Drivers AtlasThe world's best roads

City to city

Barcelona to Madrid, the way worth driving

Six hours of AP2 and A2, or three days through the Pyrenean foothills and the Sierra de Guadarrama.

Direct route

382.1 mi

Scenic route

652.4 mi

Days to enjoy it

4 days

Great roads on route

7

Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk

Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Distances are planning estimates. The road list is drawn from the scored Atlas library inside this corridor. How we score roads.

Last reviewed 13 March 2026

The detour

Fast way against good way

The fast way

382.1 miles of getting it done

Motorway and trunk road for most of it, one fuel stop, nothing you will remember. Useful when the drive is a means to an end.

The good way

652.4 miles worth taking off work for

About 4 hr 15 min of that is spent on the great roads themselves, which is where the whole difference lies.