Spain railway info
The Spanish Railways are state-run. The Red Nacional de los Ferrocarilles Españoles or RENFE covers a large number of lines connecting all the regions and the major cities. RENFE trains offer a wide range of high quality, comfort and punctuality. Most of these trains supply additional services such as phone facilities, snack bar or a restaurant. RENFE also supplies night train services between several cities in Spain.
Visit the website of the Spanish railway company RENFE: English version / Spanish.
Network
The main cities have local networks connecting the smaller towns and villages. In Madrid there are 9 lines with frequent services of less than 15 minutes with a 95% punctuality.
From Madrid Central station travelers can easily reach any other destination in Spain. For example Madrid to Valencia is a 4-hour train ride.
'Cercanias' trains (suburban services) are the newest trains in Europe with connections to: Toledo, Segovia and the Escorial Palace.
High-speed trains:
- ALVIA is a new high speed train type that runs on the stretch Madrid – Zaragoza – Barcelona
- AVE trains run with speeds up to 186 mph on the routes: Madrid – Cordoba -Sevilla, Madrid - Zaragoza - Huesca and Madrid – Camp de Tarragona.
- EUROMED trains run at 124 mph (200 km/h) on the line: Barcelona – Valencia/Alicante
- ARCO trains run at 124 mph from: Port Bou to Valencia Barcelona to Alicante to Murcia
- ALARIS high-speed trains run at 124 mph from: Madrid to Valencia to Castellon
- ALTARIA trains run at 124 mph on the following routes: Madrid – Alicante/ Algeciras/ Barcelona/ Cadiz/ Huelva/ Pamplona
Special Trains
There are some special trains in Spain that require a reservation or supplement. You can make reservations before your trip at the main train stations in your county or during your trip at most international train station.
- Alaris, Altaria, Euromed/ Alvia (high-speed trains)
€ 6,50 for 2nd class; € 23,50 for 1st class (first class includes drink and meal) - Arco, Talgo, Diurno, Intercity
€ 6,50 for 2nd class; € 10,00 for 1st class - AVE, Talgo 200, Avant (high-speed train)
€ 10,00 for 2nd class; € 23,00 for 1st class (first class includes drink and meal)
Related Pages
- InterRail Global Pass (valid in 30 countries, incl. Spain)
- InterRail One Country Pass Spain
- Tourist Information for Spain
- Pass Benefits in Spain
InterRail Passes for Spain railway info
- InterRail Global Pass
- valid in 30 countries, incl. Spain railway info
- InterRail One Country Pass
- available for 28 countries, incl. Spain railway info