travel from Barcelona to Madrid

Take the train! themaninseat61.com website will get you started in the right direction.
Or you could fly.

The AVE train is fast (2.5 to 3 hours), comfortable, and very affordable if you get the advance-purchase discount fares (47 or 58 euros, depending on time of day). Plus you go city center to city center and avoid all the airport hassle. See the man in seat 61 or the instructions on Tripadvisor (in the Madrid forum) for buying tickets in advance on Renfe, the Spanish train site. It isn't easy but it can be done----we bought tickets for 5 journeys last May and got all the discounts (Web fares are 60% off). If you absolutely cannot buy on Renfe, after jumping through all the hoops, try rumbo.es (only in Spanish) or RailEurope. RE has been offering the web fare discounts that were available on Renfe, but I haven't confirmed recently that is still the case. When are you going? The tickets with Web discounts appear 62 days in advance (usually) and some trains quickly sell out. .

Definitely take the train - it saves a lot of time and money just by avoiding trips to and from the airport. I did a Barcelona-Madrd trip on the AVE train last month - fast, comfortable, and very affordable (especially if you can by the tickets online and get a sizable discount). I think 2 days is pushing it to see Madrid, but depending on your interests it could be enough. Still, 2 days is better than none!

I also vote for the train for its convenience. Two days in Madrid is worth it just to see the museums and at least get a flavor of the city. The Prado is so amazing it is worth the trip alone. If you had three days, you could spend one in Toledo which is almost a crime to be so close and not get to Toledo (makes a good daytrip as it's only 30 minutes by train).

The AVE highspeed train by all means! You will enjoy the trip and see lots of the countryside as well,with out the aiport hassle.

Check out flights. There are local airlines that can get you there in half the time and half the dough. It worked for us when comparing the price of the train and time from Barcelona to Malaga versus flying.

I, too, recommend the train; it's fast and CAN BE CHEAP(er) if tickets are bought online and in advance. Time traveling from one city to the next can also be faster than plane - and FAR more comfortable. I've taken this train several times and would never consider the trip by airplane. Train stations are DOWNTOWN in both cities and public transportation from these stations are easy and cheap to wherever you want to go. Is 2 days enough to see Madrid? I could be. That is to say, you'll see a lot, but you'll miss a lot, too. I always recommend a minimum of 3-days for Madrid. Best of luck! Saludos, MadridMan/BarcelonaMan @ you-know-where!