Famous road · 20 km off the route
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Road trip route · Spain
Madrid to Granada drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 4 hr 47 min
- Distance
- 420 km
- Fuel (est.)
- €46
- Tolls (est.)
- €11
The Madrid to Granada drive
The drive from Madrid to Granada covers 261 miles (420 km) and takes about 4 hr 47 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
Most of it is one road: the A-4 carries 67% of the distance. On the way you go past Getafe, Aranjuez and Manzanares, and you'll be near Valdepeñas roughly 2 h 18 min in.
There's real climbing in this one: the road gets up to roughly 1,023 m near Granada, with something like 1,295 m of ascent over the whole drive. The Sierra Nevada road to Pico Veleta (A-395) is 20 km off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around €46 one-way plus roughly €11 in motorway tolls. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 261 miles this is longer than 71% of the 144 routes covered here.
The road, kilometre by kilometre
Towns within a few kilometres of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartMadrid
- 16 kmGetafe11 min in
- 53 kmAranjuez36 min in
- 176 kmManzanares2 h ingood place to stop
- 203 kmValdepeñas2 h 18 min in
- 291 kmBailén3 h 19 min in
- 331 kmJaén3 h 46 min ingood place to stop
- 420 kmGranada
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A-4282 km · 67%
- A-44115 km · 27%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Best stops between Madrid and Granada
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Cathedrals & Temples
Jaén Cathedral
A monumental Renaissance cathedral dominating the olive-oil capital, a model for many churches in Latin America.
Historic Highways
Despeñaperros Gorge
The dramatic granite defile that has carried every road from Madrid into Andalusia for centuries; the A-4 now sweeps through this natural-park gorge of jagged rock walls.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
Spain
- Motorway
- 120 km/h · 50 in town
- Tolls
- Autopistas de peaje (AP roads)
- Must carry
- warning triangle, hi-vis vest
Low-emission zones: ZBE (Zonas de Bajas Emisiones) - national rollout.
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Madrid to Granada FAQs
How long is the drive from Madrid to Granada?
Driving from Madrid to Granada takes about 4 hr 47 min nonstop, covering 261 miles (420 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Madrid to Granada?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly €46 one-way. Expect around €11 in motorway tolls. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Madrid to Granada in one day?
Yes, at about 4 hr 47 min of driving, Madrid to Granada is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Madrid to Granada?
The fastest route uses the A-4 (about 282 km), the A-44 (about 115 km). It passes Getafe, Aranjuez, Manzanares, Valdepeñas.
Where should I stop on the way from Madrid to Granada?
If you stop every couple of hours, Manzanares comes up about 2 h in, and Jaén comes up about 4 h in. All are just off the main road.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 16 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
More drives from Madrid & Granada
Madrid → BarcelonaMadrid → BilbaoMadrid → LisbonMadrid → MalagaMadrid → SevilleMadrid → ValenciaMalaga → GranadaSeville → Granada
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free Spain road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in Spain guide.