Train Travel in Spain
A Cool way to Move Around

Train travel in Spain is extremely easy, comfortable and safe. There are more than 15,000 km (9,321 mi) of railways.

All of them are managed by Renfe (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles) a state-owned company.

Renfe offers 3 kinds of train to travel around Spain.

Train travel in Spain: High-speed long distance

If you want to travel to a long-distance destination, Renfe offers you 3 options.

The first one is a super fast high-speed train called AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) that travels over 250 km/h (155 mi/h). Currently, the available train lines are

• Madrid-Barcelona (with stops at Zaragoza, Lerida, Calatayud, Tarragona and Guadalajara) - 621 km (386 mi) in 3h
• Madrid-Seville (with stops at Ciudad Real, Puertollano and Cordoba) - 525 km (326 mi) in 2h30
• Madrid-Malaga (with stops at Ciudad Real, Puertollano, Cordoba and Antequera) - 544 km (338 mi) in 2h45
• Madrid-Valencia (with stops at Cuenca and Requena) - 355 km (220 mi) in 1h40
• Madrid-Valladolid (stops at Segovia) - 120 km (75 mi) in 1h
• Madrid-Huesca (stops at Zaragoza) - 397 km (247 mi) in 2h15
• Madrid-Albacete (stops at Cuenca) - 267 km (166 mi) in 1h30

Just a couple of things:

Of course, some routes are complementary (e.g. you can book a ticket from Seville or Malaga to Barcelona but you'll have to take 2 trains).

Not all trains stop everywhere every time. It depends on the timetable.

Altaria trains have 3 main routes: Madrid-Algeciras (671 km or 417 mi in 5h30), Madrid-Granada (434 km or 270 mi in 4h30) and Madrid-Cartagena that stops in Murcia (462 km or 287 mi in 5h).

Alvia has a lot of routes.

Arco trains links the regions of Catalonia (Cataluña) and Valencia with Extremadura and Andalucia, as well as the Basque Country (Pais Vasco) with Galicia.

The Euromed links Barcelona to Alicante and stops in Tarragona, Castellon and Valencia (523 km or 325 mi in 4h45).

Pros: Fast! Fare refund if the train arrives late (the percentage will depend on how late). You can buy tickets online (download a FULL step-by-step guide).

Cons: Expensive!

Train travel in Spain: Moderate speed

They are known as Regional trains (Media Distancia) and cover the whole country. These trains are also very modern and quite punctual but they are not as fast as the long distance ones.

Take a look at the complete list of Media Distancia routes.

You can also take an overnight train for a long distance trip. When you buy your ticket you can ask for an all female or all male train compartment and chose a top or bottom bunk. Usually the trains have 4-bed compartments but you can have a 2-bed one paying a little bit more.

Pros: You can go anywhere you like. Tickets can be bought online (have a look at this FULL step-by-step guide).

Cons: Slow compared to an airplane.

Train travel in Spain: Commuter rail service (Cercanias)

Train travel in Spain can be also done locally. These trains are only available in 11 cities (including Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Seville and Valencia).

Take a look at the complete list of Cercanias routes.

Pros: Big network, trains always on time, very cheap, no traffic jams.

Cons: Tickets available only at train stations (both at the ticket offices and Renfe's vending machines).

Train travel in Spain: Often better than planes

• In Spain trains are punctual and reliable, especially the AVE. So no traffic jams, no unjustified delays.
• Fares are generally not expensive, except for the AVE but their fastness is well worth the price.
• You leave from and arrive to the city centre eliminating the transport costs to/from the airport (generally quite expensive).
• In a train you can move around, stretch your legs, have a snack in the cafeteria.
• No seatbelt, no turbulences, your electronic appliances can always be on.
• There's always a free movie playing at the AVE.
• You can buy a ticket for a sleeping bunk (litera) train if you are heading to a long-distance destination.

If you want to purchase a train ticket, you can do so at train stations, through you travel agent and also on Renfe's website. Find out how to buy a ticket online following some simple instructions.

Or download a FULL step-by-step guide that will help you going through the whole purchasing process.

Looking for hidden fares to train travel in Spain? Take a look at my cheap train travel tricks!

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