Self-Launched Best of Spain & Portugal: Barcelona to Madrid by Rail
11 days · Spain & Portugal
Eskapas charges £3,750
No-markup version: ~£1,520 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Eskapas's 11-day Barcelona-to-Madrid small group tour, rebuilt for independent travellers. Same headline sights — Gaudí's Sagrada Família and Casa Batlló, Madrid's Habsburg quarter and Royal Palace, Salamanca, Porto's Douro and port cellars, Aveiro's moliceiro boats, Coimbra, Batalha, Nazaré, Lisbon's Belém and Alfama, and Roman Mérida — but stitched together with Spain's superb high-speed rail network (AVE, Renfe, Comboios de Portugal) and self-booked walking tours, boat trips and cellar visits instead of a coach and a guide. Expect ~£1,450-1,600 per person including intercity transport, hostel/guesthouse beds and self-booked activities, versus US$4,750 (~£3,750) for the guided version. Costs are rough estimates and vary with season, how far ahead you book (AVE fares can triple at short notice) and whether you take a private room.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Fly into Barcelona El Prat and take the Aerobús shuttle (€7.25, ~35 min) or R2 Nord train (€4.90) into the city. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Eixample or Gràcia — Casa Gracia, Generator Barcelona and Yeah Barcelona are good value with private-room options if you want comfort. Pick up a T-casual 10-trip metro card (€12.55) if you plan to move around a lot. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Gothic Quarter and Born, with a first vermut and tapas dinner around Carrer del Blai or El Born (€12-15 if you stick to the menú del día or pintxos).
🚌Aerobús shuttle from El Prat (€7.25)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Eixample/Gràcia (~£40-55 dorm, £70-90 private, per room)
- →Gothic Quarter and El Born wander
- →Vermut and tapas dinner
Gaudí and Montjuïc day
Barcelona, Spain
Book the Sagrada Família online in advance (€26 with tower, or €20 basic) for a first-thing slot to beat the crowds. Walk up Passeig de Gràcia to see Casa Batlló and La Pedrera from the street — exterior viewing is free and the facades are the point; paid entry to Casa Batlló is €35+ and optional. Grab a menú del día lunch (€14-16). In the afternoon take metro to Espanya and walk Montjuïc: the Magic Fountain, Olympic Ring and Joan Miró Foundation, then descend to the Columbus Monument and Olympic Port for a waterfront beer. A free (tip-based) Sandemans or Feel Free walking tour in the evening is a cheap way to get the history a guide would give you.
🚌Metro T-casual (€1.25 per trip)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Barcelona
- →Sagrada Família entry (€26)
- →Casa Batlló and La Pedrera exterior
- →Montjuïc, Olympic Ring, Miró Foundation
- →Free tip-based walking tour (€5-10 tip)
Barcelona to Madrid by AVE
Madrid, Spain
Book an early AVE from Barcelona Sants to Madrid Atocha (~2h 45m). Advance 'Promo' fares start around €30-45; walk-up tickets can be €90+. From Atocha it's a short metro ride or a pleasant walk north to your hostel — options like Casa de Huéspedes in Centro, The Hat, or OK Hostel Madrid put you right in the action. In the evening do your own 'welcome tapas' crawl: start at Mercado de San Miguel for atmosphere, then head to La Latina or Calle Cava Baja for proper tapas bars (patatas bravas, croquetas, vermut for €15-20 total).
🚌AVE Barcelona Sants – Madrid Atocha (~€35 if booked early)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Madrid
- →Mercado de San Miguel
- →La Latina tapas crawl
Madrid in a day: Habsburgs, Royal Palace and churros
Madrid, Spain
Do a self-guided walk of Habsburg Madrid — Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, Barrio de la Morería — using a free audio guide or a tip-based walking tour (€5-10). Pre-book the Royal Palace online (€14, plus €6 if you want the Royal Armoury) for a mid-morning slot. Walk the Paseo del Prado via the Cibeles and Neptuno fountains and the Puerta de Alcalá, cross into Salamanca for a look at Gran Vía and Castellana, and pass the Santiago Bernabéu if you're a football fan (stadium tour €29-35, optional). Stop at Chocolatería San Ginés for churros with chocolate (€5) — the traditional Madrid fix.
🚌Metro (€1.25-2 per trip)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Madrid
- →Royal Palace entry (€14)
- →Habsburg Madrid walking route
- →Churros con chocolate at San Ginés (€5)
- →Optional Bernabéu tour (€29)
Madrid to Porto via Salamanca
Salamanca to Porto, Portugal
This is the day the coach tour does in one go and you'll do in the same style — it's genuinely a long travel day. Take an early Alvia/AVE from Madrid to Salamanca (~1h 35m, €20-30 booked ahead). Drop your bag at the station lockers and spend 3 hours in Salamanca: Plaza Mayor, the two cathedrals (climb the Ieronimus towers, €6) and the old university quarter, all UNESCO-listed, with a menú del día lunch (€14). Then take the afternoon train to Porto — the route usually means changing at Vigo-Guixar or taking a bus link; the simplest reliable option is the direct Renfe/Comboios connection from Salamanca to Porto Campanhã (roughly 5-6 hours, €30-45), or an express bus. Expect to arrive in Porto in the evening; grab a francesinha or grilled sardines near Ribeira (€12-15).
🚌Madrid–Salamanca train (~€25) + Salamanca–Porto train or bus (~€40)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Porto's Baixa/Ribeira
- →Salamanca Plaza Mayor and cathedral towers
- →Old university quarter
- →Ribeira evening stroll
Porto: Douro boat, port cellars and Fado
Porto, Portugal
Start with a self-guided walk through the UNESCO old town: Porto Cathedral (free entry, £3 to climb the cloister terrace), the São Bento station tiles, and the Palácio da Bolsa Stock Exchange (€12 for the guided interior visit, which you book on arrival). Cross to Vila Nova de Gaia for a 6-bridges Douro River cruise (€18-20 for a small-boat tour via GetYourGuide/Klook) and a port cellar visit — Sandeman, Graham's or Calém run tours from €18-25 including tasting; book direct online. In the evening catch a Fado show with a glass of port in Gaia for €15-20, or a dinner-show package around €35 if you want the full Eskapas-style evening.
🚌Walking + tram or metro to Gaia (€2-3)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Porto
- →Palácio da Bolsa (€12)
- →Douro 6-bridges river cruise (€19)
- →Port cellar tour and tasting (€20)
- →Fado show (€18)
Aveiro canals to Coimbra
Aveiro to Coimbra, Portugal
Take a CP urban train from Porto Campanhã to Aveiro (~1 hour, €4-5). Aveiro is a half-day town: walk the Art Nouveau streets and take a moliceiro boat ride on the canals (€15-18, tickets from the kiosks at the central canal — no need to pre-book) alongside the striped Costa Nova houses if the weather's good. Have a lunch of ovos moles and grilled fish, then continue south by CP train to Coimbra (~1 hour, €6-8). Check into a guesthouse near the old town and spend the evening exploring the steep streets below the university and the riverside Mondego, with dinner in the Baixa (€12-15).
🚌CP trains Porto–Aveiro (€5) and Aveiro–Coimbra (€7)
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Coimbra old town
- →Moliceiro canal boat ride (€16)
- →Aveiro Art Nouveau streets
- →Coimbra old town evening walk
Batalha, Nazaré and on to Lisbon
Batalha, Nazaré and Lisbon, Portugal
Take the morning train from Coimbra to Batalha via Entroncamento/Leiria, or a direct Rede Expressos coach if timings suit better (€8-12). Batalha Monastery — a UNESCO Gothic masterpiece — is €6 to enter the Founder's Chapel and cloisters. From Batalha take a local bus or a short taxi (€10-12) to Nazaré (~30 min) for the afternoon: the cliff-top Sítio viewpoint and Praia do Norte, the giant-wave strip, either on foot or via the funicular (€2.50). Then board the coach or train onward to Lisbon (~2 hours, €10-14), arriving in the evening. For the seafood dinner Eskapas does in Cacilhas, take the ferry across the Tejo from Cais do Sodré (€1.50) and eat grilled fish at a marisqueira on the riverfront (€15-20).
🚌Coach/train Coimbra–Batalha–Nazaré–Lisbon (~€20 total)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Lisbon (Baixa/Alfama)
- →Batalha Monastery (€6)
- →Nazaré Sítio viewpoint and Praia do Norte
- →Cacilhas ferry and seafood dinner (€1.50 ferry)
Lisbon: Belém, the Discoveries and Alfama
Lisbon, Portugal
Buy a Belém Combined Ticket online (€20) covering the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, or pick the individual entries (€12 each) if you're time-short. Start early at Jerónimos, then Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoverers, with a pastel de nata from the original Pastéis de Belém (€1.30). Take tram 15 or the train back into town and walk Avenida da Liberdade and the Marquês de Pombal square. Finish the afternoon with a tip-based walking tour of Alfama and Mouraria (€5-10 tip) — the equivalent of the Eskapas guided morning, but you'll learn more at your own pace. Sunset at the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte and dinner in Alfama (€14-18).
🚌Tram 15 and metro (€1.80-2 per trip)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Lisbon
- →Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower (€20 combined)
- →Monument to the Discoverers
- →Alfama and Mouraria walking tour (tip-based)
- →Pastéis de Belém
Lisbon to Mérida to Madrid
Mérida to Madrid, Spain
Another long travel day. Take an early FlixBus or Alsa coach from Lisbon to Mérida (~3h 30m, €15-25), or the train via Badajoz if you prefer rail (Renfe/Comboios connect Lisbon to Badajoz, then on to Mérida — usually 5-6 hours total, €30-40). In Mérida, drop bags at the bus station and buy the combined Roman ticket for the Teatro and Anfiteatro (€16, includes the Roman Theatre, Amphitheatre and Moorish Alcazaba) — one of the best-preserved Roman sites in Iberia and a genuine UNESCO sight. Have a late lunch (€12), then take the afternoon coach or train to Madrid (~3h 30m-4h, €25-35), arriving in time for a farewell dinner of cocido madrileño or jamón and wine in La Latina (€18-22).
🚌Coach Lisbon–Mérida (~€20) + coach/train Mérida–Madrid (~€30)
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Madrid
- →Mérida Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre (€16 combined)
- →Alcazaba
- →Farewell dinner in La Latina
Depart from Madrid
Madrid, Spain
A slow breakfast and a last walk through the Retiro Park or the Rastro flea market if your flight is later. Madrid Airport is 30 minutes from the centre by Renfe Cercanías C1 (€2.60) or the 24-hour Exprés Aeropuerto bus (€5). Factor in about £0 for the journey home — flights are not included in any of these figures, and neither were they in Eskapas's US$4,750 price.
🚌Cercanías C1 to Barajas Airport (€2.60)
🛏—
- →Retiro Park or Rastro market
Self-launched vs. Eskapas
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Eskapas | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,520 | £3,750 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,230 per person (59%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Eskapas-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,520
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Best of Spain & Portugal: Barcelona to Madrid by Rail cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,520 per person for 11 days in Spain & Portugal. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Eskapas?+
Yes — Eskapas charges around £3,750 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,520 — a saving of roughly £2,230 (59%) per person.
How long is the Spain & Portugal trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Spain & Portugal.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, foodie trip through Spain & Portugal, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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