Renfe's premier high-speed trains

AVE is the brand name for Renfe's (Spanish Railways) premier high-speed trains, of which there are several types.  AVE stands for Alta Velocidad Española (Spanish High-Speed) and it's also the Spanish for bird.  All AVEs have standard (2nd) class and comfort (1st) class seats and a cafe-bar, with power sockets at all seats & free WiFi.  If you pay the premium fare you get a meal or snack and drinks served at your seat.  How to buy tickets.

small bullet point  AVE S100: Various routes including Madrid-Seville, one daily Madrid-Barcelona-Marseille, one daily Barcelona-Lyon.

small bullet point  AVE S102/S112:  Operates most Madrid-Alicante AVEs, some Madrid-Seville AVEs.

small bullet point  AVE S103:  Operates most Madrid-Barcelona AVEs, all Barcelona-Seville AVEs, all Barcelona-Malaga AVEs, some Madrid-Malaga AVEs.

small bullet point  AVE S106:  New from May 2024, operates some Madrid-Galicia trains.  Other routes will follow.

small bullet point  Travel tips

AVE S100

The original AVE, introduced from 1992 and still as fast and smooth as ever.  Based on France's TGV, they can run at up to 300 km/h (186 mph) on Spain's high-speed lines.  They operate various routes including Seville-Madrid and the international trains to France (Madrid-Barcelona-Marseille and Barcelona-Lyon).  See seat map.

An AVE S100 train at Seville

An AVE S100 at Madrid Atocha.

1st class seats on the Barcelona to Lyon AVE train   Premium class snack box and wine

1st class.  Larger photo.

 

Snackbox & wine with premium fare.

The cafe-bar on an S100 AVE   2nd class seats on an AVE S100

Cafe-bar.  Larger photo.

 

2nd class.  Larger photo.

Luggage racks on an AVE S100   AVE S100 boarding at Seville

Luggage racks.

 

Boarding at Seville Santa Justa.

AVE S102/S112

The classy S102 (original batch) & S112 (later batch) AVEs were built by the Talgo company.  Two futuristic-looking power cars sandwich a set of small low-slung articulated Talgo carriages, with just one pair of wheels beneath each articulation.  They operate most Madrid-Alicante AVE services, some Madrid-Malaga & Madrid-Seville AVEs, and some other routes.  See seat map.

AVE S112 train at Valencia

A distinctive AVE type S112 at Valencia.  Known by Renfe staff as Pato (duck), for obvious reasons.

Comfort (1st) class on an AVE S112   Premium fare breakfast on AVE S112

Comfort (1st) class on an AVE S112

 

Breakfast, if you pay the premium fare.

Cafe-bar on AVE S112   Standard (2nd) class on an AVE S112

Cafe-bar on an AVE S112.

 

Standard (2nd) class on an AVE S112

AVE S103

The S103 is the mainstay of Renfe's Barcelona-Madrid service, also used between Madrid & Malaga and on the direct trains between Barcelona and Cordoba, Seville & Malaga.  Built by Siemens, you can see the similarity with Germany's ICE3 trains See seat map.

An S103 AVE at Barcelona Sants

A type S103 AVE at Madrid AtochaSee virtual tour

1st class on a Spanish S103 AVE train   Cafe-bar on a Spanish S103 AVE train

Comfort (1st) class seating on an AVE train.

 

Cafe-bar on an S103 AVE train. 

Breakfast on a Spanish S103 AVE train   2nd class on a Spanish S103 AVE train

A meal is included if you pay the Premium fare.

 

Standard (2nd class) seating on an AVE.

Breakfast on a Spanish S103 AVE train   2nd class on a Spanish S103 AVE train

Luggage racks, just inside the door.

 

Boarding an AVE S103 at Madrid Atocha.

AVE S106

Designed by the Talgo company, the Talgo Avril was introduced in May 2024 on some Madrid-Galicia departures, other routes will follow.  Two power cars sandwich a set of small low-slung articulated Talgo carriages, with just one pair of wheels below each articulation.  These carriages are extra-wide and seats are controversially arranged 2+3 in Standard class and 2+2 in Comfort class.  So there are middle seats to avoid in 2nd class and no solo seats in 1st, you'll always have to sit next to someone even in 1st.  See seat map.

2nd class seats on an S106 Avril AVE

Controversial 2+3 seating in standard (2nd) class on an S106 AVE.  Photos in this section courtesy of @SimplyRailway

Premium fare meal oin an S106 AVE   S106 Avril AVE train

Meal included with the Premium fare.

 

Short articulated Talgo cars on an S106.

S106 Avril AVE train   1st class seats on a Spanish S106 AVE train

S106 Talgo Avril power car, one at each end.

 

Comfort (1st) class seats an S106 AVE.

Travel tips


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