Best Train Option From Madrid to Jerez de la Frontera

There are direct, no change trains from Madrid to Jerez - just under four hours. Check the Renfe (Spanish rail) site.

Rail Europe and Rail Ninja do not operate trains. You should definitely avoid Rail Ninja. It has a terrible reputation, charging much more than the standard fare for the tickets it sells. I'd buy the ticket from the company operating the trains, Renfe: https://www.renfe.com/es/en. If you encounter a problem (sometimes US credit cards don't work on the Renfe website), you can use TheTrainline.com; it will charge a bit more.

The trip will take roughly 4 to 5 hours; you'll pass through Cordoba and Seville; on some departures you need to transfer in Seville. If you take a train from the airport into the city, you'll also change trains at Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes (or "Atocha Station"). Your destination will be Jerez de la Frontera.

The full schedule for late March hasn't been loaded yet. You can choose a date next week (use the same day of the week you plan to travel) to see a complete list of departure times. Fares generally rise as the travel date approaches, so you are likely to save money by buying your ticket early. The ticket will be for a specific departure time.

If you're flying into Madrid and want to go to Jerez the same day, it's tricky to choose a train ahead of time, because your flight could be late, the Immigration lines could be long and slow, etc. You basically have two choices:

• Buy an "Elige" ticket that costs a little more but can be changed once. You'll pay the difference between your original cost and the current cost of the new ticket if you need to alter your departure time.

• Wait until you land in Spain to buy a ticket. There's a train station right at the airport.

There are two problems with the second option: The train ticket is likely to cost quite a bit more, and you might find a lot of the day's trains are sold out. Spain is a country where trains can fill up, especially on the line running from Barcelona through Madrid and Cordoba to Seville. The sold-out trains could be an issue even if you bought your ticket early but need to change it because you cannot make the original departure time. Therefore, it's important to be realistic about when you will be able to depart.

Years ago we flew into Jerez de la Frontera on a same day connecting flight from Madrid. I don’t recall the layover time. That might be an option. The Jerez airport is small and about 10-15 minutes outside the town. If renting a car, it has rental car offices right at the airport.

Thank you for the idea. I will check that out!

I thought I was only replying to the last comment but I think it's a reply to all. I REALLY appreciate the information.

As for the advice to not use RailNinja, they're the only one's going from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid on the return part of the trip (my question was about the arrival but the comment made me think about the departure). Our group of 7 is flying from Madrid to Miami at 4:15pm. RailNinja had an Ave Bullet Train fro Santiago de Compostela to Madrid getting there at 1:38. Are they really unreliable? Should I look for something else?

Rail Ninja isn't going anywhere. Rail Ninja doesn't run any trains.

If you Google for reviews (or look on TripAdvisor) you'll find many tales of woe about excess charges, failure to provide complete refunds, etc.

You haven't told us your travel date, but on Renfe.com I see a train departing Santiago de Compostela at 10:36 AM and arriving at Madrid's Atocha Station at 1:38 PM on every day between March 22 and March 31. Renfe is erratic in the timing of its ticket releases; maybe it doesn't have the full scheduled loaded for your actual travel date yet. Do not buy from Rail Ninja.

But there's a bigger problem: If you have an outbound transatlantic flight at 4:15 PM, you need to be at the airport at 1:15 PM. It's a large airport, and you never know what the lines will be like. A train arriving in downtown Madrid at l:38 PM gives you zero chance of being at the airport at 1:15 PM. In addition, although the train you've selected is one of Renfe's very fast trains, even the AVEs can have mechanical problems and be delayed or cancelled. You need to take an earlier train.

I would never plan to stay in a hotel so far from my departure airport on my last day. You're putting yourself at risk of having to pay last-minute prices for seven one-way tickets home. That could be very costly.