Getting from Amsterdam to Madrid (or the other way around)

Hopping from one European city to another is the foundation of any grand tour through the continent, but some of those hops are easier than others. Amsterdam to Paris is a quick train ride. Amsterdam to Madrid is a different animal: about 1,500 km as the crow flies, with two borders and a change of rail gauge in between.

The short version: fly if your time matters, take the train if you want to see France on the way and can give it two days, and take the bus only if money is much tighter than time. Everything below works the same in reverse if you're starting in Madrid.

Flying between Amsterdam and Madrid

For most people this is the answer. The flight takes roughly two and a half hours gate to gate, and Madrid is one of Schiphol's busiest routes, so there are plenty of departures every day. Three airlines fly it nonstop: KLM, Iberia Express and Air Europa, according to Schiphol's busiest-routes data. You'll also find plenty of one-stop options through other European hubs, but with three nonstop carriers there's rarely a good reason to take one.

A few things that the old version of this page got wrong, or that have changed since:

• Air Berlin, which used to fly this route with a stop, went out of business in October 2017.
• Budget fares still exist on the nonstop carriers, but the cheapest tickets usually leave out checked bags and seat selection. Price the whole trip, not just the headline fare.
• Schiphol is only about 15 minutes from Centraal Station by train, so the airport trek is short on this end. See getting from Schiphol to downtown Amsterdam for the details.

>> Further reading: Budget Airlines that Fly to Madrid, Budget Airlines that Fly to Amsterdam

Taking the train between Amsterdam and Madrid

You can do this whole trip by rail, and it's a far better ride than it was when this page was first written, but there's still no through train. Plan on at least two trains, usually three, and a night somewhere along the way. The old overnight Elipsos sleeper from Paris to Madrid was discontinued in 2013, so you can't sleep your way across the Pyrenees anymore.

The usual routing: Paris and Barcelona

1. Amsterdam to Paris by Eurostar (the trains that used to be called Thalys). The trip takes about three and a quarter hours via Schiphol and Rotterdam, trains run around 10 times a day, and NS International lists the cheapest seats from €35 one way, rising to €55 to €135 once those sell out. See getting from Amsterdam to Paris for more.
2. Cross Paris from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon. It's two stops on RER line D.
3. Paris to Barcelona by TGV. There are two direct TGVs a day and the ride takes about 6 hours 50 minutes, according to The Man in Seat 61. The afternoon train reaches Barcelona Sants in the evening, which is why most people stop overnight here.
4. Barcelona to Madrid by high-speed train. Renfe's AVE, Iryo and the low-cost Ouigo all run this line, with departures most hours and journey times from about 2 hours 30 minutes.

That makes it a two-day trip: either Amsterdam to Barcelona on day one (a very long day that only works if you catch an early Eurostar) or Amsterdam to Paris on day one with a morning TGV on day two. The Paris overnight is the nicer option. You get an evening in Paris and still reach Madrid by dinner the next day.

Booking it

You'll usually buy separate tickets: Amsterdam to Paris from Eurostar or NS International, and the French and Spanish legs from Renfe, SNCF or a rail retailer. Separate tickets mean that if a delay makes you miss a connection, the next operator doesn't have to honor your ticket, so leave a buffer of at least an hour in Paris. Rail passes work on these routes too, but high-speed trains in France and Spain need a paid seat reservation on top of the pass.

Taking the bus between Amsterdam and Madrid

If the train takes two days, you'd expect the bus to be worse, and it is. Still, for people with far more time than money, a bus can be the cheapest way to do it.

The operators this page used to recommend are gone. Eurolines' Dutch business was bought by FlixBus in 2019, and we couldn't confirm that Busabout's hop-on hop-off passes still link these two cities, so we've dropped Busabout here. Today FlixBus is the main option. When we checked in September 2026, FlixBus listed a fastest time of 23 hours 50 minutes, fares starting around €72, and about 17 trips a day, most of them with at least one change. FlixBus buses leave from several Amsterdam stops, including Sloterdijk and the bus station behind Centraal Station, so check which one your ticket names.

Our take: a day and a night on a coach often costs about what an early-booked flight does, and it eats a full day of your trip. If you're going to spend a night in transit anyway, you're better off doing it in a Paris hotel and riding the TGV.

Madrid as part of a longer trip

If Amsterdam and Madrid are two stops on a bigger trip from outside Europe, you don't have to price every leg separately. AirTreks, BootsnAll's sister company, has been building multi-stop and round-the-world tickets since 1987, and a sample route that pairs these two cities looks like this:

If you'd rather ride the rails between the cities, the same idea works as an open jaw: fly into Madrid, take the train north through France, and fly home from Amsterdam. For more ideas, see indie trips that include Amsterdam and our 10-day Netherlands itinerary.

FAQ

Is there a direct train from Amsterdam to Madrid?

No. You'll change at least in Paris and usually again in Barcelona, and most people stop for a night along the way.

Which is cheaper, the train or the plane?

Usually the plane, once you add up Eurostar, the TGV, the Spanish leg and a hotel night. The train wins on experience, not price.

How long is the flight from Amsterdam to Madrid?

About two and a half hours on a nonstop flight with KLM, Iberia Express or Air Europa.

Can I use a rail pass for this trip?

Yes, but budget for the compulsory seat reservations on French and Spanish high-speed trains, which can sell out in summer.

photos, top to bottom, by: hermenpaca, slasher-fun, Matthew Black, sludgegulper