After Makkah, most pilgrims head straight to Madinah to pray at Masjid an-Nabawi and visit the Prophet’s ﷺ resting place. It’s a journey of about 450 km — and how you make it can either be the easiest part of your trip or the most exhausting.
There are three real options: the train, a shared bus, or a private car. Here’s an honest, no-nonsense comparison of all three from the Sasta Umrah team, based on current 2026 rates. Prefer to skip straight to booking? Call or WhatsApp Sasta Umrah Travel & Tours at +966 59 018 9910.
The Three Options, Side by Side
| Option | Price | Travel Time | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared bus | From ~SAR 50/person | 4–5 hours | Multiple pickup/drop points |
| Haramain Train | SAR 190–430/person | ~2.5 hours | Fixed departure, station only |
| Private car/SUV/van | From SAR 450/vehicle | 4–5 hours, non-stop | None — hotel to hotel |
At first glance, the bus looks like the obvious budget pick and the train looks like the obvious time-saver. But the numbers change quickly once you factor in your actual group size and where you’re staying.
The Catch With the Train Most People Don’t Realize
The Haramain Train is genuinely fast — about 2.5 hours versus 4–5 on the road. But neither the Makkah nor the Madinah train station sits inside the city center. In Makkah, the station (Rusaifah) is several kilometers from the Haram, which means every train journey actually involves three legs: hotel to station, station to station, and station to hotel. Each of those extra legs needs its own taxi, its own wait, and its own cost that rarely gets mentioned in the headline train fare.
For a solo pilgrim traveling light, this is still a fine trade-off. For a family with four suitcases and young children, moving through a train station twice adds real stress that a straight door-to-door option avoids entirely.
The Catch With the Bus
Shared buses are the cheapest option per ticket, and for solo travelers on a tight budget, that matters. But buses run on a fixed schedule, make multiple pickup and drop-off stops along the route, and don’t wait for you if you’re running late. The 4–5 hour journey can stretch out further depending on how many stops your particular service makes.
Why a Private Car Often Wins for Families and Groups
The detail that changes everything: private transport is priced per vehicle, not per person. A private sedan or SUV from Makkah to Madinah starts around SAR 450–500 all-inclusive — and that price doesn’t change whether 1 person or 4 people are in the car.
Here’s what that looks like split across a group:
| Group Size | Vehicle | Total Fare | Cost Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 traveler | Sedan | ~SAR 460 | SAR 460 |
| 4 travelers (family) | Sedan/SUV | ~SAR 460–500 | ~SAR 115–125 |
| 7 travelers | Van (e.g. Staria) | ~SAR 550–650 | ~SAR 80–95 |
| 12 travelers | Minibus (e.g. Hiace) | ~SAR 750–900 | ~SAR 65–75 |
For a family of four, that’s roughly the same per-person cost as the train — but with no station transfers, no fixed schedule, and door-to-door drop-off at your Madinah hotel. For a group of seven or more, a private van often beats every other option on cost per person while staying completely private.
So Which Should You Actually Book?
- Traveling solo with light luggage and no time pressure? The bus is the cheapest option and perfectly workable.
- Traveling solo or as a couple and want speed? The train is fast, but budget extra time and cost for the station transfers on both ends.
- Traveling as a family, with elderly parents, or with heavy luggage? A private car is usually the same price or cheaper per person than the train, and far more comfortable — no station walks, no waiting, no shared stops.
- Traveling as a group of 6 or more? A private van is almost always the cheapest per-person option available, and you keep the whole group together in one vehicle.
Book a Fixed-Price Private Transfer With Sasta Umrah
Sasta Umrah Travel & Tours runs a private fleet based locally in Makkah, so your Makkah–Madinah transfer is booked directly with the people who’ll actually be driving you — not a third-party call center.
- Fixed, all-inclusive fares for the full Makkah to Madinah route — no per-person guesswork.
- A vehicle for every group, from the Toyota Camry (4 passengers) to the Toyota Hiace (12 passengers).
- Non-stop, door-to-door service — straight from your Makkah hotel to your Madinah hotel.
- 24/7 support in Urdu, Arabic, and English, so timing changes and questions are never a language barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Haramain Train cheaper than a private car from Makkah to Madinah? For a solo traveler, usually yes. For a group of 3 or more, a private car is often the same price or cheaper per person, once you factor in the taxi legs to and from the train stations.
How long does the drive from Makkah to Madinah take? Roughly 4–5 hours by road, depending on traffic and rest stops. The train takes about 2.5 hours, not counting station transfers.
Is the private car direct, or does it make stops? A private transfer is non-stop, door-to-door — from your Makkah hotel straight to your Madinah hotel, with no shared pickups or drop-offs.
What vehicle should I book for a family of 6? A 7-passenger van such as the Hyundai H1 or Staria comfortably fits a family of 6 with luggage, and typically works out cheaper per person than the train.
Can I add a Ziyarat stop on the way to Madinah? Yes — with a private vehicle, you can arrange stops at sites along the route; this isn’t possible with the train or a fixed-schedule bus.
