 30 min. There are 3 daily high speed trains.

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The ticket prices vary largely (from 25€ to 78€) depending on whether you buy the ticket in advance and are flexible with the departure time.

MADRID'S TRAIN STATION

Although there are several train stations in Madrid, the main one (and the one where the trains from/to Granada start/end is Puerta de Atocha). Puerta de Atocha is located south east of the city center. The metro line 1, the suburban train as well as several city bus lines stop at this station. Also, the public bus line 203, known as “Express Airport,” connects the Atocha train station with the airport.

For up-to-date information on Madrid’s public transport: www.crtm.es

GRANADA'S TRAIN STATION

Granada’s train station, also known as Estación de Andaluces, is located about 1km north of the old town. To get an idea, it is about an 18 min walk to the Granada Cathedral.

There are several local city buses connecting the city center with the train station, such as lines 4, 11, 21 and 33. If you want to get to the Alhambra, you should take one of those buses and get off at the end of Gran Vía (right next to the cathedral).

From there, walk to Plaza Isabel la Católica (2 min walk) to take the bus to the Alhambra (lines C30 or C32). The total trip takes about 40 minutes. For up-to-date information on the local city buses: www.transportesrober.com

Bus

The company ALSA runs 12 daily buses between Madrid and Granada. In Madrid, there are three stops: Estación Sur, Barajas Airport T4 and Av. America. But note that not all the buses stop at all of them, so make sure you know which ones your bus will stop at.

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The trip lasts between 4 h 30 min and 5 h 30 min. One ticket costs around 20 and 47 €, depending on whether it is a standard or a premium bus.

MADRID'S BUS STATION

In Madrid, most of the buses to Granada leave from the Estación de Méndez Álvaro, commonly known as Estación Sur, which is located south east of the city center, close to the Atocha train station. The metro line 6, the suburban train as well as several city bus lines stop at this station.

If you are traveling from Madrid’s airport to this bus station, the easiest is to take the metro line 8 and change to line 6 at the Nuevos Ministerios stop. It will take about 50 minutes.

For up-to-date information on Madrid’s public transport: www.crtm.es

GRANADA'S BUS STATION

Granada’s bus station is located 2.5km north of the old town. For example, it is a 40 min walk to the cathedral. The local city bus lines 21 and 33 connect the city center (bus stop at Gran Vía 14) with the bus station.

If you want to get to the Alhambra, you should take one of those buses and get off at the end of Gran Vía (right next to the cathedral). From there, walk to Plaza Isabel la Católica (2 min walk) to take the bus to the Alhambra (lines C30 or C32). The total trip takes about 40 minutes.

For up-to-date information on the local city buses: www.transportesrober.com

Once you have arrived

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Patricia Palacios, co-founder of España Guide
About
PATRICIA PALACIOS
España Guide Co-Founder
Patricia is an engineer turned content creator who for over a decade has been helping travelers navigate her native Spain. In addition to her own website, her tips and recommendations have been featured on BBC Travel, CNN, El País & Lonely Planet, just to name a few.

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