Paris to Madrid

There's really only one daytime train that takes about 12 1/2 hours, and another night train that takes about 13 1/2 hours. There are other routes you can work thru Barcelona, but they usually take several hours longer and require several train changes. Minimum fare would be about 70 Euro, booking three months in advance on the web to get their special non-refundable fare....from there it goes way up. You might want to consider flying...discount airlines like Vueling and Easyjet fly that route for as low as 50 Euro (depending on how far ahead you book), and Spanair and Iberia probably offer comparable prices. Just watch the extra baggage, etc. charges, restrictions on luggage size and weight, and refund and exchange provisions. As for accommodations in Madrid, two nice little two-star hotels in the downtown, but quiet, can be found at hostalcruzsol.com and hostalsantacruz.com, on separate floors in the same building on Plaza Santa Cruz....newly renovated, about 50 Euro for a double.

In Madrid we stayed in a botique hotel called "Hotel Abalu". The rooms were clean, reasonably priced, and blockes from the Gran Via.

From Paris we flew. It was cheaper than train.

PS: If you're thinking of going to any other Spanish city than Madrid, check out Click Air.

Michelle:

What airline did you fly, how much was the fare and what flying time was required?