Train from Granada to Madrid
 

I'm looking to take the train from Granada to Madrid during our 14 day trip in Andalucia.
There appears to be one train in the morning and one in the evening and it takes a little over 4 hours.
There are several trains from Malaga to Madrid that take a little over 2 hours. How difficult is it to get from Granada to Malaga and do you think it is worth it?

Hi,

Buses from Granada to Malaga are frequent and take approx 1h30min - 2h. Trains from Malaga to Madrid are high speed trains (AVE) and expensive. I suggest that you take the train from Granada to Madrid.

I flew from Granada to Madrid earlier this year, inexpensive and quick.

Not worth it as it will be a similar journey time and greater expenditure, certainly so if you have a hugely discounted web fare (but you do not give your date).

Book Spanish trains at www.renfe.com as you can find Web fares from around 30 euros.

I can't believe a flight even exists for such a short journey, but in any case the train will be a high quality Altaria train, centre to centre with some great scenery thrown in. A chance to chill out and rest those weary sightseeing feet... If you go Preferente (1st class) the fare includes an at seat hot meal and wine, lovely!

WomBat: I flew from Granada to Madrid on a Saturday in mid-June this year and paid about $70 including taxes, fees, on Iberia.

Not a similar journey time at all. Train journey ranges from about 4.5 to over 6 hours, depending on the time and train. Flight was one hour.

Adding transfer times, journey time hotel-to-hotel was about 2 hours, including the short taxi ride to Granada airport, which is a sweet little place to fly out of, very small and easy to navigate, and the shuttle from Madrid airport. I checked in online the morning of my flight and flew carry-on only. No need to wait in line for check-in or to wait around for baggage to be unloaded.

Man61: Believe it, it's true, I did it. It's a one-hour flight. Just like flying from Portland to Seattle here at home, which I and thousands of others do each month, enough, anyway, to keep two airlines busy on that route. Portland to Seattle is actually a comparable situation because the flight is one hour and the train is four hours.

I agree the train is a lovely way to go, having done it before. But it does take extra time, which in June I didn't have. Granada isn't on a high-speed line. The Talgo takes about 5.5 hours, there are a couple of others each day that do it in about 4.5 hours.

julia1,

I was addressing the original posted query.