How to get to Córdoba by train, bus, car or plane

By high-speed train from Madrid, Seville and Málaga

From Madrid, trains leave from Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes. Renfe, the state operator, sells the route on AVE, on Avlo (its low-cost brand) and on long-distance trains; its first departure of the day is at 6:27. Ouigo publishes an average journey time of 1 hour 51 minutes, and in its timetable this autumn the trips take between 2 hours and 2 hours 10 minutes. Iryo also calls at Córdoba on its trains between Madrid and Andalusia.

From Sevilla Santa Justa, Renfe runs AVE, Avlo and Avant (the medium-distance high-speed service, the one day-trippers use). Ouigo gives an average of 42 minutes. From Málaga María Zambrano, with the same three Renfe train types, Ouigo gives an average of 49 minutes.

Buy tickets on each operator's website or app, or at the ticket desks and machines in the station. All three use dynamic pricing, so the same train costs a different amount depending on the day and how close the departure is. Compare all three before buying: the cheapest is not always the same one. A high-speed ticket is for one specific train and seat.

During 2026 the Madrid to Andalusia line has been cut several times, and in November Ouigo was warning of services suspended because of a line closure. Before you travel, check the notices of the operator your ticket is with.

From Barcelona and Valencia

Renfe sells the route between Barcelona Sants and Córdoba on AVE and long-distance services. The first of the day leaves Sants at 5:50. From Valencia Joaquín Sorolla the route is covered by AVE, Avlo or long-distance trains, with a first departure at 6:57.

These are trips of several hours, so here it does pay to buy weeks ahead. Check the exact duration of the train you want on the Renfe website, because it varies a good deal with the number of stops. Iryo also sells tickets to Córdoba from Barcelona and Valencia.

Córdoba station

The station is on Glorieta de las Tres Culturas, north-west of the old town. According to Renfe it opens from 6:00 to midnight. It has ticket sales, a café and shops, car hire, a car park, a taxi rank, a tourist information point and free assistance for passengers with reduced mobility.

The intercity bus station is next door. If you arrive by train and continue by bus to a town in the province, or the other way round, the change is a two-minute walk.

From the station to the old town

On foot it is about 1.2 km to Plaza de las Tendillas (15 to 20 minutes) and about 1.7 km to the Mosque-Cathedral (25 minutes). With suitcases, or in the middle of August, take the bus or a taxi.

By city bus, Aucorsa line 3 is the one that links the station with the old town: it stops at Gran Capitán, Tendillas, San Fernando, the riverside, Puerta del Puente and the Alcázar. The route differs by direction, so check at the stop which one drops you closest. It leaves every 12 to 15 minutes on weekdays and every 15 to 19 minutes at weekends. Lines 4, 5, 10 and 11 also stop at the station.

A single ticket costs €1.30, is bought on board, and can be paid in cash, by contactless card or by phone. If you expect to take several buses, the tourist card costs €5 for 24 hours and €10 for 72 hours with unlimited rides.

By taxi, the rank is at the station door and the ride to the centre takes 5 to 10 minutes depending on traffic. Bear in mind that the streets around the Mezquita are a restricted traffic zone: a taxi may enter, your hire car may not.

By bus

Long-distance coaches arrive at the bus station next to the railway station. Alsa has its own ticket desk there, and other companies cover particular routes. Against the high-speed train the coach is slower, and makes most sense from cities with no direct high-speed link.

Timetables and fares are on each company's website. For many towns in the province, such as Priego de Córdoba, the intercity bus is the only public transport there is.

By car

The A-4, the Autovía del Sur, runs past Córdoba: about 395 km from Madrid and about 140 from Seville. From Málaga you come up the A-45, about 160 km. There is no direct motorway from Granada; the usual route is the N-432, an ordinary national road, at around 165 km. The same N-432 comes in from Badajoz to the north-west.

What matters is the arrival. The old town is divided into restricted traffic areas with cameras that read number plates, and a wrong turn with the satnav ends in a fine. Leave the car outside the old town or in a car park and continue on foot. The parking guide explains where and how.

By plane

Córdoba airport is about 9 km from the railway station. It has very few scheduled commercial flights: Aena, the airport operator, announced a Vueling route to Barcelona in 2025, and what is on offer changes from season to season. When there is a flight, Aucorsa line 78 leaves Plaza de Colón an hour and a half before take-off and returns from the airport once the plane has landed.

For almost every visitor the useful airports are elsewhere. Seville's is about 130 km away by road and Málaga's about 170; both cities have high-speed trains to Córdoba in under an hour, though you first have to get from the airport to the station. Granada's is about 160 km away, with no direct train. Madrid-Barajas is a reasonable alternative if you connect with the train at Atocha.