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Madrid to Burgos by train
How to take the rail journey from Madrid to Burgos
For most travellers the high speed Alvia train services will be the logical choice for a journey by train from Madrid to Burgos, but if you will be using a Eurail or InterRail pass, the slower MD trains are money savers.
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Routes
Option 1: the faster journey by Alvia trains
Journey Summary
1hr 55min (approx)
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination:
AVE trains = Buros
Alvia trains Bilbao/San Sebastian/Irun*
*These Alvia trains heading to these destinations are joined together for the journey between Madrid and Burgos.
So if you see any of these destinations on the departure screens at Madrid-Chamartin station, the info will also apply to the train heading to Burgos.
A choice of train services:
These Alvia trains are faster than the alternative MD trains from Madrid to Burgos; and if you are booking in advance online, they're usually cheaper too.
So despite being less frequent, they're the logical choice for Madrid to Burgos train journeys.
Monday - Friday: 5 x trains per day
Saturday: 3 x trains
Sunday: 5 x trains
Tickets
Book early and save: Yes - if you take these Alvia trains.
If you're booking no more than a couple of days ahead, the discounted 'Promo' tickets for these Alvia trains can still be cheaper than tickets for the alternative slower MD trains.
Online bookings open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - depending on the time of year.
The online booking window can be shorter between late July and early October.
Also book in advance if you want to travel on any departure, on this route tickets for the most popular departures can sell out completely, a couple of days ahead.
These trains are usually scheduled to depart from Madrid-Chamartin at:
- 07:15 not Sunday
- 08:43 daily
- 14:50 not Saturday
- 17:38 daily
If these departure times don't suit, another option for Madrid to Burgos train journeys is to take an AVE train to Valadolid and then connect there for an MD train on to Burgos.
However, those journey options are now more than an hour longer and they tend to be more expensive than taking these direct trains.
Seat Reservations:
Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey.
Rail Pass Users:
Rail pass users can avoid the higher rail pass reservations fees payable on these Alvia trains, by targeting those slower MD trains for a journey from Madrid to Burgos; though those MD trains still require a reservation.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Trainline | * | |
| Renfe | * |
On this journey
Journey Features
Good to Know
Now that the high speed line route between Vallodolid and Burgis is fully open, the journey time has come down by around 40 minutes!
This journey has become faster, and slightly more frequent too, now that the high speed line has extended from Venta de Banos, a town to the north of Valladolid, to Burgos.
As a result, apart from the station calls, the entire journey is at high-speed.
Option 2: the slower MD trains
Journey Summary
4hr 32min - 4hr 45min
Daily
Travel Information
Final Destination: Irun or San Sebastian or Vitoria
up to 3 x trains per day
Tickets
Book early and save: No
Tickets aren't discounted for this journey by MD trains, so you will pay the same price as the that charged online, if you book last minute at the station.
Online bookings open: 2 months ahead of the travel date
However, in contrast to making the journey by these MD trains, tickets are discounted for those alternative, much faster Alvia trains.
So if you're booking online just a couple of days ahead, you can usually save by taking the Alvia trains.
Rail Pass Users:
If you will travelling this route with a valid Eurail or InterRail pass, you can save around €6 by taking these trains and not the Alvia trains.
Where to book
| Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Renfe | * |
On this journey
Travelling On
Journey Features
Good to Know
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