Arriving in Murcia
Murcia does not have an airport in the city, but is served by two ‘nearby’ airports, Alicante and San Javier (Murcia). Both are more than one hour by car away from the city of Murcia. You would need to take either a shared taxi (inexpensive between 2 or 3) or a bus (infrequent - please check for details)
If you are flying from the US or the UK, most flights will go through Madrid. The best may well be to book a return flight to Madrid in the first instance, and then you can either fly or take a train. If you have a bit more time, it is also possible to fly into Barcelona, and then take a train down the eastern coast to Murcia (a 7-hour journey).
Getting to Murcia by train
Trains from Madrid to Murcia depart from Atocha train station and arrive in Murcia del Carmen.
The train from Madrid to Murcia takes between 4h and 4h30m, and costs about 47 euros for a Turista ticket (Preferente is a first-class ticket for 61 euros). There are up to five trains (Altaria) per day.
This ticket is available from Renfe.com, Spain's official rail website ( English version at http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html). It has been described as "like Alice in Wonderland, where nothing seems to be what it really is" by Trip Advisor. Ticket prices do vary, and sometimes you can get good deals by waiting until closer to the time of travel.
You can also buy your tickets via Rail Europe (UK version is http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/).
But note that you cannot buy tickets more than a few months in advance.
Atocha Train Station
Atocha train station, more formally known as Puerta de Atocha. Close to the city center, Atocha has many of the city's most famous sights (including the Prado Museum) within a five-minute walk.
Where is Atocha? At the end of c/Atocha and Paseo del Prado, about twenty minutes' walk from Sol.
Address: Glorieta Carlos V s/n, tel: +34 902 24 02 02.
Metro Station: Atocha Renfe on L1.
Atocha is well connected to Madrid's bus station, airport and other train stations, and is within walking distance of central Madrid.
Madrid to Murcia by Car
The 400km journey from Madrid to Murcia takes about four hours. The drive is not particularly interesting - an alternative but longer route involves going via Cuenca to Valencia (stopping at one or both of those for a night) and then driving down the coast. This route covers 648km but takes in two historical places to visit on the way.
Flights from Madrid to Murcia
There are some cheap flights from Madrid to Alicante or San Javier Murcia, especially if booked in advance. But note you will then need to find transport from the terminal into the city of Murcia.
Returning from Seville
Seville does have its own airport approx 20-30 minutes from the centre.
For the return leg, you could either take a cheap flight from Seville into Madrid airport for connection on to your destination, or take a high-speed AVE train from Sevilla Santa-Justa to Atocha (2h 30m, 3 types of ticket from 53 euros).