Spain: Railway Information

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. RENFE also supplies night train services between several cities in Spain.

Spanish rail 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 Puerta de Atocha station travelers can easily reach the most popular destination in Spain. For example Madrid to Barcelona is a under 3-hour train ride with the new AVE-line that opened in 2008.

'Cercanias' trains (suburban services) are the newest trains in Europe with connections to: Toledo, Segovia and the Escorial Palace.

High-speed trains:

  • AVE trains run with speeds up to 300 km/h on the routes: Madrid -  Zaragoza - Camp de Tarragona - Barcelona, Madrid - Zaragoza - Huesca, Madrid – Cordoba -Sevilla, Madrid – Cordoba -Málaga and Madrid - Segovia - Valladolid.
  • ALVIA trains run with speeds up to 220 km/h on the routes: Madrid - Gijón, Madrid - Santander, Madrid - Bilbao, Madrid - San Sebastián - Irún/Hendaya and Madrid - Valencia - Castelló.
  • EUROMED trains run at 124 mph (200 km/h) on the line: Barcelona – Valencia/Alicante
  • ALTARIA trains run at 124 mph (200 km/h) on the following routes: Madrid – Alicante, Madrid - Córdoba - Algeciras,  Madrid - Granada, Madrid - Sevilla - Cádiz, Madrid - Sevilla - Huelva, Madrid - Pamplona,  Madrid - Logroño, Madrid - Murcia - Cartagena.

Rail map
Download rail map of Spain (PDF, 0,4 MB)

Explanation of the legenda: lines indicated in blue (ADIF) are trains operated by RENFE, free for Pass holders (reservation fees possible). On the lines in yellow (Feve) and orange (FGC) Pass holders get 50% discount. Passes are not valid on the lines operated by FGV, SFM and ET. "Línea de Alta Velocidad" means high-speed line (like AVE).

Reservations in Spain

Please note that most trains in Spain have compulsory reservations. Costs for making a reservations for these domestic day trains are:

  • Altaria, Euromed, Alvia: € 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, Alvia (high speed line), Altaria (high speed line) and Avant: € 10,00 for 2nd class; € 23,50 for 1st class (first class includes drink and meal).
  • Regional trains (when needed): € 4,00

Classes
In Spanish high-speed trains like AVE, 2nd class is called 'Turista', 1st class is indicated as 'Preferente' or the more luxurious 'Club'.

The Elipsos night trains use the indications 'Turista', 'Preferente' or 'Grande Clase'.

Local, regional or TRD Avant trains do not have class distinctions.

Scenic routes

  • Madrid - Aranda - Burgos
  • Barcelona - Puigcerdà
  • Algeciras - Ronda
  • Huesca - Canfranc

Reservation fees in Spain

  • Arco, Talgo, Diurno
    1st class: € 10 / 2nd class: € 6,50
    Reservation compulsory.
  • Avant
    € 10
    Reservation compulsory. No class distinction.
  • AVE
    1st class: € 23,50 / 2nd class: € 10
    Reservation compulsory. First class includes drink and meal.
  • Euromed, Alvia, Alaris, Altaria
    1st class: € 23,50 / 2nd class: € 6,50
    Reservation compulsory. First class includes drink and meal.
  • TRD
    € 4,50
    Reservation compulsory. No class distinction.

Airport station links

The Spanish Railway Network (RENFE) does not run directly to the Madrid-Barajas International Airport. The long-distance, AVE and suburban train stations are accessible in just a few minutes using the underground.

Eurail Aid Offices

For questions about Eurail, you can go to the international ticket office at any of the following railway stations: Estación Barcelona-Sants, Estación Barcelona-França, Aeropuerto Internacional Madrid-Barajas (Madrid Airport) Terminal T1 arrivals counter, Terminal T4 arrivals counter, Estación Madrid-Chamartín, Estación Sevilla-Santa Justa (Seville) and Estación Valencia-Nord. See the page Eurail Aid Offices for detailed information and more aid offices in Europe.

Special trains

You can travel by train through Europe on a large variety of special trains. Examples are high-speed trains, scenic trains or night trains.

Special trains mostly require a small supplement or a reservation fee from Eurail Pass holders. See the list of supplements for international trains and the information about train reservations. You can plan your trip with the help of online timetables.

Eurail Passes for Spain