Bilbao to Madrid by train

Direct Renfe Alvia trains take about 4 hours 35 minutes to 5 hours from Bilbao Abando to Madrid Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, usually twice a day.

Morning or afternoon Alvia

Two direct Alvia trains leave Bilbao Abando for Madrid on most days. Take the morning one if you can. At about 4 hours 35 minutes it is the faster of the two and reaches Madrid before lunch. The late-afternoon train takes about 5 hours and gets in late in the evening.

Until 12 December 2026 both run Monday to Friday, with only the morning train on Saturdays and only the afternoon train on Sundays. From the 13 December 2026 timetable change, as scheduled into January 2027, both trains run at weekends, but Thursdays have only the morning train and Fridays only the afternoon train. Some public holidays also lose a train, so make sure your train runs on your date before you build plans around it.

On the way the Alvia calls at Llodio, Miranda de Ebro, Burgos Rosa de Lima, Valladolid Campo Grande and Segovia Guiomar. Connections with one or two changes exist, but they are slower.

Arriving at Madrid Chamartín

The trains end at Madrid Chamartín-Clara Campoamor, not Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes. Book any onward train from the right terminal.

Getting across Madrid costs nothing extra. Your long-distance ticket includes Combinado Cercanías, a free ride on Cercanías local trains for up to 4 hours after arrival, and in Madrid you just scan the ticket barcode at the gates. It works at the Bilbao end too, from up to 4 hours before departure, if you reach Abando by Cercanías. There you collect it at a ticket machine or desk first.

Tickets and fare types

Renfe fares rise and fall with demand. Booking early gets the lowest prices. For travel before 25 January 2027 you choose between four fare types:

Miss your train on Básico and the ticket is gone. On Elige you can move to a new train for 30% of the new fare, which matters when the next direct Alvia may be the following day. Choosing a seat costs €5 extra, except on Prémium. Tickets are in your name, so carry photo ID. New ticket conditions apply to journeys from 25 January 2027.

Interrail pass holders

The pass covers the Alvia, but a reservation is compulsory. Through Interrail it costs €10 in second class (Elige Estándar) or €13 in first (Elige Confort). Ticket desks at Spanish long-distance stations also sell pass reservations.