Madrid to Zaragoza by Car: A Journey through Spain’s Heartland
Our stay at the Madrid Holiday Inn was restful, setting us up perfectly for the next leg of our European road trip, Madrid to Zaragoza by car. After a hearty breakfast, we hit the road early, bound for Zaragoza—a city whose name has a rhythmic charm to it. We set off along the Madrid to Zaragoza Road trip route, heading towards Barcelona on the A-2 Motor Highway. As we exited Madrid, a thrilling sight greeted us: an Air Europa plane, wheels out, preparing to land at Madrid-Barajas Airport, just above our heads.
If you’re planning a Madrid to Zaragoza Road trip, it’s best to leave early before the traffic builds up. The distance from Madrid to Zaragoza is about 320 km, which we covered in around three hours, including a brief stop to stretch and refresh. While the A-2 route is more direct and efficient, it’s not known for its scenic beauty. Castilian villages were sparse, though we did catch glimpses of castles and cathedrals that punctuated the otherwise flat, vast plains. As it was May, summer was just starting, and the landscape was a mix of arid stretches and occasional green patches.
Madrid to Zaragoza Itinerary with Best Stops
The A-2 route from Madrid to Zaragoza is toll-free, so there won’t be any additional costs for tolls. Parking in Zaragoza can cost around €1 to €2 per hour in the city centre. If you plan to park for a few hours, set aside €5 to €10.
Keeping up with my craze to visit UNESCO Heritage sites I managed to fit in Zaragoza into the itinerary. Zaragoza and Teruel together form one UNESCO World Heritage site of Spain. A diversion to Teruel would have meant further delay in reaching Barcelona. And all we had was max. 2 hours during which we had to include lunch time too. We focused just on the cathedral of Zaragoza… more about it in another post. This post is on road drive from Madrid to Zaragoza.
Read more: Road trip Barcelona to Barcelona 3155km in 15 days
Madrid to Zaragoza by Car: A Journey through Spain’s Heartland
Also see: Photo Essay on Road Trip from Granada to Seville
Madrid to Zaragoza Itinerary with Best Stops
There are several stops and detours along the Madrid to Zaragoza Road trip route. The halts and sightseeing spots along the A-2 route offer a mix of culture, history, and natural beauty in medieval towns that dot the route. This Madrid to Zaragoza road trip itinerary with detours and stops are worthwhile if you’re looking to break up the journey and explore central Spain.
Alcalá de Henares (35 km from Madrid) is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its rich history and stunning architecture. Hardly any detour time as it’s right on the A-2 route. The Cervantes Birthplace Museum, the impressive Cathedral of Alcalá, and Plaza de Cervantes are must-visit spots.
Guadalajara (60 km from Madrid), a historical town, has an ancient charm with its palaces and cathedrals. It’s quieter than most touristy cities but offers a glimpse into traditional Spanish life.
Medinaceli (150 km from Madrid) is a picturesque medieval hilltop town with Roman and Moorish influences. Cater for time to explore the Roman Arch of Medinaceli, the ruins of its medieval castle, and the beautiful Plaza Mayor. It’s a charming stop with breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. 30-minute detour off the A-2.
Monasterio de Piedra (220 km from Madrid, 40 km from Zaragoza) Located slightly off the A-2, this stunning natural park and monastery is famous for its waterfalls, lakes, and caves. 30-minute drive off the highway, but offers a refreshing break from the road.
Calatayud (90 km from Zaragoza) is a town with a rich blend of Roman, Moorish, and Christian heritage. Most importantly Calatayud is famous for its Mudéjar architecture, the historic Castle of Ayud, the Mudéjar towers, and the Colegiata de Santa María. It’s also a great spot to stop for lunch and explore the narrow streets.
Zaragoza (Final Destination)
Madrid to Zaragoza Road best stops
How to travel from Madrid to Zaragoza
One of the main advantages of traveling from Madrid to Zaragoza by road, especially in a self-driven car, is the flexibility it offers. You can take various stops along the way to explore the tourist attractions of Central Spain—places you might not otherwise visit if you weren’t passing through. This is ideal for travelers who don’t plan to stay overnight at these spots but still want to experience a bit of local history and culture.
The fastest way to get to Zaragoza from Madrid would be high-speed trains. It takes just around 1 hour 15 minutes by train to reach Zaragoza from Madrid. AVE (high-speed train) tickets range from €30 to €70 depending on time and availability. Regional trains are cheaper, around €15–€30.
Madrid to Zaragoza Itinerary with Best Stops
For those seeking the most affordable option, buses or rideshares are the way to go. However, the journey will take around 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on traffic and stops. Bus tickets generally cost between €10 and €30 one-way, depending on the company and time of booking.
Osborne Bulls in Spain
Best part of the road trip as I mentioned before was scanning the horizon to spot the big black bull of highway. These Osborne bulls have an interesting story:
The Osborne sherry company (founded by Thomas Osborne Mann in 1772) erected large images of bulls starting in 1956 to advertise their Brandy de Jerez. The images were black advertising boards located near major roads throughout Spain. The original image was smaller and slightly different in design. The current larger image was created to comply with a law that prohibited advertising within 150 metres of a road.
In 1994 the EU passed a law that prohibited all roadside advertising of alcoholic beverages, and the bulls were therefore to be removed. By this time the signs were nationally renowned, so although some campaigners wished them completely removed to fully comply with the intent of the law, public response resulted in the signs being retained, but completely blacked out to remove all reference to the original advertisers.
The Court eventually allowed these signs to remain on the grounds that they have become a part of the landscape and have “aesthetic or cultural significance”, thus turning the bulls into public domain images.
Throughout the entire stretch of 315kms to Zaragova from Madrid we could spot 6 bulls. Just one out of them had its back to us. Btw there are 91 such bulls scattered all over Spain. How many have you seen?
FAQ: Madrid to Zaragoza Travel
How much does a road trip from Madrid to Zaragoza cost?
If driving, expect to spend around €30 to €35 on fuel one-way. The total cost, including meals and parking, could range between €80 to €150.
Are there tolls on the road between Madrid and Zaragoza?
No, the main highway, A-2, between Madrid and Zaragoza is toll-free.
Is it worth renting a car for the Madrid to Zaragoza trip?
Renting a car is a good option if you prefer flexibility and want to explore sights along the way, like Castilian villages, UNESCO sites, and scenic landscapes.
Are there direct flights from Madrid to Zaragoza?
Yes, but flights are not frequent. While the flight time is just 1 hour, the total travel time, including airport transfers and check-in, often makes the train or car a more convenient option.
What is the best time of year to travel from Madrid to Zaragoza?
Spring and fall offer the most pleasant weather for a road trip, while summer can be hot, especially in the more arid central plains. May and September are particularly great months for travel.
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As someone who has taken a lot of road trips, I can relate to the excitement of stumbling along a fun roadside attraction like the bull you discovered. It’s really big and detailed too!
I really love roadtrips as well. I like the photo of the castle that you shared as well as the photos of the bulls. Spain has so much to offer I surmise. I wish we can go roadtrip there as well one day. Roadtrips are especially nice in Europe because the roads are easy to navigate.
Ahh Spain is on our bucket list! I love your post. We are currently roadtrippin’ in Portugal and it’s more than amazing 🙂
Those Osborne bulls are amazing.
The story behind that bull is quite interesting! Spain some day…really want to explore this laid back yet vibrant country soon!
Spain is where my family comes from and I love how easy the roads are there, perfect for any road trip! Those bulls have been there for a while I think? I’ve got memories of seeing some! Could be a fun roadtrip to try and see all of them!
I’ve never been to Spain but now when I know about the history of bull standing on highways, I can share this knowledge and by the way 91 is a huge count to cover.
Looks like you had an amazing road trip! Have never been to Spain but will definitely keep in mind to check bulls on the way whenever I’ll be heading there. You’ve also captured bull’s shots very nicely!
It takes a lot of planning to execute a perfect road trip that is fun. I love to travel by road and it is always a trip to remember. The pictures are just awesome.
I love your love UNESCO heritage sites I now am taking more notice of them and want to visit all in every corner of the world.Roadtrips are always fun and a great way to explore. Those Bulls and their story is rather interesting.Thank you for sharing.
Wonderful post Indraniji, loved the way you described the entire road trip !
I remember a few years ago when I was younger, you could spot the Osborne bulls all over Spain. Nowadays, even though there’s still lots of them, they’re not that common, such a pity! It brings me back incredible memories of the road trips during my childhood 🙂
Your road-trip experience was a wonderful read 🙂
91 bulls? How cool is that! Must be fun spotting them all over the city. I have never been to Europe and everytime I visit your blog, I leave with a desire even more strong to travel to that part of the world 🙂
91 bulls would have taken a bit of time to scatter around. I wonder if someone has seen all 91 of them through their drives!
Great pictures. It was interesting to read about the road trip 🙂
Wow, nice pictures. The bull story is quite interesting.
91 such bulls all over Spain!
Have to visit to spot some there 🙂
I love all the bulls that are just hanging out! It would certainly make me do a double take every time I was to see one! I love that the bulls have turned into public domain.
Such an interesting thing to know about ! Great narration and loved the pics !
Interesting Tidbit about those bulls. I have not been to Spain and hence have not seen any as yet but am sure to keep an eye out for them whenever I see some pictures or head there myself.
Thank you for telling the Osborne bulls story. Now it all makes sense, I have seen one while I was going from Malaga to Granada and I wondered why was it there and what was it’s purpose. Interesting 🙂
How many bulls are scattered around Spain really? To tell you the truth, we saw only a couple. Is that strange?
Good read! I love the story of the bulls silhouettes! I’ll try to see as many as possible next time to Spain 🙂
What a connection between the bulls and Spain! Interesting read. And yes, I am also affected by the craze of UNESCO sites!
Wow I would like to visit Spain coz its part of our Filipino culture. That bull statue is very distracting, good thing its in high way.
What an incredible road trip! LOVE the bull silhouette. I think that would definitely give me a fright driving past that.
Interesting transformation of these bull boards from the original cause to landmarks significance! Really cool shots
The silhouette of the bull is wonderful…it’s hard to believe it’s not real!
National highways are called motor highways ? The bulls , as , you mentioned , present everywhere on the road but total are 92 in entire Spain , I think most of the bulls present around this road ? Great pictures
What a fun road trip! Spain has been on my list for a long time, so definitely adding this one to the list. Had no idea about the number of bulls, so interesting.
The trips sound fascinating. Of course, the Osborne Bulls seem to tower over everything. The historic buildings of Spain and its ancient culture is something else that beckons me to this historic land.
I adore road trips, unfortunately, I don’t have my driving licence!! There’s just something totally freeing about stocking up a car with snacks and blankets, the windows down the radio on. I’m sure you got sick of hearing ‘Sofia’ on the radio!
Looks like a great spot for a road trip–we love road trips, so this would be right up our alley. Very interesting story about the Osborne Bulls! Love the photos you got of them too!
I enjoyed your bull’s backstory. I’m interested to see Spain and much of Europe, actually. Seemed like a real cool May road trip to Zaragoza. 315km in 4 hours. That’s fast! 🙂
I love to this kind of road trip! I love Spain, it reminds me of home. On my visit to Barcelona, I didn’t get the chance to see any Bulls. Maybe, this could be another excuse to visit Spain.
Like you said is possible look bulls everywhere in Spain; I have been many times in Spain, pretty easy for Sardinian people, and I have actually seen many bulls on the road. I took some pictures of them as well and I remember one just outside Barcelona! keep writing posts, this one is interesting like the others!
Big hug 😀
This looks like a Spanish road trip full of adventure and excitement. Those big black bulls are cool and I’m sure the food along the way is amazing. Do you have to speak Spanish to enjoy it?
That’s a lot of bull. I imagine there are people tracking all 90+ bulls on some google map and ticking off the ones they’ve seen. Neat cultural practice.
Seemed like a chilled little drive! I’m surprised to see how much Spain looks like New Mexico in those photos!
I now finally know what those big black bulls are. I drove from Palamos in Costa Brava to Madrid thru Zaragoza and saw several of these bulls. Everybody on the trip was wondering.
Great post about Spain.
We’ve done a roadtrip in June, but in Catalania, so next time we might visit Madrid and Zaragoza 🙂
Love the post and the explanation of the bulls. Central Spain is an area we really want to explore. We may have a chance to visit Zaragoza soon.
Interesting road trip article. The bulls are really cool. Glad you enjoyed the drive. Spain is such a beautiful country.
I love castles, cathedrals, and historic structures! I find you lucky to be able to see them! 🙂 I think bulls are really symbolic in Spain because they have held bull fights all over the years. The trip looks super fun.
I am so envious of you for taking a road trip overseas. I’d love to do that in Spain too.
Worth a Thousand Words
Interesting bulls 🙂
Nice pictures. TC, keep smiling 🙂
Location and images of the bull look so good and interesting!
Wow! I thought it’s for real
I also felt the same way; it became clear only after reading the text.
One of my dream destinations is Spain. I would love to visit this country. I want to see Castilian villages too. 🙂 Got to save up for this dream vacation!
Nice informative post. Beautiful pics.
That’s quite an interesting story about the bull. Who would have thought that a brand / ad can become a tourist attraction.
A great road trip, and I love the bull silhouette!
Oh , I loved that post. I live in Spain , well , not on the mainland, I live on the Canary Islands. But I have been to Spain so often and I just love that country, the scenery , the authenticity. I have visited the Osborne distillery and drove these roads. Lovely to see it all again.Great post
Great post on Spain! As a Filipino it’s one of those places I wanted to see because of the strong cultural connection. I love the hills that you showed because it reminded me of our Chocolate Hills. Plus I’ve always wanted to see bull riding in person.