Step 1 

When you arrive in Madrid Airport, you have 2 possibilities:

1. Your plane arrives at the terminal T4. In this case you have to get the shuttle bus that will take you to the main terminal of Barajas. Once you are in this terminal just look for the metro signs and go and take the metro.
2. Your plane arrives at the main terminal of Barajas, so you just have to look for the metro signs.

Step 2 

When you get to the metro, it will take you directly to the big main central station called Nuevos Ministerios.  You might find the webpage of the trains usefull.

Find here a print out of the train timetable.

Step 3

You are now in Nuevos Ministerios, get out from the metro shuttle of the airport into the main halls of the station and look for Renfe Cercanias. This is the name for the spanish trains that take people to the nearby villages. You will have to look for the ticket sale boxes.

Step 4

Buy a ticket to El Escorial. All trains have a final destiny, the train that goes to El Escorial, its final destiny is Avila. Please don't go to Avila. When trains arrive normaly they call the destiny ( Avila ) that will be the final station, in between the train will stop in El Escorial.

Step 5

Well done; you are now in El Escorial, the train station has 2 way outs, the shuttle bus will be on a parking lot outside the station. Look for a nice handsome guy: "thats me"

• Barcelona Tourist Guide info over the train connection between Barcelona and Madrid.
• Barcelona Tourist Guide info over the airplane connection between Barcelona and Madrid.