AVE S102 & 112...  Known to staff as pato, Spanish for duck.  There are no prizes for guessing why...		AVE Preferente class...  Reclining leather seats, all with power sockets.  See larger photo.

The cafe-bar serving drinks & snacks.  See larger photo.		All aboard!  An S112 AVE at Madrid Atocha...

AVE Turista class...  Comfortable seats, 2 abreast each side of the aisle, mainly unidirectional but some bays of 4 around a table like this.  See larger photo.		AVE Turista Plus...  Reclining seats, power sockets for laptops & mobiles, mainly unidirectional but some tables for two and tables for four.  See larger photo.

AVE S102 at Madrid Atocha about to leave with a service to Malaga.  The photo above left was taken as you descend the travelator from the departures area to the platform for boarding.  In the photo above right you can see how short the carriages are, compared to normal railway cars.  There is just one axle (2 wheels) under each articulation.

Travel tips...

• Should you go Turista, Turista Plus or Preferente class?  The classes on AVE are described on the Train travel in Spain page.  Turista is absolutely fine for most travellers.  Seats are arranged 2+2 across the car width.  Turista Plus & Preferente give you more leg & elbow room with seats arranged 2+1 across the car width, as you can see from the photos above.  Preferente also includes food & wine on weekdays.

• Boarding your train...  At Spanish stations including Madrid Atocha & Barcelona Sants there is a simple and quick baggage X-ray check before entering the departures area and your ticket may be checked before boarding, it only takes minutes, but don't turn up with seconds to spare.  How to board an AVE train at Madrid Atocha.  Boarding an AVE at Barcelona Sants.

• Luggage:  Like any European train, you take your luggage in with you and stick it on any suitable rack near your seat.  Nobody weighs it or measures it, so no worries...

• Seat reservation is compulsory on all Spanish high-speed trains and tickets come with a reserved seat automatically  included.

• Infants need a ticket...  Infants under 4 travel for free if they don't need their own seat, but unlike most other European trains, you can't just bring them along without a ticket.  On Spanish high-speed trains they need a zero-fare ticket showing their name.  You'll get this if you enter them as a passenger with their actual age when you buy tickets at www.loco2.com or www.renfe.com.

• Food & drink...  The cafe-bar car serves snacks, hot dishes, coffee. soft drinks, beer & wine.  You are of course free to bring your own food and drink along to eat & drink in your seat, even a beer or bottle of wine if you like.

• WiFi & power outlets...  There are power outlets at all seats of the usual European 2-pin type, but no WiFi on these trains.

• Barcelona Sants & Sala Club first class lounge...  See the Barcelona Sants station guide which explains the layout of the station and has information about the 1st class lounge (Sala Club) which you can use before your journey if you have a 1st class ticket.

An AVE-S112 about to leave Barcelona Sants with the 15:50 direct AVE to Cordoba, Seville & Malaga.  These trains use the Barcelona-Madrid high-speed line to a point just south of the capital where they use a link-line to join the Madrid-Cordoba-Seville/Malaga high-speed line to the south.