Madrid to Seville

Madrid to Seville by plane

Madrid Airport, otherwise known as Barajas Airport, is located 13Km North East of the city centre of Madrid, with good access to the motorway system. Madrid Barajas airport has 4 terminals: Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are all contained within one huge complex, while Terminal 4 is in a separate building. Terminal 4 has two parts - the main part being T4 (located approximately 4km from the other 3 terminals) while its satellite, T4S, lies between the runways.

• Terminal 1 primarily handles international flights from Argentina, China, Egypt, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the USA, as well as from many European countries. • Terminal 2 operates with much fewer airlines, serving mainly European flights, such as to Germany, Portugal and Norway. • Terminal 3 almost exclusively serves domestic internal flights around Spain. • Terminal 4 handles mainly international flights. It serves much of Europe as well as the USA, Central and South America, and a number of Middle Eastern Arab States.

If you decide to take a connecting flight you may need to change terminal. Be careful because Madrid Barajas Airport is quite big and going from one terminal to another can take you a long while. To facilitate passenger mobility, there is a free Shuttle bus service connecting all four Terminals. Passengers wishing to connect between Terminal 4 and Terminals 1, 2 or 3 should walk outside the Terminal and follow the signs to the Shuttle bus. These green buses leave every 5 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes during the night with connection time of around 15 minutes. For more information click here.

If you have to change terminal within the Terminal 1, 2 and 3 complex you can easily do it by walking or if you prefer you may also take the Shuttle bus. There is a dedicated train link between T4S and T1 for those with a boarding card.There are several hotels located near the airport, and many of these offer free shuttle services, allowing travelers quick access to stopovers if necessary.

Madrid to Seville by train

You can reach Atocha Railway station from the airport easily via the city's Metro system. More info about frequency, fares, etc. at www.metromadrid.es.

Take line 8 at the airport (Terminal 2 or 4), transfer to line 10 at “Nuevos Ministerios” station and transfer again at “Tribunal” station to line 1. The journey time is about 55 minutes from Terminal 4 and 50 minutes from Terminal 2.

Madrid and Seville are 536 km or 340 miles apart, a distance that translates into at least six hours of driving time. A quicker way to get from Madrid to Seville --or vice versa-- is on an Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) train operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railroad (www.renfe.es). These AVE trains (with an acronym that spells "bird" in Castilian) cover the distance to Seville in two and a half hours, reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h or 186 mph. These trains are so reliable that Renfe will refund the price of your ticket if the train arrives more than five minutes late. AVE trains have a bar and club cars, and both first-and second-class passengers have access to special departure lounges. The Club AVE lounge at Atocha Station in Madrid is similar to a VIP lounge at an airport with comfortable seating areas, free drinks, complimentary newspapers, stylish lavatories, and other perks for travelers with first-class tickets or rail passes from Eurail and InterRail. You can book your train ticket at www.renfe.es up to 62 days in advance.

Madrid to Seville by bus

The cheapest way to arrive to Seville from Madrid is by bus. There are regular buses throughout the day. The first bus leaves at 8am and the last at 1am in both directions.You can consult the timetable and book your ticket at www.socibus.es (remember to search for 'Sevilla', the Spanish name for Seville) or directly at the bus station.Buses from Madrid to Seville depart from Méndez Alvaro bus station. It is also referred to as 'Estacion del Sur' (South Station) as it is situated in the south of the city. You can reach it easily from the airport by metro: take line 8 at Terminal 2 or 4 and transfer at “Nuevos Ministerios” station to line 6. The journey time is approximately 50 minutes. www.metromadrid.es

Madrid to Seville by car

You may decide to continue your journey by car and spend some additional days in Spain so you can discover the stunning scenery and the delicious food of Andalusia. For your convenience all major car rental companies are represented at the airport. For details about the Spanish motorway system including the list of toll roads see www.maps.data-spain.com.

Barcelona to Seville

Barcelona International Airport (also known as El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto or Aeroport de Barcelona) is located 12 km southwest from Barcelona, Spain. The airport is the second largest in Spain behind Madrid Barajas Airport. It is a main base for Spanair and Vueling and a focus city for Air Europa and Iberia. The airport mainly serves domestic, European and North African destinations, also having flights to Southeast Asia, Latin America and North America.

The airport has 2 terminals: Terminal 1 (abbreviated to T1) and Terminal 2 which has 3 separate buildings called T2A, T2B and T2C. www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com

If you fly to Barcelona you have several options to reach Seville.

Barcelona to Seville by plane

This is the most convenient and it could be the most economic way to travel to Seville. There are regular flights operated by both national (Iberia and Spanair) and low-fare airlines (Ryanair and Vueling) from Barcelona to Seville.

You should be able to get flights much cheaper than train or bus if booked far enough in advance. The cheapest option is to fly with Ryanair. Ryanair operates three flights a day and a return ticket could cost as low as €44 plus €13 administration fee if you travel with only one piece of hand luggage. Be aware that Ryanair strictly controls both the weight (10kg) and the size (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) of your hand luggage! If you decide to take a check-in luggage, Ryanair charges an additional €43 (strictly controlled weight of max 15kg). Going over the limits will incur significant additional charges. When you take a connecting flight you may need to change terminal. T1 and T2 are 4km apart, therefore, if you need to go from one terminal to the other you will not be able to walk. Barcelona Airport provides free shuttle buses that run between the two terminals. The buses are green and so you should be able to distinguish them from the other buses outside the airport. If you wish to catch the shuttle bus from T2 to T1 you will find the bus stop underneath the bridge outside T2B. If you wish to catch the shuttle bus from T1 to T2 you will find the bus stop directly outside T1.

Alternatively, if you are catching a connecting flight, there are free shuttle buses that are available airside i.e. without having to enter the terminal building. You should check with your airline as to whether one of these will coincide with your flight. It is highly recommended that you find out in advance of your trip what terminal you are flying from (or to) because you will need to allow for up to an additional 30 minute transfer by airport shuttle bus to the other terminal if you arrive at the wrong terminal. The time for the transfer between T1 and T2 is between 10-15 minutes however you may need to wait for the next shuttle bus as they run every 6 – 7 minutes, 24 hours a day.

Barcelona to Seville by train

Currently, there is a High Speed Train that links Seville to Barcelona, bypassing Madrid. The AVE (which stands for Alta Velocidad Española) train connects Barcelona with Seville, without having to enter the central AVE station, Atocha, in Madrid. This is a fast quality train, with speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph). The round trip ticket costs about €200. The journey time from Seville to Barcelona would be around five hours and twenty five minutes. All the AVE trains depart from Barcelona Sants and arrive to Sevilla Santa Justa, both railway stations sited in downtown.

There are other slower and cheaper trains from Barcelona to Seville, and they take about 12 hours and cost about €70.

Barcelona to Seville by bus

The bus is not a very convenient option, because it takes about 16 hours and cost about €90.