Train travel in Spain
 

High-speed Spain:  An AVE S103 about to leave Madrid Atocha for Barcelona, taking just 2h30

Buy train tickets for Spain

Buy train tickets in Spain

Buy a Spain Pass

www.renfe.com or www.petrabax.com

   
 

See Spain by train

Once upon a time, Spain had one of the most backward train networks in western Europe.  Now, they have one of the best, indeed, one of my favourite rail systems.  High-speed AVE trains (Alta Velocidad Española) link major cities at up to 300 km/h (186mph), and if you book in advance online you can find some great cheap fares.  This page will give you a heads-up on how to travel cheaply around Spain by train.

A guide to taking the train in Spain

small bullet point  Spain by train, in a nutshell - the key points.

small bullet point  Spanish train fares & classes explained

small bullet point  Railpasses for Spain & the Renfe Spain Pass

small bullet point  What are Spanish trains like?

small bullet point  How to buy train tickets for Spain

small bullet point  How to use www.renfe.com

small bullet point  How to transfer between Madrid Atocha & Chamartin

small bullet point  Train services between Barcelona & Madrid

small bullet point  Station guides:

    Barcelona Sants  Madrid Atocha  Madrid Chamartin  Malaga

    Valencia  Alicante & Benidorm  Seville Santa Justa  Vigo

small bullet point  Holidays & breaks to Spain by train

small bullet point  Travel insurance, mobile data, VPN & other tips

small bullet point  Hotels & accommodation in Spain

International trains to & from Spain

small bullet point  UK to Spain by train, the no-fly way

small bullet point  Trains from Barcelona to other European cities

small bullet point  Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Alicante to other cities

small bullet point  Trains from other European cities to Spain

small bullet point  Madrid to Lisbon by train

small bullet point  Paris to Barcelona by high-speed train

Other train travel information

small bullet point  Eurail passes - for overseas visitors

small bullet point  Interrail passes - for European residents

small bullet point  General European train travel information

small bullet point  Luggage on trains & Left luggage at stations

small bullet point  Taking your bike & Taking your dog


Useful country information

Train operator in Spain:

 

Renfe, see www.renfe.com for train times, fares & online booking in Spain, but see this advice on using it - you'll find www.raileurope.com or Omio.com easier to use. 

Local trains around Bilbao, San Sebastian, French frontier:  www.euskotren.eus

Local trains in northern Spain (ex-FEVE)horarios.ram.renfe.com/WebConsultaHorarios/jsp/homeHorariosFeve.jsp.

Madrid metro: www.metromadrid.es.  Barcelona-Montserrat railway: www.fgc.cat.

 

Railpasses:

 

Beginner's guide to European railpasses    Buy a rail pass online

Time:

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October)

Currency:

£1 = approx €1.15,  $1 = approx €0.8.   Currency converter

Tourist information:

www.spain.info

Cars & car hire:

Taking your car by train = Motorail     Car hire in Spain

Hotels & hostels:

Find hotels in Spain    Hotel reviews see www.tripadvisor.com.

Page last updated:

29 July 2024


  AVE trains at Alicante

Spain's high-speed AVE trains:  Madrid to Barcelona by train takes as little as 2h30, Madrid to Seville 2h30.  There's no need to fly!  These are AVE S112s at Alicante.

Spain by train, the key things to know

Luggage control at Madrid Atocha

Luggage control into first-floor departures at Madrid Atocha.  Only takes a few minutes, nothing like an airport.

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Spanish train fares & classes explained

In July 2021, Renfe introduced a completely new fares structure for all its long-distance trains including the high-speed AVE, and also changed the terms it uses for 1st & 2nd class.  It's easy to get confused between what's a class of accommodation and what's a fare type, so here's a run-down of Renfe's new classes & fares.

Standard & Comfort class

Básico, Elige & Premium fares

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Sala Club lounges

If you pay the Premium fare for an AVE or Euromed train you can use Renfe's Sala Club (1st class lounge) at Madrid Atocha, Madrid Chamartin, Barcelona Sants, Cordoba, Seville Santa Justa, Malaga Maria Zambrano, Alicante, Zaragoza and several other major stations, the opening hours and full list are on the Renfe website.

Sala Club lounge at Madrid Atocha

Sala Club at Madrid Atocha.

Sala Club at Madrid Atocha   Sala Club entrance, Madrid Atocha

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Railpasses for Spain

Option 1, Eurail & Interrail passes

Option 2, Renfe's Spain Pass

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What are Spanish trains like?

AVE trains

AVE or Alta Velocidad Española trains are Renfe's front-rank high-speed services.  Reservation is compulsory, there are standard and comfort class seats, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.

If you pay the Premium fare, an airline-style hot tray meal with wine is included although on some departures you get a snack box instead, see the food & drink section above.  AVE trains come in various types.

AVE trains come in various types, see the AVE page for more information, photo & tips.

An S103 AVE at Barcelona Sants

A type S103 AVE at Madrid AtochaMore about AVE trains.

Euromed trains

Euromed trains operate the fast services on the Barcelona-Valencia-Alicante corridor, with Intercity trains operating the slower services.  Euromed trains have standard & comfort class, a cafe-bar, power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  They run at up to 250 km/h on a short stretch of high-speed line near Barcelona, but mostly at up to 200 km/m on upgraded classic tracks.  Euromed services use the same S130 Talgo trains used for most Alvia services, but with AVE levels of service:  If you pay the Premium fare you get a comfort class seat with Sala Club access and meals included.

Euromed train at Barcelona Sants

Euromed train at Barcelona Sants.  These S130 trains are known as Patito (little duck) by staff.  No prizes for guessing why...

Euromed train cafe-bar   Premium fare meal on Euromed train

Euromed comfort (1st) class. 

 

Meal if you pay the premium fare.

Euromed train cafe-bar   Euromed train cafe-bar

Euromed cafe-bar.

 

Euromed standard (2nd) class.

Alvia trains

Alvia trains are the next rank down from AVE & Euromed trains, with standard & comfort class and cafe-bar.  Alvia trains come in several types, see the Alvia page for more information, photo & tips.

Alvia train from Santander to Madrid

Intercity trains

These run on many long distance routes, including Madrid-Ronda-Algeciras, Madrid-San Sebastian.  Most are former Altaria trains, little articulated trains built by the Talgo company and hauled by a locomotive, they have adjustable wheels so they can run at up to 200 km/h on the standard-gauge high-speed AVE lines then run slowly though a gauge-changing shed to emerge on traditional Iberian broad gauge to complete their journey on the classic network.  A few Intercity trains have been created by rebranding former S120 Alvia trains built by CAF, for example on the Madrid-San Sebastian route, which also have gauge-changing wheels.  All Intercity trains have a cafe-bar, but you're unlikely to find WiFi or power sockets.

Alvia train from Santander to Madrid

A Cartagena-Alicante-Valencia-Barcelona Intercity train at Valencia Estación del Nord.

Standard class on an Intercity train   Comfort class on an Intercity train

Standard class.

 

Comfort class.

Intercity train at Valencia   Cafe-bar on an Intercity train

Intercity train at Alicante.

 

Cafe-bar.

Avant

Avant is Renfe's brand name for 'short hop' high-speed trains, one class of seating only.  There are two broad types of Avant service:  (1) Separate trains of varying types, such as the one shown below from Valladolid to Madrid and (2), a designated standard class coach on a longer-distance AVE train, which is why you see two trains leaving at the same time on routes such as Barcelona-Girona, one an AVE with 2 classes and higher prices, the other an Avant with a cheaper fixed price.  They are of course the same train, the Avant is one car on the AVE designated for passengers making shorter journeys.

Intercity train at Valencia   Seats on an Avant train

Avant train at Madrid Chamartin.

 

One-class seats on an Avant train.

Avlo, Iryo, Ouigo...

Spain's high-speed lines have been opened up to competition.  Renfe now has a lo-cost brand called Avlo, and competitor operators Iryo & Ouigo now operate on key routes including Barcelona-Madrid, Madrid-Valencia, Madrid-Cordoba/Seville/Malaga.  See the Barcelona-Madrid page for a run down of these 3 operators.

Iryo train at Barcelona

An Iryo train at Barcelona Sants.

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How to buy train tickets for Spain

 

Buy Spanish train tickets online

  Buy train tickets to Italy at Raileurope.com

When does booking open?  Anything between 15 days and 11 months, Renfe is a law unto itself when it comes to booking horizons, see the introduction.

What can these sites sell?  They can sell Renfe's mainline trains and sometimes competing high-speed trains run by Avlo, Iryo or Ouigo.  They can't sell tickets for Renfe's suburban (cercanias) routes including Latour de Carol-Barcelona or Cerbère-Portbou-Barcelona, nor can they sell tickets for Euskotren (Hendaye-San Sebastian-Bilbao) or the former FEVE routes (Bilbao-Santander-Gijon-Ferrol).

Option 1, buy at Raileurope.com

The quickest & easiest way to buy Spanish train tickets is at Raileurope.com with cheap advance-purchase fares & print-at-home or collect-at-station tickets.  You can choose to pay in €, £ or $. There's a small booking fee.

Raileurope.com links directly to Renfe's (Spanish Railways) ticketing system and charges the same price as Renfe themselves with the same print-your-own ticket delivery.  Unlike Renfe's own site it's in plain English without any of Renfe.com's quirky translations and no credit card rejection problems.

Raileurope.com can book the lo-cost Barcelona-Madrid Ouigo Spain trains as well as the normal Renfe trains, but cannot book lo-cost Avlo trains

Anyone from any country can use Raileurope.com as international credit cards are welcomed.  It can also sell international trains between Spain and Portugal or France, as it links to the French, German, Italian & British ticketing systems.  Who are Raileurope.com?

Important:  If you have a baby or infant, remember to add them as a child and enter their age, they'll still go free but will get the free infant ticket which is now necessary in Spain.

Option 2, buy at Thetrainline.com or Omio.com

www.omio.com & www.thetrainline.com also connect to Renfe's ticketing system to sell Renfe tickets at exactly the same prices as Renfe with the same print-your-own or collect-at-station tickets, very easily, all overseas credit cards accepted.  Both charge a small booking fee.  They can also book Ouigo Spain trains & Avlo trainsWho are Thetrainline.com?

Option 3, buy at Petrabax.com, easy to use, in US$

If you'd rather pay in USD, use www.petrabax.com.  This is a US-based agency which also links directly to the Renfe ticketing system to sell the same trains as Renfe.com with the same print-at-home tickets.  They add a small mark-up, but it's easy to use in plain English and it avoids the English translation and credit card acceptance problems people can experience with Renfe.com.  Anyone from any country can use Petrabax, including the United States, Canada, Australia, India & Singapore.

Option 4, buy at Renfe.com

You can of course buy tickets direct from Spanish Railways at www.renfe.com, in € with print-your-own tickets.  Unfortunately, Renfe.com has more than its fair share of quirks and a reputation for rejecting a significant proportion of overseas credit cards.  It's very fiddly to use.

Pretty much the only reasons to battle with renfe.com rather than buying easily from www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com is that you avoid paying any booking fee and it may allow you to select a specific seats from a seating plan for an extra fee.  However, www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com allow you to specify seating options and they both show you your seat numbers before you pay, so you can always compare them with a seating plan then run multiple enquiries if you don't like the first ones you are given, adding seats to your basket until you get ones you like.  Then cancel the ones you don't need and pay for those you do.

If you want to try using Renfe.com please read the advice on using Renfe.com below.  It frustrates many people, though I have to say it has always worked fine with my own credit card and it now also accepts PayPal.

Renfe.com also doesn't handle connections well, so if you want to book (say) from Bilbao to Seville you'll have to guess that this involves a change in Madrid, then book as two journeys, Bilbao to Madrid and Madrid to Seville - whereas Raileurope.com can generally book from anywhere to anywhere as one transaction, even if connections are involved.

So if you want a quick and easy transaction, use www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com, but if you really want to avoid their small booking fee and are prepared to overcome confusing translations and a website which keeps slipping back into Spanish, try using Renfe.com with the help of the advice below.

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How to use www.renfe.com

Before you start

Step 1, use the journey planner

Renfe ticket website screenshot

Step 2, select a train

Renfe ticket website screenshot

Step 3, select fare & class

Renfe ticket website screenshot

Step 4, passenger details

Step 5, customise trip

Step 6, pay & print tickets

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Guidebooks

Lonely Planet Spain - click to buy onlineLonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring - click to buy onlinePaying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  For the independent traveller I'd recommend either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide, both provide an excellent level of practical detail and useful background. You won't regret buying either of these guides!

Amazon logoClick the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk

Alternatively, download just the chapters or areas you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

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European Rail Timetable & maps

Thomas Cook European Timetable -  click to buy onlineTraveller's Railway Map of Europe - buy onlineThe European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team set up a private venture and resumed publication of the famous European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses) or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide).  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

Rail Map Europe is the map I recommend, covering all of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  Scenic routes & high-speed lines are highlighted.  See an extract from the map.  Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu (shipping worldwide) or at www.amazon.co.uk (UK addresses).

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Hotels in Spain

Find hotels at Booking.comMy favourite hotel search: www.booking.com

Booking.com is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally use it to book all my hotels in one place.  I've come to trust booking.com's review scores, you won't be disappointed with any hotel that scores 8.0 or more.  Crucially, booking.com usually lets you book with free cancellation, which means you can confirm accommodation risk-free before train booking opens and/or you can hold accommodation while you finalise your itinerary and alter your plans as they evolve - a feature I use all the time when planning a trip.  I never book hotels non-refundably!

Backpacker hostels

www.hostelworld.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Environmentally aware, actively ethical adventures in Spain:  www.wildsideholidays.com

For environmentally-aware guesthouses offering walking, hiking, riding or nature-watching in the Spanish countryside and national parks, try www.wildsideholidays.com, a new site listing independent, environmentally-aware properties across Spain.  It was started by British ex-pats Clive Muir and Sue Eatock, when they found nowhere to advertise their own wonderful property deep in the heart of the Sierra de Grazelema near Ronda in Southern Spain.

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Holidays & breaks by train

Railbookers logoRailbookers, railbookers.co.uk

If you want to tour Spain by train, with all your train reservations and hotels sorted for you to your own specification, contact train tour specialists Railbookers and they'll create the best rail holiday for you, hassle-free.  They take good care of their clients and get a lot of repeat business.  In particular, check out their Ultimate Barcelona, Madrid & Seville tour on their US & Canada site, or a top seller on their UK site, Madrid & Andalusia.  They have offices in the UK, USA & Australia.

UK flag  UK call 0207 864 4600, www.railbookers.co.uk.

US flag  US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com.

Canadian flag  Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com.

Australian flag  Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au.

New Zealand flag  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

Tailor Made Raill logoTailor Made Rail, tailormaderail.com

Tailor Made Rail can arrange tours of Spain by train based on your own requirements, they welcome complex itineraries.  As it's a package, they'll take care of you if anything happens on one part of the trip, for example, a national strike.  They're TTA-protected - like ATOL, but not only for agencies that sell air travel.

Call their dedicated seat61 phone line 020 3778 1461 and quote seat 61 when booking.  From outside the UK call +44 20 3778 1461.  Lines open 09:00-17:30 Monday-Friday.  Their website is www.tailormaderail.com/destinations/spain.

Byway logoByway, byway.travel

Byway (byway.travel) is a new UK-based eco-holiday firm with a 5-star TrustPilot rating.  If you're nervous about booking train travel yourself, they'll book a UK-Spain trip for you as a package, including overnight hotels, starting from any British station you like.  Byway includes package protection, a 100% Covid refund guarantee, free disruption & re-planning and on-demand WhatsApp support while you're away.

To see pre-configured packages from London to Spain by train, use the journey planner on their website.

Or they can build a trip to your requirements, call 0300 131 7173 (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, from outside the UK call +44 300 131 7173) or email them or use this contact form.  Please say you heard about them from Seat 61.


Car hireCar hire logo

Car hire comparison:  www.carrentals.co.uk

The award-winning website www.carrentals.co.uk compares many different car hire companies including Holiday Autos, meaning not only a cheapest price comparison but a wider choice of hire and drop off location.


Travel insurance & other tips

 

Staysure travel insurance

 

Columbus Direct logo

Always take out travel insurance

You should take out travel insurance with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover from a reliable insurer.  It should cover trip cancellation and loss of cash & belongings up to a reasonable limit.  These days, check you're covered for covid-19-related issues, and use an insurer whose cover isn't invalidated by well-meant but excessive Foreign Office travel advice against non-essential travel. An annual policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself.  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, I get a little commission if you buy through these links, feedback always welcome.

UK flag  www.staysure.co.uk offers enhanced Covid-19 protection and gets 4.7 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

UK flag  www.columbusdirect.com is also a well-know brand.

US flag  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

 

Maya.net logo

Get an eSIM with mobile data package

Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a European mobile data package and stay connected.  Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list.  There's no need to buy a physical SIM card!  Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.

 

Curve card

Curve card

Get a Curve card for foreign travel

Most banks give you a poor exchange rate then add a foreign transaction fee on top.  A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month as I write this.  The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.  And you can get a Curve card for free.

How it works:  1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses.  3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card.  4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app.  You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader.  The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than getting a card out).  I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great.  See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.

 

Express VPN

Get a VPN for safe browsing.  Why you need a VPN

When travelling you may use free public WiFi which is often insecure.  A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi.  It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply.  See VPNs & why you need one explainedExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using this link you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription.  I also get some commission to help support this site.

 

Anker Powerrbank

Carry an Anker powerbank

Tickets, reservations, hotel bookings and Interrail or Eurail passes are often now held on your mobile phone.  You daren't let it run out of power, and you can't always rely on the phone's internal battery or on being near a power outlet.  I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over.  Buy from Amazon.co.uk or buy from Amazon.com.

Touring cities?  Use hill walking shoes!

One of the best things I've done is swap my normal shoes for hill-walking shoes, in my case from Scarpa.  They're intended for hiking across the Pennines not wandering around Florence, but the support and cushioning for hiking works equally well when you're on your feet all day exploring foreign cities.  My feet used to give out first and limit my day, now the rest of me gives up before they do!

 


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