We are flying into Madrid mid October....and then have 9 days to explore. Would like to go to Barcelona, since we've never been....but it seems a long way aways....best/easiest travel method? Any other suggestions for trips out of Madrid (We've been to Toledo, Granada, Ronda, and Seville). How's train travel, or should we just rent a car/ or fly?
Thanks in advance for resonding.
j and d

The fastest rail service will take about 6 hours one way. Definitely check out flight options on Iberia and Spanair..they compete on the Madrid-Barcelona route. I've done this one-way for waaaaay less than $100 incl taxes and round trip might be worth it to you. The flight itself will take approx. 55 minutes.

definitely fly...

iberia has a round trip for less than 100E (dependant on day and time). service between madrid and barcelona is about every 20 minutes daily.

Day trips from Madrid: Cordoba (by train) and Segovia (by bus). They are both worth a trip.

With 9 days, I'd probably spend 4 days in Madrid and do the 2 day trips, then spend head toward Barcelona and spend the other 5 days there. You can fly if you find cheap flights, or take the train. For 2 cities and day trips, I wouldn't bother with a car.

If you need daytrips from Barcelona, try Monserrat, the vineyards north of the city, Stiges etc.

Karen

El avion, definitely. It's not that much more than the train (perhaps cheaper sometimes) and is sooo much quicker, unless you've got plenty of time to kill. Also, the scenery by train between Madrid and Barcelona isn't terribly interesting.

i would leave madrid by car, go to alcala de henares, world heritage site, see a museum or two,( and the resident storks) then drive on to Cuenca, hanging houses, or /and Alarcon. both doable and have paradors that are fabulous,...with an overnight at one.
alarcon is a parador castle, cuenca has a parador convent reconverted. gogeous.

next day down to valencia.( 2 hours from either of those places max.)
you can stop at a winery rural guesthouse in valencia region or go into valencia with its numerous free museums.
after a couple nights in vlc, go to barcelona by car, stopping at lovely peñiscola, (castle on hill, beautiful beach) or just take the euromed high speed train from valencia, dropping off car at train station, and you will be in barcelona first class , free drinks and food, in three hours!!

when travelling on train in first class in spain, remember you have free use of their great VIP lounge ( free snacks, papers adn drinks) and very comfortable.
not many places to sit st the train station.
(this is only available upon departure.. not arrival.. new rule!!)

have fun.
lots to do if you take the LONG road to barcelona. much more interesting than the straight shot across the plains. much more scenic, and you go up following the coast to barcelona most of the way.

You can check train schedules on www.bahn.de. The high-speed line between Madrid and Barcelona is not complete yet, but the fastest journey currently seems to be 4 hrs 35 mins, which will compare well with flying when you consider check-in times and the time taken to get to and from airports.