How to get to Madrid for the 2019 Champions League Final for Cheap

Liverpool and Tottenham will face off in the Champions League final in Madrid. If you take the bus for at least part of your trip, you can still nab yourself a bargain!

The 2019 Champions League finals may be happening in Madrid, but it will be an all-british face off. It’s no surprise that prices are surging for flights during the weekend of the final, around the 1st of June. Fans from Liverpool and Tottenham Hostspur are desperately trying to figure out how to get to the Spanish capital without breaking the bank.

 You may have seen the exorbitant prices of flights between Liverpool (and other British airports), to Madrid. Easyjet’s 2-hour flight from Liverpool to Madrid was going for around £1,500 last week, over 10 times the usual fare. Fans are fuming, but don’t panic – when there’s a will, there’s a way!

We’ve found the most affordable ways to get to Madrid from the UK during the final weekend, using the world’s most advanced bus comparison tool – Busbud. We’ll compare the price and duration of buses, a combination of buses and flights, and flights only.

 

Mode of Transportation	Bus	Flight & Bus	Flight
Price and Fair Type	As low as £57!  (each way) Some refundable fares, most are exchangeable before departure.	As low as £220 round-trip for a flight to Barcelona, Lisbon or Malaga. As low as £15 each way for bus to Madrid from Barcelona, Lisbon, or Malaga.	Up to £1,500 for a direct flight Base fare is non refundable or exchangeable.
Amenities	Wifi, power outlets, etc	Wifi, plugs on the bus	N/A
Total duration	1 day 1 transfer in Paris	8-10 hours	2.5 hours

 

Bus from England to Madrid

This is by far the most affordable mode of transportation, if you don’t mind spending just over a full day on the bus. You can get a bus from London to Madrid with either Eurolines or Ouibus for as low as £57 each way.

You can also get a bus from Liverpool to Madrid on Busbud. You’ll have to switch buses in London, but you can make a single reservation. If you’re leaving from elsewhere in the UK, you’ll have to find a separate bus to London on Busbud.

Both bus companies have relatively new buses, and on board amenities, including Wifi and power outlets. Unlike most low-cost airlines, you’ll be able to bring a checked luggage and a carry on bag for free. Both companies offer exchangeable tickets, and Ouibus tickets are refundable prior to departure. Other than a stop in Paris, you won’t have to get off the bus until you arrive to Madrid’s Avenida de América bus terminal.

Flight and Bus Combo to Madrid

This is where it gets tricky, and you have to be creative. Depending on how much time you are willing to spend on the bus, and how much you are willing to pay for your flight. While flights to Madrid as a final destination will be ridiculously expensive on the weekend of the first of June, you can still find some much better deals to other cities in the rest of Spain, and catch a bus to complete your journey.

Go via Barcelona:

Flights from Liverpool to Barcelona are still a lot more affordable than to Madrid. As of May 13th, you can still find some Easyjet roundtrips for around £390 between the 31st of  May and the 3rd of June.

You can get a coach from Barcelona to Madrid from £30 each way which takes approximately seven hours but will still get you to the city in time for the match. ALSA coach tickets are refundable and exchangeable before departure.

Go via Lisbon

Flights from London to Lisbon are still going for around £230 for a return trip with TAP Portugal, Wizz Air, and RyanAir – just a fraction of what it costs to get to Madrid between the 30th of May and the 3rd of June.

From there, you can catch a coach to Madrid from Lisbon. With 34 departures a day on Busubd – there’s plenty to choose from. We’d recommend leaving directly from Lisbon International Airport to Madrid. It will take you approximately 8 hours to get there, but prices start as low as £14 each way

Go via Malaga

Norwegian, RyanAir, and EasyJet have direct flights from London to Malaga for around £390 roundtrip during the Champions League final weekend. From there, hop on a Daibus coach and get dropped off at Estación Sur in central Madrid. The bus trip takes just under 6 hours and you can get a ticket for around £15 each way on Busbud.  

Direct flight to Madrid

If you’re a die-hard footy fan and you’re set on making this trip as short as possible, you can still get direct flights from London and Liverpool to Madrid – but this will cost you an arm and a leg – around £1,500 to be precise. Unless you pay another extra, you’ll have to stick to a carry on and non-refundable or exchangeable ticket.

Staying in Madrid on a budget

AirBnB and hotel prices in Madrid are also on the rise with the Champions League Finals approaching. For the football fan on budget, we recommend checking out Hosteling International. With a network of over 4,000 hostels worldwide, it’s the one of the leading providers of accommodation for youths, backpackers and travellers alike! Get the real hostel experience in Madrid and around the world with this official Busbud partner.